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Advanced Digital Information Corporation (ADIC) has overhauled the hardware platform and management software for its Scalar i2000 enterprise tape library, and also announced a new remote diagnostic tool for all its storage platforms.
ADIC claims four industry firsts for the new Scalar i2000 iLayer management software: true hot swap drives, drive firmware auto-leveling, native SMI-S support, and integrated drive utilization reporting. ADIC has also more than doubled total capacity for the Scalar i2000, with scalable capacity from 100 to 3,492 tape cartridges.
The library’s enhanced relational diagnostics automatically selects, gathers, synchronizes, and analyzes library log data, reducing service calls by half and shortening issue resolution by a third.
“Better management is critical to help IT departments reduce the time they spend managing enterprise back-up,” said Dianne McAdam, senior analyst and partner at Data Mobility Group. “In its new Scalar i2000 upgrade, ADIC is leading the way by providing standards-based tape management that includes native SMI-S support. This upgrade not only gives end-users intelligent library management, but also makes it easier for them to use a single set of tools to manage disk and tape together in multi-technology environments.”
The Scalar i2000 upgrade will be available in April.
New Tool Diagnoses Backup Problems Remotely
ADIC also announced a new remote backup service tool for all its storage platform solutions, including the Scalar 10K, the Scalar i2000, the Scalar 100, the Scalar 24 and the Pathlight VX disk-based back-up system.
The company’s new iSurety service approach uses advanced data access technology for faster resolution of complex, system-wide backup issues.
iSurety links ADIC’s service teams and resources with customers, their ADIC libraries and disk-backup systems and the diagnostic information from their storage environment. A key component of iSurety is iLink, a new technology that gives the ADIC service team secure, remote access both to ADIC’s platform diagnostics and to diagnostic data from the surrounding storage ecosystem. iSurety also gives users remote access to ADIC technical service resources, including online service request processing, web-based event status tracking, and the ADIC Customer Support Center, which provides on-line configuration, service, and product information.
iLink technology provides a connection to the intelligent diagnostics inside ADIC storage solutions, and extends remote problem-solving beyond the tape library into the user’s storage environment. Through a Web interface, it provides secure, two-way communications between the authorized service team in ADIC’s Secure Service Center and the diagnostics in libraries, disk backup systems, backup software, HBAs and fabric.
In addition to remote access, iLink also has the ability to recommend additional action, initiate corrective actions, exercise devices and applications for troubleshooting, and provide a repair confirmation.
“It’s about time that someone gave IT managers a better way of dealing with the complexity and the rising costs of enterprise backup,” said Peter Gerr, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “ADIC’s level of commitment to and investment in improving diagnostics and service is raising the bar for the industry. This powerful and unique approach has the potential to reduce operational costs by extending service beyond the library and into the storage ecosystem around it.”
ADIC’s iLink technology will be available in March.
