Ultera Systems | RAILStor™ - Multiple Optical Libraries

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	Related
	RapidStor
	RAILStor
	Stor2

	5 Channels
	Optical Striper 3LVD
	Optical Striper 3

Ultera's RAILStor™ controller solution is designed for multiple optical library configurations featuring Data Striping (RAID Levels 0 and 3). Increase performance and provide fault tolerance with multiple library striping.

SOLUTIONS

	Optical Jukebox Striping
	Ideal for Video on Demand
	Increases performance by striping up to 5 libraries
	Combines RAID and automation with seamless scalability
	Read and recording speeds are increased by as much as 4 times

5 Channel
High Performance,
Data Striping

Ultera's RAILStor� controller features Data Striping and appears to the host system as a single optical library with one or more optical drives ("Logical Drive Sets"). A "Logical Drive Set" consists of an array of up to 5 optical drives and is seen by the host as a single logical optical device ("Virtual Optical Drive").

Supports
DVD-RAM &
Magneto Optical,
MO Devices

How Does Ultera's RAILStor™ Controller Work?

Ultera's Library Optical RAID solutions are designed to be plug and play compatible with all operating systems and hardware platforms. Ultera's RAILStor™ controller adds value to your optical library investment by providing data protection and fault tolerance at a level that no single optical library can provide. A description of how the RAILStor™ controller transparently applies Optical RAID enhancements to conventional optical libraries is detailed below.

ROBOTICS

The operating mode of the RAILStor™ controller determines the size of a "Logical Drive Set" (2, 3, 4 or 5 optical drives). This controls how many optical libraries can be attached to the RAILStor™ controller.

The size of a logical optical volume set is equal to the "Logical Drive Set" size as shown below:

Operating Mode	Logical Optical Volume Size	Logical Drive Set Size
Striping 2+0	2 Optical Media	2 Libraries
Striping 2+1	3 Optical Media	3 Libraries
Striping 4+0	4 Optical Media	4 Libraries
Striping 4+1	5 Optical Media	5 Libraries
Mirroring 2	2 Optical Media	2 Libraries
Mirroring 3	3 Optical Media	3 Libraries
Mirroring 4	4 Optical Media	4 Libraries
Mirroring 5	5 Optical Media	5 Libraries

The RAILStor™ controller presents to the host backup management software the same inventory, number of drives and number of import/export slots as if it was a single optical library.

INVENTORY

The RAILStor™ controller presents each logical optical volume set to the host computer as a single media cartridge and transparently loads and unloads a complete physical set of optical media cartridges for each logical mount/dismount request from the backup management software.

Starting with the lowest slot number, a logical optical volume set occupies the same slot number in each library. For example, five independent optical libraries can be attached to a RAILStor™ controller with a logical drive set size equal to 5. This would mean the RAILStor™ controller is set to a Striping 4+1 or Mirroring 5 operating mode and data is either striped or mirrored across the optical libraries to the appropriate drive set.

DRIVES

The host software views each logical drive set as a single optical drive via the RAILStor™ controller. The array channels of the primary RAILStor™ controller attach to a robot and the lowest drive element address in each optical library. Additional RAILStor™ controllers may be added to operate the next set of available drives(1 per optical library).

IMPORT/EXPORT

The RAILStor™ controller presents the same number of door slots that exist in a single optical library. When a logical optical volume set is imported/exported, the RAILStor™ controller moves an entire logical optical set in parallel to the door or from the door as one logical move operation.