IBM Corp says it has passed a major milestone in its efforts to establish a new mid-range streaming backup tape format by demonstrating the ability to cram 100Gb of uncompressed data onto a single cartridge. IBM’s development labs in Tuscon, Arizona have achieved the 100Gb capacity goal set for the forthcoming LTO Linear Tape Open Ultrium cartridge on the specifications released a year ago. The first products are expected to be out by year end. Current top industry tape cartridge capacities range from 20 to 40 Gb.
Linear Tape Open is the result of collaboration between IBM, Hewlett-Packard Co and Seagate Technology Inc, and the trio hope to license it across the industry and replace all the competing single vendor formats. So far, there are around 18 licensees, some undisclosed, including four for full manufacturing rights (the three founders plus Fujitsu Ltd), four or five for media licenses and the rest viewing licenses, giving access to the detailed spec.
The main competition for LTO is Quantum Corp’s DLT digital linear tape technology, which it has licensed only to Tandberg so that users can have a second source for drives. Quantum’s forthcoming SuperDLT format has also promised to support 100Gb of native capacity. The DLT product line acquired in 1994 from Digital Equipment Corp, now represents around 30% of Qauntum’s revenue.
IBM says there are a number of reasons why companies who would currently use DLT as the technology of choice, might consider a shift to LTO. First, it has a 10 year roadmap, in four phases. That shows capacity moving up from 100Gb to 200, 400 and 800Gb, and data transfer rates moving from 20MB/s native up to 20, 40 and 80MB/s native, 160MB/s compressed. Media will be metal particle-based for the first three generations, thin film for the fourth generation. Quantum, it says, had no firm roadmap at all until LTO came along, and now only has SuperDLT, which will require Quantum to come up with a 200% jump in capacity and a 100% jump in data rates over its existing formats – quantum leaps indeed, says IBM.
The second point in favor of LTO, according to IBM, is that three companies have been involved in its development. While most of the technical running has been made by IBM, which has long established tape expertise at Tuscon and market experience with Magstar, HP had also been working on a mid-range drive before the LTO consortium was formed, and Seagate has experience selling high-volume tape products, such as its low-end Traven line.
Achieving the 100Gb target is an important breakthrough, says IBM, and the first time any company has achieved that figure in any market sector. It shows the project is viable and on-track, said Charlene Murphy, general manager RMSS OEM Sales and Marketing for IBM. LTO drives are expected to be most popular in the Unix and NT server markets, both growing strongly. But IBM says that automated tape libraries will also see strong growth, of around 15% compound annual growth rates over the next three years, compared to 5% for the market in general. Quantum acquired automatic tape library firm ATL Products Inc last year for the same reasons.
There will be two LTO formats: Ultrium, optimized for high capacity, and Accelis for fast access. IBM estimates the street price of LTO drives will be between $5,000 and $6,000, similar to DLT. Media makers such as Imation Corp, Verbatim Corp and Emtec Magnetics Gmbh have agreed to produce cartridges, but aren’t saying yet what the pricing will be.
Meanwhile, Sony Corp yesterday said it also had plans for a data storage tape capable of storing up to 100Gb, the AIT-3. Developed by San Jose, California-based Sony Electronics Inc, , the 3.5 inch drive is expected to go on sale in 2001. The drive would cost around $5,000 and the cartridges $150, the company said. Sony recently announced its AIT-2 drive with 50Gb capacity and 6MB/s transfer rates. The drives will be the first use of magneto-resistive heads in a helical scan tape mechanism, said Sony, and will use advanced metal evaporated media. Data transfer rates of 12MB/s uncompressed are anticipated. Sony said the announcement positions Sony to deliver new AIT solutions for years to come.
