NEO Series / ARCvault

The NEO, NEO E-SERIES, and ARCvault series of devices represent Overland Storage's primary line of tape loaders and libraries ranging in scale from small to large enterprise deployments.

The original NEO series line includes the NEO 2000, NEO 4000, and NEO 8000 appliances, each of which can be equipped to support connectivity via LVD SCSI. (Depending on the tape drives selected native FC connectivity may also be supported.) Optional support for iSCSI/NDMP (via Gigabit Ethernet) is also listed.

The entry level offering in the NEO series, the NEO 2000, supports the inclusion of up to 8 modules in the library and can be loaded with SDLT (320/600) or LTO (2, 3, 4) drive technology. Each of the modules supports 1-2 drives and 26 (SDLT) or 30 (LTO) cartridges, for a maximum native library capacity of 192 TB (LTO-4 x 8 modules). The native transfer rate per module (w/2 LTO-4 drives) is listed at 864 GB/hour.

The NEO 4000 series appliances are available in two sizes. The NEO 4100 modules support up to 4 drives and a native capacity of up to 48 TB (60 cartridges) when using LTO-4 gear, and a maximum native transfer rate of 1.7 TB/hour. The NEO 4200 doubles each of these numbers; and additional 52 or 60 slot modules (again, depending on tape type) can be added to the NEO 4000 series libraries for up to a total of 4X the capacity of the base NEO 4100.

The high end offering in the NEO Series line is the NEO 8000. Targeted to enterprise deployments, the NEO 8000 can house from 100 to 500 cartridges (40 - 400 TB native capacity) with a maximum native data transfer rate of up to 5.2 TB/hour (LTO-4 with the maximum number of drives). Single, or two unit systems are offered, with a maximum capacity therefore of up to 1,000 cartridges (800 TB, native).

For the SMB/Midrange market, Overland Storage offers the ARCvault series. The smaller ARCvaults (12/24) can be loaded with either LTO-2, LTO-3, or LTO-4 drives and are connected via LVD SCSI interfaces (Ultra160 for LTO-2; Ultra320 for LTO-3/4), 3 Gb/sec SAS (LTO-4), or 4 Gb FC (LTO-3/4; FC connectivity not available in the ARCvault 12); while the ARCvault 48 accepts LTO-3 or LTO-4 drives with LVD SCSI, 4 Gb/sec FC, or 3 Gb/sec SAS interfaces (SAS supported with LTO-4 drives only). Each ARCvault is managed via a Web browser-based GUI or a touch screen panel, and a barcode reader is included as standard equipment.

Three models of the ARCvault are available. The ARCvault 12 autoloader houses a single tape drive and up to 12 tape cartridges; with a total native capacity of up to 9.6 TB. The ARCvault 24 Tape Library houses 1 or 2 tape drives and up to 24 cartridges; for a total native capacity of up to 19.2 TB. Finally, the ARCvault 48 boasts up to 4 LTO-3/4 drives and 48 cartridges; with a total native capacity of up to 38.4 TB. The smaller models (12/24) are 2U in size while the 48 is 4U. Native transfer rates (LTO-4 media) are listed at 288, 576, and 1,152 GB/hour, respectively.

New to the NEO line are the vendor's NEO E-SERIES appliances, initially offered in two flavors (the 2000E and the 4000E). Support for multiple interfaces is a key feature for the E-SERIES, with compatibility listed for SCSI, FC (4 Gb/sec for LTO-4; 2 Gb/sec for LTO-3), iSCSI, or SAS (3 Gb/sec) connections (SAS support is expected in Q2/2009). Other features in common to the E-SERIES include support for integrated partitioning (optional), support for both full and half-height media in LTO-3 and LTO-4, support for direct connect interfaces, and support for expansion via the purchase of expansion modules. Full systems range from 30 to 240 cartridges, with the vendor noting that systems can be built from combinations of 30 and 60 cartridge modules to a total maximum of 240 cartridges in a rack.

The 2000E is a 30 cartridge module (5U) accepting 1 or 2 drives; while the 4000E holds 60 cartridges (10U) and from 1 to 4 drives. Native (uncompressed data) performance ranges from 432 GB/hour (LTO-3 HH, 2000E) to 1.7 TB/hour (LTO-4 FH, 4000E).

The NEO, NEO E-SERIES, and ARCvault appliances are available now; the new ARCvault appliances are base priced at $12,333. Base ARCVault pricing is $4,998 (12 w/LTO-2).

Contact Overland Storage for further information.