Library Partitioning Module (LPM)

For many years small to medium sized companies have been forced to heavliy invest in tape libraries to provide for each server they employed. Because of this, companies are typically left with 10-20% of wasted resources in each library they operate. This means that many companies find themselves spending valuable budgets on multiple tape libraries that are delivering a significantly reduced return on investment.

Bridgeworks' LPM is a product that represents a revolution in terms of automated data storage management. It uses concepts originally developed for the mainframe tape libraries to deliver incredible cost savings to small to medium sized companies. The LPM achieves this by enabling a single SCSI based tape library to share storage space between a number of servers, therefore maximising the flexibility and cost efficiency of the tape library.

Key Benefits

• Maximum return on investment.
• Maximises storage efficiency - supports heterogeneous server environments.
• Most cost effective solution available.
• No impact on data transfer performance.
• Plug n' Play.
• 'Future proofing' Your Tape library.
• Supports disk and tape based libraries

Maximum Return on Investment

The LPM allows users to connect multiple heterogeneous servers to one tape library. This means that the company is saved the considerable cost of investing in a single tape library for each server. As an additional benefit, users are also saved the added cost of maintaining multiple tape libraries.

Maximises Storage Efficiency

The LPM allows users to individually allocate storage space to each server. This allows the resources within the library to be allocated accurately to the requirements of each server. This provides the maximum level of storage efficiency that the tape library can supply.

Most Cost Effective Solution Available

There are software based solutions that allow multiple servers to share resources in a single tape library. However, these software programs are often complicated to implement and can cause disruption to the day-to-day management of the servers. The cost of implementing these solutions can often extend beyond $100,000, therefore, at less than a tenth of that cost the LPM offers users an extraordinary cost saving.

Plug n' Play

Since no host based software is required the LPM is incredibly easy to implement and use. The detailed GUI that accompanies the product ensures that any user can manage the LPM quickly and easily.

Flexible Connections

The LPM is part of a modular product set from Bridgeworks and is capable of interfacing with our Fibre Channel and iSCSI bridges. This allows multiple servers with different operating systems and protocols to access a single tape library via the LPM simultaneously, thus further expanding the useful life of your investment.

Performance

For applications where performance is not critical, tape or disk devices can be connected to the host via the LPM. For the more demanding applications where performance is crucial, these devices can be connected directly to the hosts bypassing the LPM. In both cases the LPM still manages the allocation of these devices.

Security

Although different parts of the library are allocated to different hosts, it will appear to that host and it's associated software as a "dedicated" library with no view of the other hosts or their resources. The LPM imposes strict security between servers such that any attempt by a host to access resources outside its defined allocation is dedicated and an error returned.

'Future Proofing' Your Tape Library

Because technology moves so fast, storage space required by a server can vary greatly during its lifecycle. This often means that storage space is wasted across many tape libraries. Since the LPM allows the user to consolidate their spare resources in one library, future storage requirements can be accurately planned for. This guarantees that the tape library will operate at it's maximum level of efficiency in the future as well as today.

Configuration

Partitioning of the library between the configured hosts can be carried out automatically, providing an equal allocation of storage, or via the GUI, manual override can be used to tailor allocation for specific host requirements.

Specifications

Form Factor

19" 1U rack mount enclosure

Interface

Host Port: Ultra-2 Wide Single-Ended or LVD (auto sensing)
Transfer Rate: 80 MBytes/sec

Robotics Port: Ultra-2 Wide Single-Ended or LVD (auto sensing)
Transfer Rate: 80 Mbytes.sec

Connectors

Host Port: 68 Way VHDLC
Robotics Port: 68 Way VHDLC

Electrical

Voltage: 110-230V AC
Power: 25 Watts max.

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