Virtual Tape Libraries Without Complexity

WHITE PAPER
VTLs Without Complexity:
Spectra Logic RXTT SabreT as VTL
AP R I L 2006VTLs Without Complexity
CONTENTS
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Increased Reliability and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Backup Environment Continuity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Easier to Implement than Disk-as-Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Easily Scaled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
VTLs: Some Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Complexity in Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Additional Data Center Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Finding the Virtual Tapes Storing your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Finding Tapes Copied from VTL using VTL commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Case Study: VTL Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
RXT Sabre as VTL: All the Advantages without Any of the Disadvantages . 7RXT Sabre as VTL: Second Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7RXT Sabre as VTL: All the Advantages of VTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7RXT Sabre as VTL: Solves First-Generation VTL Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . .8RXT Sabre as VTL: Additional Advantages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
RXT and Sabre are trademarks, and Spectra, TeraPackand the Spectra Logic are registered trademarks of Spectra Logic Corporation. All rights reserved worldwide. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All library features and specifications listed in this white paper are subject to change at any time without notice. Copyright © 2006 by Spectra Logic Corporation. All rights reserved.
2VTLs Without Complexity: Spectra Logic's RXT Sabre as VTL
Executive Summary
As IT data centers begin to embrace disk as a viable medium in secondary storage, virtual tape libraries (VTLs) fill an important niche between primary storage and archival storage on tape.
Disk in the form of VTLs-that is, disk presented as tape-can be added without requiring huge changes to existing backup strategies. This compares favorably to adding disk into an existing environment, because adding disk without the VTL interface requires complex and unavoidable changes to existing strategies.
This simplicity, coupled with the affordability of SATA disk for short-term storage, has turned VTL into a viable storage option. First generation VTLs are gradually moving into data centers.
First generation technology typically has drawbacks-a useful new technology, or a new variation on an existing technology, is almost certain to have problems. By virtue of being new, a product offers options to users that weren't there before. It takes time to integrate new technology, and with field-use, technological and usability issues become evident. The technology can then be refined, taking it to the next level.
First generation VTLs do have problems, primarily complexity of setup. Secondarily, and perhaps directly related to complexity, VTLs often have problems with the real-world performance versus theoretical gains.
Spectra Logic's RXT Sabre addresses all the first generation VTL drawbacks and consequently goes a step further, adding features that expand beyond first generation VTL (disk-as-tape) products.
3VTLs Without Complexity: Spectra Logic's RXT Sabre as VTL
VTL: Many Advantages
The advantages that VTLs bring to secondary storage have led to the increasingly widespread deployment of VTLs in backup environments.
Increased Reliability and PerformanceVTLs deliver backup and restore reliability and performance. Problems associated with tape drives have encouraged IT administrators to look toward disk to reduce the length of time it takes to backup data and to increase the reliability of backups. VTL is the first application to ease the addition of disk to existing backup environments.
Backup Environment ContinuityPerhaps the mo... [download for more]