Tape units and media in use at CERN

New items are marked by

Summary of unit numbers

Automated (robotic) units

• 54 StorageTek 9940Bs (Powderhorn silos) 200 GBytes, ~30 MBytes/s . There are 22 in each library for physics users, and 5 in each library for TSM backups.
• 8 IBM 3592 (IBM_LIB0), 300 GBytes, 40 MBytes/s

Note that the remaining STK 9840As (10) were retired from service on 30 May 2005.

Note also that the STK  L700 library (8 LTO 2 drives) is also expected to be retired before end July 2005.

Automated units

StorageTek Powderhorn with ~5500 cartridge capacity

Five Powderhorn silos are installed in the Computer Centre Vault, as STK_ACS4. These silos offer about 5,500 storage slots each (27,500 total) and are interconnected. Look here to see the layout:

Five Powderhorn silos are installed in the Remote Tape Vault, as STK_ACS5. These silos also offer about 5,500 storage slots each (27,500 total) and are interconnected. Look here to see the layout:

STK 9940B

The STK 9940B unit is available in STK_ACS4 (23) and STK_ACS5 (23). An additional 8 units are used exclusively for backup via TSM. The 9940B cartridge is of 200 GBytes capacity (media type 'P'). Data transfer rate is ~30 MBytes/sec; the unit is a linear scan device, developed from the 9940A. It can read (but not write) media written by 9940A drives at 60GB density. More information on the 9940B can be found here.

9940 cartridges are supplied by StorageTek and manufactured by Imation. Currently, 9940 media costs ~110 CHF in bulk.

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