IBM Magstar MP 3570
Encyclopedia
The IBM 3570 is a series of tape drive
Tape drive
A tape drive is a data storage device that reads and performs digital recording, writes data on a magnetic tape. Magnetic tape data storage is typically used for offline, archival data storage. Tape media generally has a favorable unit cost and long archival stability.A tape drive provides...

s and corresponding magnetic tape data storage
Magnetic tape data storage
Magnetic tape data storage uses digital recording on to magnetic tape to store digital information. Modern magnetic tape is most commonly packaged in cartridges and cassettes. The device that performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive...

 media formats developed by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...

. The storage technology and media were introduced using the name Magstar MP, combining the IBM storage brand name Magstar with MP for MultiPurpose. The IBM product number 3570 was associated with the tape drives and libraries
Tape library
In computer storage, a tape library, sometimes called a tape silo, tape robot or tape jukebox, is a storage device which contains one or more tape drives, a number of slots to hold tape cartridges, a barcode reader to identify tape cartridges and an automated method for loading tapes...

 that used the Magstar MP media.

The IBM 3570 technology was specifically produced for mid-range computer systems, and for the tape cartridges to be primarily stored in and handled by automated tape libraries. Most interestingly, the technology was specifically designed for fastest access to the data, with quick robotic tape loading and near-instant head to tape contact in mid-tape after loading. However, slower tape technologies with higher per-tape capacities proved more successful in the marketplace, and the IBM 3570 technology did not enjoy a large market penetration.

Technology

The IBM Magstar MP technology is a compact tape technology using a small dual-reel tape cartridge which was introduced in September, 1996. The key design points of this technology are:
  • Fast access to data, including quick tape load and quick unload
  • High reliability of media and cartridges under heavy duty read and write loads
  • Heavy use of automated libraries for tape handling
  • High performance in a mid-range computing environment


The technology was upgraded in 1998 to increase both capacity and performance.

This tape format is based on an 8mm tape with 128 tracks arranged in an interleaved longitudinal serpentine format. The tapes used a metal particle technology, and the tape drives used a magneto-resistive head technology, with LZ1 data compression built into the drive.

Media

The original tapes, called B-type, had a capacity of 5GB uncompressed. The follow-on C-type tapes had the same capacity, but were faster. The final tape media, called C-XL, had a capacity of 7GB uncompressed. IBM advertising suggested an expected typical 3:1 data compression ratio.

Drives and Libraries

The IBM 3570 product line included three types of tape systems:
  • Individual tape drives, such as the IBM 3570-B00
  • Table-top or rack-mounted tape auto-loaders with one or two drives, that could function as small libraries, such as the IBM 3570-B12
  • Stand-alone tape libraries capable of holding multiple tape drives and many dozens of tape cartridges, such as the IBM 3575.


The original drives, called B-type, had a native uncompressed data rate of 5MB/second. Data compression performed "on the fly" in the drive could provide higher data rates, depending on the compressibility of the data being written. The follow-on drives, called C-type, had a native uncompressed data rate of 7MB/second.

The full-size IBM 3575 libraries were capable of being partitioned into multiple logical libraries and shared by multiple computer "hosts." Cartridges were organized in columns within the IBM 3575 library, with one curious aspect that the tape cartridges were inverted from one column to the next. This could cause frustration when operators hand-loaded cartridges into libraries.

Interfaces

Device drivers were available for the most popular mid-range computer platforms of the day, including Windows, Unix, and the IBM AS/400, as well as for the most popular backup management software packages of the time.

See also

  • Computer data storage
  • Data proliferation
    Data proliferation
    Data proliferation refers to the prodigious amount of data, structured and unstructured, that businesses and governments continue to generate at an unprecedented rate and the usability problems that result from attempting to store and manage that data...

  • Information repository
    Information repository
    An information repository is an easy way to deploy a secondary tier of data storage that can comprise multiple, networked data storage technologies running on diverse operating systems, where data that no longer needs to be in primary storage is protected, classified according to captured metadata,...

  • Magnetic storage
    Magnetic storage
    Magnetic storage and magnetic recording are terms from engineering referring to the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses different patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable material to store data and is a form of non-volatile memory. The information is accessed using...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK