Free fibre channel for DLT libraries
Free fibre channel for DLT libraries
Quantum ATL is offering incentives worth $14,000 to users of its new DLTtape libraries to upgrade to a new Fibre Channel interface.
Buyers of the new P1000 and 7100 series libraries will be able to add Fibre Channel to the products to enable instant connection to a storage area network (SAN). Service and installation fees will still be charged by resellers, however.
"We are wanting to play a central role in encouraging organisations to adopt Fibre Channel and start to take advantage of the benefits of high performance networking and SANs," said John Woolcott, VP of international operations at Quantum ATL.
The Fibre Channel interface supports multi-mode short wave optical fibre cabling with distances between library and host of up to 500 metres. Hubs or switches deployed between the libraries and the host can increase this distance.
The 7100 series libraries, which would have to ship with the embedded upgrade already installed, would be able to support four DLT drives with the Fibre Channel option. Purchasers of the P1000 can take a certificate to be exchanged for an upgrade performed "in the field" by the end of the year 2000.
(Quantum ATL is a seperate company to Quantum, mentioned in the story above it on this page.)