Compaq  Tandem 9710 Automated Cartridge System (ACS)

The Compaq 9710 Automated Cartridge System (ACS) fully automates tape operations. It is a lower-cost alternative to large-scale, mainframe-class automated cartridge systems. With the 9710 ACS, you can implement a data-storage automation strategy with a smaller investment and increase performance and capacity as your needs change.

Designed for storage-intensive applications, the 9710 ACS can store up to 44.1 terabytes of data in less than 1.49 square meters (16 square feet) of floor space. It is based on advanced robotics technology from StorageTek, the leader in tape automation. Delivering up to 180 tape exchanges per hour, the 9710 ACS ensures that your users can get the information they need quickly.

In addition, the 9710 ACS is equipped with a high-performance Digital Linear Tape (DLT) subsystem for maximum flexibility. The tape drive can exchange data with other devices that use industry-standard DLT media.

To fully leverage your investment in automated tape systems, a single 9710 ACS can be shared by multiple Compaq NonStop™ Himalaya™ K-series or S-series servers, or a combination of NonStop™ Himalaya servers and computers based on Windows NT® Server or UNIX® operating systems. Because the 9710 ACS offers a separate control and data path, multiple client hosts can share a communications control path while retaining the performance benefits of individual data paths.

Using fiber-optic cable interconnect technology, the 9710 ACS supports cable lengths of up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). This means that if you have a large computing complex, you can put all of your tape devices in one operator-accessible location.

Based on robotics technology from StorageTek—the industry leader in tape automation—the 9710 ACS delivers up to 180 tape exchanges per hour.

Automated operations

The 9710 ACS fully automates your tape operations. This means your staff does not have to spend countless hours labeling, loading, and managing growing stacks of tape cartridges. Furthermore, the 9710 ACS ensures the integrity and accessibility of your data by eliminating the costly human errors associated with manual operations.

The 9710 ACS employs proven high-performance robotics so your staff can be more effective. By fully automating data-storage management, you can utilize your operators for other important tasks.

Cost-effective automated tape storage

The 9710 ACS provides a lower-cost alternative for organizations that do not need the capacity and performance of a large-scale, mainframe-class automated cartridge system. With the 9710 ACS, you can implement a data-storage automation strategy with a smaller investment and increase performance and capacity as your requirements change and grow.

Unlike some entry-level automated systems, the 9710 ACS is designed to be up and running quickly. Because it uses an autoranging power supply and requires no raised flooring, special cabling, or environmental controls, the 9710 ACS works in a standard office environment. The 9710 ACS has no scheduled maintenance requirements and considerably fewer parts than comparable automated cartridge systems. With fewer failure points, the 9710 ACS delivers greater reliability and lower operational costs.

High-capacity data storage

The 9710 ACS is designed to meet the demands of storage-intensive applications. You can begin with 252 cartridges in a single drive installation. As your storage requirements grow, adding a 9710 ACS expansion package lets you increase that capacity incrementally to 588 cartridges with minimal disruption to ongoing operations and without compromising square footage. A single 9710 ACS can support up to 10 tape drives.

In less than 1.49 square meters (16 square feet) of floor space, the 9710 ACS offers capacities from 600 gigabytes to 44.12 terabytes of data storage, depending on your drive configuration. The flexible capacity and performance of the 9710 ACS also extend to a 14-cartridge access port that handles the administrative tasks normally associated with loading and unloading cartridges.

The 9710 ACS uses fiber-optic interface boards that support cable lengths of up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), making it possible to place all your tape devices in one operator-accessible location.

Highly reliable robotics library

The 9710 ACS brings robotics technology—tested and proven in mainframe environments—to today’s enterprisewide systems. By combining this technology with the 5159 DLT tape drive, you can automate your data backup and storage needs and bring a new level of data accessibility to everyday users.

Based on advanced robotics technology from StorageTek—the industry leader in tape automation—the 9710 ACS delivers up to 180 tape exchanges per hour. This performance ensures that your users can get the information they need quickly, without the need for manual intervention.

Using fiber-optic interconnect technology, the 9710 ACS tape drives support cable lengths of up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), making it possible to place all of your tape devices in one operator-accessible location.

Industry-standard DLT technology

The 9710 ACS employs either 5159 DLT7000 or 5155 DLT4000 DLT tape drives, which deliver the high performance and high capacity of half-inch DLT technology in a cartridge tape drive.

Using an industry-standard CompacTape IV DLT cartridge, storage capacities of 35 or 20 gigabytes native or 75 or 40 gigabytes at 2:1 compression are available on a single cartridge.

A 5159 or 5155 tape drive can exchange data with other DLT systems via all currently available DLT media. Data can be interchanged on the CompacTape IV, CompacTape III, or CompacTape IIIXT DLT cartridges.

Numerous advanced offline diagnostic features are available within the tape drive to isolate and recover from problems quickly. These routines include a comprehensive offline self-test, scratch pad memory, and advanced error-reporting capabilities. Error information is displayed on the LED panel of the 9710 ACS.

Proven library management software

In the NonStop™ Himalaya server environment, the Silo Media Manager software package (SF10V1) is the recommended solution for managing multiple 9710 ACS systems. It uses a GUI-based drag-and-drop interface that can be accessed by operator or by program. In heterogeneous system environments, as well as in NonStop™ Himalaya environments, the Compaq SF02 client software component, used with StorageTek Automated Cartridge System Library Software (ACSLS), provides similar functionality to the Silo Media Manager. Both of these library management software products (SF10V1 and SF02) provide automated handling of tape cartridges stored in a 9710 ACS. Under software control, the 9710 ACS retrieves, mounts, dismounts, returns, and stores the cartridges.

The library management software and the 9710 ACS system improve the performance of large databases, crucial online transaction processing applications protected by NonStop™ Transaction Manager/MP (NonStop™ TM/MP) software, routine backup and restore operations, and custom applications. This is because the host no longer has to wait for an operator to mount tapes. While the library management software is in operation, it generates messages to keep operators fully informed about the status of tape processing.

The ACSLS, running on a UNIX system–based workstation, makes it possible to share a single 9710 ACS among multiple systems—either multiple NonStop™ Himalaya servers, or a combination of these servers and computers based on Windows NT Server or UNIX operating systems. (See figures 1, 2, and 3.) This sharing capability lets you leverage your investment in automated tape systems.

Figure 1. 9710 ACS installed in a NonStop™ Himalaya environment using the Silo Media Manager (SF10V1).

Figure 2. 9710 ACS installed in a shared multiple NonStop™ Himalaya environment using the SF02 client software component.

Figure 3. 9710 ACS installed in a heterogeneous system environment using the SF02 client software component and ACSLS.

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