Entry-level tape systems     Midrange tape systems    Enterprise tape systems  

The IBM System Storage™ TS3100 Tape Library Express Model and its storage management applications are designed to address capacity, performance, data protection, reliability, availability, affordability and application requirements. It is designed as a functionally rich, entry tape-storage solution incorporating LTO tape technology. The IBM TS3100 Express model is an excellent solution for large-capacity or high-performance tape backup with or without random access. The TS3100 is also an excellent choice for tape automation for IBM Power Systems, IBM System x® and other open systems.

The IBM TS3100 Tape Library Express is well-suited for handling backup, save and restore and archival data-storage needs for small to medium-size environments. With the use of one LTO Full Height tape drive or up to two LTO Half-Height tape drives and 24 tape cartridge capacity, the IBM TS3100 is designed to take advantage of LTO technology to cost-effectively handle growing storage requirements. The TS3100 Tape Library is configured with two removable cartridge magazines, one on the left side (12 data cartridge slots) and one on the right (12 data cartridge slots). Additionally, the left magazine includes a single mail slot to help support continuous library operation while importing and exporting media. A bar-code reader is standard in the library, supporting the library’s operation in sequential or random access mode. The TS3100 also comes standard with remote management capabilities to allow for remote administration of the tape library through a Web interface. Path Failover, a new optional feature for this library, is designed to provide automatic control path failover to a preconfigured redundant control path in the event that a host adapter or control path drive is lost, without aborting the current job in process.

The IBM Ultrium 5 technology is designed to provide greater capacity with continued support for encryption of data. The hardware encryption and decryption core and control core reside in the IBM Ultrium 5 tape drive (available to the TS3100 with the 6 Gbps SAS and 8 Gbps FC interface). A larger internal data buffer in the Full Height drive helps improve data access rates and reduce cartridge fill and rewind times along with dynamic channel calibration designed to help increase data throughput. In addition to reading and writing to LTO Ultrium 5 tape cartridges, the LTO 5 tape drive can read and write to LTO 4 cartridges and read LTO 3 cartridges with improved data rates. The IBM Ultrium 5 tape drive is designed to support up to 140 MBps native data-transfer rates and up to 1.5 TB native physical capacity when using the IBM System Storage Ultrium 1.5 TB Data Cartridge (3.0 TB with 2:1 compression). The TS3100 featuring Ultrium 5 tape drives has a capacity of up to 36 TB native (72 with 2:1 compression).

The IBM LTO 4 tape drives are designed to support up to 120 MBps native data-transfer rates. In addition, the TS3100 featuring Ultrium 4 tape drives has a capacity of up to 19.2 TB (38.4 TB with a 2:1 compression).

The IBM TS3100 Tape Library Express featuring Full Height and Half Height technology offers an 8 Gbps fibre-channel and 6 Gbps SAS interfaces for Ultrium 5 drives. While for Ultrium 4 drives, offers an LVD SCSI, 4 Gbps FC (FH only) and 3 Gbps SAS interface, and it can be attached to a wide variety of open-system servers. The sequential or random access library comes in a stand-alone base configuration with the option of an industry-standard 19-inch rack-mount kit. The IBM TS3100 also has an LCD display and indicators for power, drive and activity, error status and message information.

	Feature		Benefits
	IBM LTO Ultrium 5, 4 & 3 Tape Drive Designed to offer high capacity and performance   Half Height supports SAS and FC (LTO 5 only) attachment   Full Height supports LVD SCSI (LTO 4 only), fibre channel and SAS interfaces
	Sequential or random access mode with a standard barcode reader Designed to offer cost-effective functionality   Effective backup, save and restore and archival storage capabilities
	2U form factor with 24 data cartridge slots Designed to offer outstanding capacity, performance and reliability for midrange and network tape storage environments
	Remote library management through a Web interface Designed to offer flexibility and greater administrative control of storage operations
	Ultrium 5 native data capacities up to 36 TB (72 with 2:1 compression) Ultrium 4 native data capacities up to 19.2 TB (38.4 with 2:1 compression) Ultrium 3 native data physical capacities up to 9.6 TB (up to 19.2 TB using 2:1 compression) Designed to offer high capacity and performance
	Ultrium 5 native data rate of 140 MBps Ultrium 4 native data rate of 120 MBps Ultrium 3 Half Height native data rate up to 60 MBps Supports high performance to address the demands of your business