DATASHEET

StorNext AEL Archives

Cost-Effective Tiering for Long-Term Digital Archives

STORNEXT SOLUTIONS FOR DEMANDING WORKFLOWS

From DNA sequencing to hi-definition video editing to seismic exploration, customers
across industries are experiencing tremendous growth in unstructured digital assets. This
digital content is very high in volume, is growing at high rates, and has great value to the
business or institution. Like all Quantums StorNext Appliances, StorNext AEL Archives
are purpose-built for these extreme data environments, offering high-performance, highly
scalable data management solutions that are also cost-effective and easy to manage.
When added to a StorNext file system deployment, StorNext AEL Archives provide nearline archiving with built-in data protection and self-healing capabilities to ensure that
valuable digital assets are protected and accessible over time.
COST-EFFECTIVE, HIGH-CAPACITY TIERED STORAGE
The StorNext AEL Archives use automated, policy-based tiering and cost-effective tape
storage to deliver petabytes of data accessible to users through a simple file system
interface. By extending the StorNext file system with the StorNext AEL, customers can
move seldom-accessed data to inexpensive tape media that requires very little power,
cooling, or floor space. The data migration and tiering is all transparent to the customer
when a user saves a file to the StorNext File System, it remains accessible, regardless of
its location.
The StorNext AEL500 Archives start as low as 30TB in 20 slots of LTO-5 with the StorNext
AEL500 Mini, and can grow to over 1PB in over 400 slots of LTO-6. The StorNext AEL6000
scales up to nearly 30PB in 11,980 slots of near-line storage using LTO-6 media and
optional High-Density Expansion Modules (HDEMs). The archive capacity can be extended
further by purchasing StorNext Vaulting, where infrequently used tapes may be stored
outside the library for greater cost savings, or Active Vaulting for the StorNext AEL6000,
which stores vaulted tapes in an inactive partition of the library for closer tape management.
LONG-TERM DATA INTEGRITY
The StorNext AEL Archives ensure data integrity through policy-based Extended Data
Life Management (EDLM). EDLM tests and verifies the media in the archive and provides
health reports for all cartridges. If EDLM identifies a suspect tape cartridge, EDLM
interacts with StorNext, and the data on the original cartridge is automatically copied to a
new cartridge.
INVESTMENT PROTECTION WITH SLOT-BASED PRICING
StorNext AEL Archives use slot-based pricing to guarantee investment protection over the
lifetime of the archive. As tape media capacities increase from one generation to another,
the capacity of a purchased StorNext AEL Archive can increasewith no additional software
license feesmaking the initial investment affordable and its long-term TCO unbeatable.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

~ First solution of its kind, exclusively from

Quantum StorNext tiered storage and
archiving solution with continuous off-line tape
data integrity checking
~ Automated tiering reduces costs Based
on site-specific policies, infrequently
accessed files are automatically migrated to
economical tape media
~ Capacity-on-demand growth Simplifies
storage growth by scaling quickly, easily, and
without disruption
~ Ultimate TCO with slot-based pricing model
Customers significantly increase archive
capacities when they migrate already
purchased StorNext AEL Archives to a new
LTO tape technology (i.e. LTO-6 to LTO-7)
~ Self-healing Extended Data Life
Management (EDLM) capability detects failing
tape cartridges and automatically copies data
to new tape media
~ Tape Vaulting and Active Vaulting
Infrequently used tapes may be stored
outside library for greater cost savings or
stored in an inactive partition of the library
for closer tape management (optional)
~ Reduced management costs Automated
data tiering, tape data integrity checking +
self-healing means less management time
and optimal utilization
~ World-class support from one vendor
All software, hardware and support come
from the experts at Quantum

www.quantum.com

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
OPERATION

SOLUTION INCLUDES
StorNext AEL500 Mini Archive

StorNext AEL500 Archive

Drive Interface:

EDLM software with license

Scalar i500 tape library
configured for the appropriate
slot count
20 activated slots
Expandable to 409 slots

Scalar i500 tape library

configured for the appropriate
slot count
41 or 133 activated slots
Expandable to 409 slots

Scalar i6000 tape library

configured for the appropriate
slot count
400, 700, 1,500, 3,000 or
5,000 activated slots
Expandable to 11,980* slots

Two HP LTO-5 or LTO-6 8Gb

Fibre Channel tape drives

Three HP LTO-5 or LTO-6 8Gb

Fibre Channel tape drives

Four HP LTO-5 or LTO-6 8Gb

Fibre Channel tape drives

Add EDLM drive as option

One EDLM LTO-5 or LTO-6 Scanning Drive to provide tape scans

for data integrity checking

Library partitioning creates up to 16 logical libraries

Scalar Advanced Reporting software to monitor drive utlization and active media health/usage

Library
Interface:
Inventory Speed:
Import/Export:

RELIABILITY
Library MSBF:
Power:
Diagnostics:

Redundant 2N power

CAPACITY CONFIGURATIONS
Model

Base Module Technology

Sizes

StorNext
AEL500
5U
Mini
StorNext
14U, 23U
AEL500
StorNext
2-16 frames
AEL6000

LTO-5
or LTO-6
LTO-5
or LTO-6
LTO-5
or LTO-6

Drives

Slots

Base Unit
Active Slots

Approximate
Capacity Range (TB)

2 to 17

20 to 409

20

30-614 (LTO-5)
50-1,023 (LTO-6)

3 to 17

41 to 409

4 to 95

400
to 11,980*

62-614 (LTO-5)
103-1,023 (LTO-6)
400, 700, 1,500, 600-17,970* (LTO-5)
1,000-29,950* (LTO-6)
3,000, 5,000
41, 133

*Maximum requires optional HDEMs. Addition of optional drives, optional I/E Stations, or optional Dual Robot will reduce
maximum size. With SDEM and optional Dual Robot, maximum is 7,150 slots (10,725TB LTO-5; 17,875TB LTO-6).

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
StorNext AEL500 and AEL500 Mini
Additional 46 slot capacity upgrades
Expansion modules not included
Additional tape drives
Additional EDLM drives
StorNext Distributed Data Movers (DDM)
StorNext vaulting
StorNext AEL500 Mini only
21 slot capacity upgrade (for first capacity upgrade)
EDLM LTO-5 and LTO-6 Hardware Add-On Kits

StorNext AEL500 & StorNext AEL500 Mini

StorNext AEL6000
8Gb fiber, 4Gb fiber
Native Storage Networking 8Gb FC,
Native 8Gb FC, Storage Networking 4Gb FC
8Gb FC
8Gb FC bridged through the drive, or 4Gb
FC bridged through the integrated I/O blade
55 sec for average 5U configuration; 100 slots in 20 seconds
110 sec for average 14U configuration
Up to 54 (LTO) positions in removable Up to 528 (LTO) positions in removable
magazines
magazines; Extended I/E

StorNext AEL6000 Archive

StorNext Storage Manager slot-based licenses

StorNext AEL6000
Dual Robot feature
High-Density Expansion Modules (HDEMs)
Additional 100 slot expansions
Standard-Density Expansion Modules
(SDEMs) included
Additional tape drives
Additional EDLM drives
StorNext Distributed Data Movers (DDM)
StorNext vaulting
Active Vault
Expansion modules for Active Vault

ADVANCED FEATURES & OPTIONAL FEATURES

INCLUDED IN STORNEXT AEL500 AND STORNEXT AEL6000
Advanced
Reporting:

Media integrity analysis report, media usage report, drive utilization report, and
media removal notifications Report scheduling with automated report creation and
delivery to distribution lists

EDLM*:

Extended Data Life Management reports the media health of cartridges stored for
long-term archive and DR, information is collected outside of normal operations:
Automated scheduling for scanning tapes
Policy-based data migration through StorNext Storage Manager software from
suspect tape cartridges to new cartridges through EDLM policies

*StorNext AEL500 Mini requires optional EDLM Hardware Add-On Kit to enable EDLM functionality.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS, STORNEXT AEL6000
Dual Robot:

Adds a redundant robot for high availability. Allows the library to continue to
operate despite robotic failure.

Active Vault:

In-library vaulting of cartridges in a separate Active Vault partition.

Must be purchased in conjunction with StorNext Vaulting feature.

HDEMs:

High-Density Expansion Modules replace Standard-Density Expansion Modules

to achieve 70% higher physical capacity in the same floor space.

Library MTTR:
Module
Upgrades:

StorNext AEL500 & StorNext AEL500 Mini

StorNext AEL6000
Greater than 2,000,000
2N power
Embedded monitoring of major subsystems, self-diagnostic procedures,
and policy-based email and pager alerts to system administrators
and Quantum Global Services
30 minutes
20 minutes
Any storage module may be added
Standard-Density Expansion Modules
in less than 30 minutes; customerare included by default with purchase
of Capacity-on-Demand license keys.
installable components include drives,
fans, power supplies,
Optional HDEMs replace StandardDensity Expansion Modules, if purchased.
slot upgrades.

COMPLIANCE AND CERTIFICATION

Safety:
Emissions:
Immunity:
International:

StorNext AEL500 & StorNext AEL500 Mini

IEC 60950 with worldwide country
deviations
CISPR 22 Class A, EN55022 Class A,
EN61000-3-2, EN61000-3-3
EN 55024
CE, VCCI, TUV/GS, FCC, ICES, cTUVus,
GOST, MIC, BSMI

StorNext AEL6000
TUV IEC-60950-1:2006 CB Scheme,
EN60950-1 2nd Edition
Class A: FCC CFR-47 Part 15, CISPR 22,
EN55022, VCCI, KCC
EN55024, KN55024
CE, cTUVus, KCC (MIC), GOST, VCCI

ENVIRONMENTAL
Electrical:
Temperature:
Humidity:

StorNext AEL500 & StorNext AEL500 Mini

StorNext AEL6000
100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz
100-240 VAC, 2-24 kVA
10 to 40C operating
15 to 35C operating
20 to 80% non-condensing operating
10 to 90% non-condensing operating

INTEROPERABILITY
StorNext AEL Archives are for purchase with StorNext Metadata Appliances or StorNext software, or
can be added to an existing StorNext deployment. The StorNext AEL Family is designed for use with:
StorNext M440/M660 Metadata Appliances
StorNext Storage
StorNext Software

SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENTS
Host Operating Systems
and Client Types:

Sun Solaris; HP-UX; IBM AIX; RedHat EL; SuSE ES; Microsoft Windows;
Mac OS X*; CentOS; Scientific Linux; Oracle Linux

Metadata Controller:

Requires StorNext M440/M660 Metadata Appliance or equivalent

Linux StorNext Metadata Contoller

*Mac OS X support provided by Apples Xsan product. Go to www.apple.com/xsan for more information.
Note: Consult the StorNext Supported Environments List at www.quantum.com for a complete list of supported operating systems.

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS, STORNEXT AEL500 MINI

EDLM Hardware
Add-On Kit:

Adds hardware required for EDLM functionality to StorNext AEL500 Mini

ABOUT QUANTUM
Quantum is a proven global expert in Data Protection and Big Data management, providing specialized
storage solutions for physical, virtual and cloud environments. From small businesses to major enterprises,
more than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to help maximize the value of their data by protecting
and preserving it over its entire lifecycle. With Quantum, customers can Be Certain theyre able to adapt in
a changing world keeping more data longer, bridging from today to tomorrow, and reducing costs. See
how at www.quantum.com.
2014 Quantum Corporation. All rights reserved. Quantum, the Quantum logo, Scalar and StorNext are registered trademarks of Quantum
Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

www.quantum.com 866-809-5230
DS00437A-v08

Feb 2014