Tag: tape

A 30,000TB tower powered by a 70-year-old technology — Spectra Logic proves that data tape still has a place in an AI world with storage system that can handle thousands of LTO-9 tapes

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 12, 2024
No Comments on A 30,000TB tower powered by a 70-year-old technology — Spectra Logic proves that data tape still has a place in an AI world with storage system that can handle thousands of LTO-9 tapes

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Spectra Logic has introduced the Spectra Cube tape library, a cloud-optimized system for on-premise, hybrid cloud, and IaaS environments that is designed to be quickly deployed, dynamically scaled, and easily serviced without tools or downtime.

The Spectra Cube library is managed by the company’s recently announced LumOS library management software, which provides secure local and remote management and monitoring.

The tower is compatible with LTO-6, LTO-7, LTO-8, and LTO-9 technology generations and will reportedly support LTO-10 when it becomes available. LTO-6 support allows users to read old tapes all the way back to LTO-4 with an LTO-6 tape drive. The solution features high tape cartridge exchange performance, a TeraPack Access Port for easy tape handling, and drive interfaces including Fibre Channel and SAS.

Up to 30PB of native capacity

With a capacity-on-demand expansion model, the Spectra Cube allows for additional tape slots and drives to be enabled via software without downtime. The library offers up to 30PB of native capacity and supports up to 16 partitions for shared or multi-tenant environments.

“As cloud data continues to grow rapidly, the escalating costs of public cloud storage have forced a reckoning, leading to significant interest in moving data to more economical locations including on-prem clouds and hybrid clouds,” said Matt Ninesling, senior director of tape portfolio management at Spectra Logic.

“Compared to typical public cloud options, Spectra Cube solutions can cut the costs of cold storage by half or more, while providing better data control and protection from existential threats like ransomware.”

The price of a fully-fledged Spectra Cube library ranges from under $60,000 to over $500,000 depending on configuration, number of tape drives, amount of media, and other additions to the base library.

256TB SSDs could land before 2026 with a surprisingly low price — but will most likely use a controversial and popular trick borrowed from tape technology

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ScaleFlux has announced its latest SSD controller in what could be a significant step up for the company.

The SFX 5016, the successor to the SFX 3016, incorporates several design advancements, including an upgrade from PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 5.0, doubling the host interface speed and bandwidth.

The new controller has been designed to support a maximum storage capacity of up to 256TB, a volume which JB Baker, VP of Products at ScaleFlux believes can be achieved sooner than expected, by taking a leaf out of tape technology.

256TBe drives are coming

Reaching 256TB is a big aim for SSD makers, and one that has some challenging hurdles to overcome. For starters, the physical space, determined by the size and form factor of the SSD, dictates how many NAND components it can accommodate. The density of these components also plays a part, with higher densities providing more storage capacity. The SSD’s overall capacity can be limited by the controller’s ability to handle a certain number of NAND chips and manage them effectively. Additionally, SSDs maintain a “logical to physical map” to track each byte of data stored, typically in DRAM for consistent performance in enterprise SSDs. The amount of DRAM that can fit in the drive can further limit the maximum drive capacity.

For all of those reasons, we likely won’t see a 256TB physical capacity drive arrive until 2026 at the earliest, with pricing expected to come in at around $25,000 each. But there is a solution that’s closer to hand. Baker says a “256T effective through compression drive could arrive by 2025 and cost a fraction of the price.”

While offering a 256TB SSD ahead of the competition, and at a lower price point, sounds great, the method of achieving this is not without controversy.

Transparent compression, a feature included in the SFX 5016 and carried forward from the SFX 3016, is a popular trick borrowed from tape technology that allows an SSD to store more data than its physical capacity by compressing it. As Baker explains “a 3.84TB SSD can store 7.68TB of 2:1 compressible data for ‘effective capacity’. Storage array vendors pitch the ‘TBe’ -Terabyte effective – capacity based on achieving a certain data compression ratio.”

Although there’s no firm timescale for it, if Baker is right, it’s possible we’ll start seeing the first 256TBe drives late next year.

Huawei may have used a very clever trick to make hard disks use less power — spin-on-demand disk drives may well compete with tape on performance, but at what cost?

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At MWC 2024, Huawei’s Dr. Peter Zhou took the wraps off a number of new data storage products, including the company’s next-gen 10 Petabyte OceanStor Arctic magneto-electric storage solution.

When we reported on it recently, details were incredibility light. We knew it would be a magneto-electric disk (MED) that probably spins, and the first generation of the disk would be used mainly for archival storage. Huawei also claimed that it could reduce TCO by 20% compared to tape, and reduce power consumption by 90% compared to hard drives.

Now, Blocks & Files has uncovered additional details on the MED drive, courtesy of a smartphone photo of a backup and archiving slide presented by Huawei at another event.

Spun-down disks

Taken by Digital Storage and Applications Analyst Tom Coughlin, the slide has an archiving solution section that reveals three visual elements for OceanStor Arctic: a rack, a 4 or 6RU chassis, and a disk.

Blocks & Files notes that some of the text on the slide appears to compare “450 W/PB HDDs vs 71 W/PB Magneto-electric Disk” and writer Chris Mellor says, “We have been pondering what the term magneto-electric disk might mean. Dictionary-wise the magneto-electric effect refers to any linkage between the magnetic and the electric properties of a material. That could conceivably describe a hard disk drive’s technology, which involves using electricity to change the polarity of a magnetic region on a disk platter’s surface.”

If that’s the case, the big question so far unanswered, is how it can spin yet consume 90% lower power than hard drives? The likely answer is that the OceanStor Arctic will use spun-down disks that power down or turn off to save energy and reduce wear when not in use.

Mellor asked Huawei if OceanStor Arctic used spun-down disks, but was told less than helpfully by a spokesperson, “My understanding is that the product line may not be in a position to disclose more information about the product as it’s not yet available in overseas market.”

OceanStor Arctic is expected to be available outside of China in the second half of 2025.

Huawei has a game-changing 10 Petabyte storage product — OceanStor Arctic uses exciting new technology that can beat tape AND hard drives

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According to recent estimates, around 328.77 million terabytes of data are created each day. Storing that data is a challenge, so it’s no wonder that we’re seeing a number of new high-capacity storage technologies being introduced. In the past few months alone we’ve reported on a ceramic cartridge with a 10,000TB capacity, a 200TB optical disc, and Micron’s NVDRAM, which outperforms NAND-based SSDs in terms of speed and durability.

At a keynote speech at MWC 2024, Huawei’s Dr. Peter Zhou took the wraps off a number of new data storage solutions being introduced by the company. OceanStor A800 and OceanStor A310 are designed to make “AI training data globally visible, manageable, and available, and improves data collection, preprocessing, and training efficiency”, while OceanProtect E8000 and X9000 are data backup appliance solutions.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement however, covers the company’s next-gen OceanStor Arctic magneto-electric storage solution.

Over 10PB capacity

Although details on OceanStor Arctic are a little light at the moment, we know that it’s designed for warm and cold data. Huawei has also said that it is projected to reduce TCO by 20% compared to tape, and reduce power consumption by 90% compared to hard drives.

Huawei’s China HQ has since provided a little more detail, telling Blocks & Files, “Huawei’s MED (magneto-electric disk) brings brand-new innovation against magnetic media. The first generation of MED will be as a big capacity disk. The rack capacity will be more than 10 PB and power consumption less than 2 KW. For the first generation of MED, we will position it mainly for archival storage.”

Tom’s Hardware suggests that since the technology is a “magneto-electric disk (MED), not a magneto-electric drive, we are dealing with something that has magnetic platters with tracks (and probably spins). The underlying principle of MED technology seems to be the magneto-electric effect, which creates a connection between the magnetic and electric properties of a material.”

The first generation of the OceanStor Arctic is slated for international release in the first half of 2025.

Iconic cassette tape inspired wireless magnetic power bank

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 8, 2024
No Comments on Iconic cassette tape inspired wireless magnetic power bank

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Iconic cassette tape inspired wireless magnetic power bank

Imagine you’re out and about, your phone’s battery is dwindling, and you’re miles away from the nearest outlet. You need a power boost, and you need it fast. Enter the Flashtape wireless cassette magnetic battery pack, a nifty gadget that’s here to save the day. It’s like having a little bit of the past in your pocket, ready to power up the future of your iPhone.

This isn’t just any charger; it’s a nod to the days of mixtapes and boomboxes, wrapped up in a package that meets today’s tech needs. Picture a classic cassette tape, but instead of playing your favorite hits, it’s juicing up your iPhone 12 to 15 with ease. The Flashtape cassette battery pack is designed to snap onto your phone with magnets, providing a secure hold and a wireless charge without any fumbling with cords.

Early bird benefits are now available for the recently launched project from roughly $27 or £23 (depending on current exchange rates). Now, let’s talk speed. With a 20W Type-C Power Delivery port, this power bank can take your iPhone 15 Pro from zero to fifty percent in roughly half an hour. That’s the kind of efficiency you need when you’re on the go and your phone is your lifeline to work, friends, and entertainment.

Cassette Tape Power Bank Wireless Charger

But what about carrying this thing around? No worries there. The Flashtape cassette magnetic battery pack is built to be your pocket-sized companion, slipping easily into your bag or jeans. And it’s smart, too. An LED screen on the power bank tells you exactly how much charge is left, so you’re never left guessing. When it’s time to recharge the Flashtape itself, you’ll find it’s just as easy and efficient.

cassette magnetic battery pack

Now, let’s not forget style. This power bank comes housed in a case that looks just like a cassette tape box. It’s a conversation starter that’s also practical, protecting your charger as it bounces around in your bag. Plus, you can customize it with stickers to make it truly yours. It’s a way to stand out while you stay powered up.

Assuming that the Flashtape funding campaign successfully raises its required pledge goal and the project completion progresses smoothly, worldwide shipping is expected to take place sometime around July 2024. To learn more about the Flashtape cassette tape power bank project scrutinize the promotional video below.

So, whether you’re a tech-savvy individual with a love for all things retro or someone who simply needs a reliable charge on the move, the Flashtape wireless magnetic power bank is here to meet your needs. It’s more than just a charger; it’s a statement piece that keeps your iPhone ready for whatever comes next.

For a complete list of all available backing options, stretch goals, extra media and feature breakdown for the cassette tape power bank, jump over to the official Flashtape cassette magnetic battery pack crowd funding campaign page by visiting the link below.

Source : Kickstarter

Disclaimer: Participating in Kickstarter campaigns involves inherent risks. While many projects successfully meet their goals, others may fail to deliver due to numerous challenges. Always conduct thorough research and exercise caution when pledging your hard-earned money.

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Tags bank, cassette, Iconic, inspired, magnetic, Power, tape, wireless