Automated tape handling has been prevalent in mainframe computer centers for over 20 years. The benefits of this technology are now widely available to users of low cost, high density cartridge tape formats.

Tape automation products are generally divided into two groups: autoloaders and libraries. Autoloaders hold 1 tape drive and a limited number of cartridges, typically 8 to 16, although some will house over 20. Autoloaders are limited in both capacity and throughput. They are primarily intended to support small department or single application backups.

Tape libraries invariably house 2 or more drives and from 10 to 100's of tapes. Libraries are designed for continuous, unattended operation and allow simultaneous reading and writing to multiple drives. Libraries also offer key features such as barcode readers to scan labels on cartridges, and an I/O Port for importing and exporting individual tapes under application control. A Fibre Channel Option makes any model a Qualstar SANSmart library. DFA (Direct Fiber Attach) tape drives are also now available in some formats. An iSCSI Option connects RLS and TLS Libraries to IP SANS.

Qualstar designs and manufactures libraries for the popular AIT, SuperDLT, SuperAIT and LTO tape formats, housing up to 12 tape drives and 600 cartridges. Barcode support is standard in most models and I/O Ports are available. Over twenty-five models provide combinations of capacity and throughput to match any storage management requirement.

Qualstar's latest RLS-Series rackmount libraries set the industry standard for capacity in compact 5U packages. Software partners provide a full range of backup, data protection, business continuity and archival packages for virtually every platform.

All Qualstar libraries are available with Q-Link, a web browser based remote library manager that enables administrators to configure, upgrade, and monitor any of Qualstar's libraries via a company intranet or over the Internet from anywhere in the world. Q-Link extends the library's comprehensive front panel menu system and adds additional functionality such as automatic e-mail notification based on rules set by the administrator, and remotely implemented firmware updates.

Qualstar's TLS and RLS Series libraries incorporate a number of innovations that improve reliability and performance, including:

* Inventory Sentry to allow the library to be opened to read handwritten cartridge labels without forcing the unit off-line for an unnecessary inventory of all cartridges.
* Closed loop servo control of all motions for absolute position accuracy.
* Leadscrew-driven mechanisms for highest reliability, instead of belts and pulleys.