| As Robert Frost makes clear in his famous poem, | | | | provide a broader range of capacities, increased |
| "The Road Not Taken," picking one path over | | | | performance, better reliability, easier maintenance and |
| another can make all the difference. While Frost had | | | | a more strategic path to the future than the |
| other topics in mind at the time, his point is | | | | AITernatives. Organizations choosing the AIT path |
| nonetheless applicable to today's companies that are | | | | will find themselves with a more flexible and |
| using or considering linear tape formats such as DLT, | | | | integrated tape storage format that can span backup |
| S-DLT and LTO as their data storage solution.Legacy | | | | needs from individual PCs, to workgroups, to the |
| formats such as Digital Linear Tape (DLT) were a | | | | enterprise.AIT is a proven storage technology with |
| reasonable data storage AITernative in the past, but | | | | years of successful enterprise deployments behind it. |
| a combination of new business challenges and new | | | | First appearing in 1996, AIT is a compact, helical scan |
| technology choices are driving many companies to | | | | 8MM tape format in a 3.5-in., half-height form factor. |
| rethink their tape storage path. For example, | | | | With its high capacity (up to 100GB per cassette), |
| conventional DLT systems are approaching the end | | | | speed and reliability, AIT is emerging as a more |
| of their useful life cycle, with no well-defined way to | | | | strategic tape storage path compared with linear |
| add capacity without upgrading to a new format. | | | | formats such as DLT, S-DLT and LTO. Consider the |
| While Super DLT (SOLT) and Linear Tape Open | | | | following advantages of AIT:* Reliability -- Consistent |
| (LTO) systems do have roadmaps to the future, | | | | operation and assured reliability are two critical |
| neither format offers a compatible solution that can | | | | components for a tape storage system. AIT-3 drives |
| span the gamut of storage needs, from the entry or | | | | are designed for a mean time between failure |
| workstation level up to the "Super Drive" level. In | | | | (MTBF) of up to 400,000 hours (compared with |
| addition, upgrades require a media change, making | | | | DLT's 250,000 MTBF rating) and a 100% duty cycle. |
| long-term use of linear solutions more cumbersome | | | | Baba Direct provides detailed information on Tape, |
| and less flexible.Perhaps, as Frost suggests, it's time | | | | Duct Tape, Packing Tape, Masking Tape and |
| to consider a different path. Advanced Intelligent | | | | more.Tape is affiliated with Baba Direct. |
| Tape[TM] (AIT) data storage solutions from Sony | | | | |