TiBS Tape Library Certifications

Teradactyl and Sony have tested the True incremental Backup System Version 2.0 with the PetaSite Robotic Tape Library and both corporations certified on June 11, 2004 that the two product lines passed interoperability testing. The PetaSite and the True incremental Backup System are currently deployed and supported in production environments. All native capacity figures are provided by Sony and are not confirmed nor guaranteed by Teradactyl. Newer Versions of the True incremental Backup System not listed are also supported.

A page with more details on this certification is pending

Teradactyl has performed testing on the T-950 Robotic Tape Library via the Spectra Logic Corporation testing center and certified the T-950 on May 13, 2004 to have passed interoperability testing with the True incremental Backup System. The T-950 and the True incremental Backup System are currently deployed and supported by both companies in production environments for the U.S. Department of Energy and at least one U.S. institution of Higher Learning. By virtue of a common interface between "T" series libraries, both manufactures agree certification can be extended to the T-50 & T-120 units. Teradactyl has not yet tested or certified the Spectra Logic option for the RXT SabreMedia disk on the T-950. All estimated capacity figures are provided by the Spectra Logic Corporation and are not confirmed nor guaranteed by Teradactyl.

A page with more details on this certification is pending

Note: Certain libraries from the above manufacturers have been certified to work with TiBS and the TiBS Automated Tape Library Interface (ATLI) by Teradactyl LLC. Hyperlinks, when available, on these manufacturers will take you to information pages concerning the certification process. The presence of a certification does not constitute an endorsement of that hardware by Teradactyl. Clients should also recognize that the absence of a certification only means that formal certification testing has not occurred. Most libraries from the following manufacturers will be compatible with TiBS. Please Contact Us for more information on specific libraries.

Teradactyl will be happy to assist clients and potential clients with information about robotic libraries and our experience at our various client sites. We DO NOT sell hardware or receive commissions on your hardware purchases but we DO have considerable experience with library manufacturers and can help guide you in your selection process. Please remember QUALITY & SERVICE is as important as price. Our service department often gets involved in problem identification and isolation. Not all manufacturers are the same and we have seen that first hand. Please ask your Teradactyl sales representative for information or simply Contact US.

Robotic Tape Libraries for the True incremental Backup System

The True incrmental Backup System (TiBS) disk cache is used as a staging area to consolidate backups and expedite transfer to the tape library(s). Data is streamed from the backup cache to tape resulting in faster write times and increased tape compression rates. This approach allows a greater amount of data to be stored on each tape, decreasing tape costs. Server side disk caching allows backups to run in parallel. The disconnected operations between client backups and the subsequent synthetic consolidation and tape writes, permits the backup administrator to run significantly more parallel backup operations than the number of drives in the robotic library. With adequate space in the backup server disk cache or the use of the TiBS Disk Library Interface (DLI), network backups can continue even if there are hardware problems with a tape library or drive.

The type of tape technology is a matter of preference. All tape libraries must be SCSI-2 compliant (Fiber attached also works) and have bar code reading devices. TiBS requires bar code labeled tapes for tape library automation. Performance of a TiBS backup server will vary based on your specific hardware configuration. Teradactyl will be happy to review a specific hardware configuration and make additional recommendations to improve performance. Meeting or exceeding bandwidth requirements of peripheral devices such as tape drives and hard drives is strongly recommended for smooth performance.

The TiBS Automated Tape Library Interface: The latest release of TiBS includes support for automated tape cleaning and tape library management. TiBS detects tape drive cleaning status, automatically loads and unloads tape cleaners, and tracks tape cleaner usage. TiBS can automatically place tapes that are scheduled for offsite into import/export slots and request new blank tapes as needed.

TiBS uses a file checksum analysis to track data as it moves through the backup system to ensure transfers are correct. This process for each file begins with the computation of a checksum for the data as it is backed up from the target system. The backup server uses this checksum to verify correct network data transfer. During any backup, checksum data is stored within the backup volume to verify data on subsequent use. In rare instances, we have used this technique to diagnose and fix subtle network hardware failures where a specific block of data was corrupted during network transfer. Each time the data is read by the backup server, it recalculates and compares the checksum. This includes reuse of data as part of the server's backup consolidation process, restore processing, and optional tape and disk library verification processing. Our checksum analysis detects hardware failures such as corrupted disk cache volumes, bad tapes, and failing tape devices. In many instances, our built in redundancy allows the failed backup volume to be rebuilt from other backup volumes on the server. This ongoing verification ensures that your backup hardware is performing properly and can detect problems in advance of an actual restore request. During a restore, the data is again verified for correct network transfer to the restore client.

TiBS includes this ability and requires bar-coded tapes and barcode readers for all tape libraries attached to TiBS backup servers. Our efficient Scalable File Index stores the location of every file on every tape ever generated by TiBS on the backup server. We currently support billions of files. With TiBS there is no need to read the wrong tapes to find your data.

TiBS also provides efficient mechanisms for the recycling of tapes and barcode information. Many institutions we support began with a desired level backup strategy, new tape library, and small mountain of blank tapes. Over time they have decided to change level backup strategies, experienced hardware and media failures, and sometimes even run out of tapes before the next shipment arrives. These are all serious issues organizations should take into account. Not only do you want the ability to barcode tapes, you also need to have flexibility to change your level backup approach, or to remove tapes from the system due to bad media, damage by failing tape drives, or potentially even a lost cartridge. You may also wish to break mirrors to free tapes to continue backup until the next shipment arrives or to recycle one half of the mirror after a given tape retention period. TiBS provides you with flexibility to manage and not just track your media.

Want a Disk Library? Perhaps you should consider the cost and performance benefits of using both. Learn about our Disk Library Interface. It works alone or with Tape!