Sony Ait-3 Is The Optimal Tape Storage Solution For Space-constrained Small Companies

By Author: Jessica McIntosh
Total Articles: 598
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Small and medium enterprises, like the large-scale organizations, are faced with the stiff regulatory compliance demands. The rapidly growing volumes of corporate data and tough backup challenges are constricting the I.T budgets of the most companies to its lowest possible limits. Majority of the small and midrange backup solutions offer high performance, greater storage efficiency but are not space efficient. Sony provides a smart, low-cost and highly compact solution to this problem, the AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape) format. It reduces the operating expenses and packs high volumes of data at a significantly faster rate.

The rival tape-based systems in this class achieve 2 to 1 compression capability. AIT is a superior solution that features 2.6:1 compression ratio. Small & medium organizations with demanding workstations, data-rich departmental servers and advanced enterprise applications can count on Sony’s AIT 3 media tape system. With the introduction of LVDS ultra-160 SCSI interface, the SMB customers can conveniently integrate this efficient AIT3 ...
... system and enjoy long term security of data as well as the AIT investment.

SDX3-100C is the Sony’s durable backup tape incorporating the AIT3 technology.

Sony has introduced new robust features to help IT managers achieve their objectives of high-speed recording, fast retrievals and rock solid reliability. SDX3-100C is the smallest tape amongst its rivals, which features exceptional 100GB uncompressed recording capacity. Another distinguishing feature of this Sony AIT3 backup tape is the remarkable enhancement in media capacity with compressed data, thus reaching up to 260 GB data. This capacity is 60 GB higher than the competing LTO 1 cartridge that stores a maximum of 200 GB information. Q1999A is the other popular AIT 3 cartridge that has been developed by Hewlett-Packard HP.

In un-compressed mode, Sony AIT3 drive can consistently stream the heavy data files at a blistering rate of 12Mbps. The speed will further increase when you apply the data compression. The data rate accelerates to 31 Mbps. As you insert the AIT-3 cartridge, the drive will immediately load the media within 10 seconds, whereas it takes around 25-27 seconds to access the data. With such fast loading and data access, the company management can be rest assured of in-time data availability. Data recording technology incorporated in Sony AIT drives is “helical scan”. This cutting-edge technology enhances the efficiency of drive operations, while reducing media deterioration. The result is that the drive head achieves a longer life expectancy of 50000 media contact hours, and the AIT3 tape cartridge can be reliably used for more than 30000 full backups.

The most powerful and unique feature of Sony AIT3 drive is the media compatibility with all its predecessors. That means the AIT3 customers are provided the luxury to seamlessly use the AIT2 and AIT1 cartridges for data writing and reading. Media formulation used by Sony for its AIT3 tape production is “Advanced Metal Evaporated (AME)”. This innovative formulation has provided extraordinary durability to the base film and increased its recording density. That is why it can accommodate more data within a smaller tape area.