Need seriously fast backup hardware

[Zelandakh]

One of my main servers needs its backup hardware changing. I'm only getting about 70GB per hour from a single tape drive LTO-2 Ultrium 17 tape library.

Ideally I need well over 200GB/hr native. Needs to run at that speed guaranteed on an Apple Mac, rather than under specific conditions in a lab on a PC. Preferably LTO-2. Disk is not an option as I'm scaling to 2TB around next Summer and already have the tapes on board.

Current connectivity is via SCSI using Ultra160, single device. RAID array is dual channel fibre and the server has been tested at well over 120GB/hr per fibre channel.

Oh and price is important!!!

<signature sold. new owner moving in shortly>

 

[HelpNow]

Invest is fastest Raid configuration\Card, LTO-3 and USCSI320 cards, You can use Networker to break down server load by creating multiple clients, saveset to better stream the DATA.
If this dont do it you need to invest in Snapshot technology and use full copy to backup leasurly.

 

[justin2000]

The only tape drive that comes close to that is the LTO-3.
A U320 card isn't going to give you better speed than an U160 - as the drive interface is only U160.

The LTO-3 supposedly give 245Gb/hour native - but this is probably in lab conditions.

I tell ya, you are going to be pushing your server to get anywhere near 200GB/hour - though you are getting excellent speeds with the LTO-2 drives, as they are supposed to do 72GB/hour native.

 

[comtec17]

justin2000, there is no such thing as the LTO-Gen3 on the market today.

 

[justin2000]

comtec17, yep I just made this all up, I have no idea what I am talking about..

http://www.certance.com/products/lto-ultrium/

Certance the first company to release the LTO-3 drive, 400GB native, 800GB compressed - 245GB/hour native, 490GB compressed.

being a vendor, might pay to stay ahead of the ball game and keep abreast of new solutions and products being released.

oh, BTW you would be interested to learn that Quantum have bought Certance.

 

[justin2000]

Oh something else... LTO-3 from Certance availability on the 4th October 2004 -

http://www.certance.com/news-info/newsreleases/2004/Certance_First_To_Ship_LTO-3

 

[Zelandakh]

Justin,
I've been in contact with those people since I posted and am looking at their 8 tape LTO-3 library to run in parallel with another one using a pair of fibre RAID arrays. We're hoping to get towards the magic 245GB/hr on each library so we're hoping to get the server working towards 490GB/hr native.

comtec17,
Thanks for the advice, I'll wait until someone invents an LTO-Gen3 device and will look elsewhere in the meantime

 

[justin2000]

Zelandakh

Keep us updated as to the speeds you get - if you get anyting over 200gb/hour each I will be very impressed.

 

[Zelandakh]

You and me both - just have to persuade them gently about my views on sale or return. They give me 200GB/hr per drive or they take them back!!!

 

[Yrrk]

Why not buy multiple drives and take advantage of modern day backup software's capability to write to multiple devices simultaniously?

 

[Zelandakh]

I am doing - 2 tape libraries. One on each SCSI bus, one for each RAID array (fibre).

They claim 245GB/hr per device, I need 320 across the server. 490GB/hr is theoretical. Will let you know how it pans out.

 

[mrashburn]

Sorry for the late posting... I just read it.

Have you thought about a disk-disk-tape solution? I'm not very familiar with them but them seem to fit the bill. Even using a snap type solution and then spool off to tape at your convenience may be a good fit as well. I know Overland REO looks great on paper. I'm using Bakbone's Netvault software which moves to disk first then off to tape.

Let me know if you have any questions which I can answer (which, I'm afraid wouldn't be much!)