XenData Archive Series Software manages RAID and an attached tape library on a Windows file server to create a highly scalable digital archive. RAID and the managed tapes appear as a standard Windows logical drive. A typical network configuration is shown in the diagram below.
Files are always initially written to RAID. Immediately after the file is written to disk, it goes into a queue to be written to the primary tape cartridge. This provides continuous data protection without any backup window! It overcomes the scalability limits of conventional backup.
Administrator defined policies support hierarchical storage management and automatic tape cartridge replication. They define file retention times on RAID, the specific group of tapes to which the file will be written, scheduling of replica tape cartridge updates, etc. A single server may have many different policies, tailored to the needs of the different file types that are being archived. In all cases, when a file is written to tape, it is first written to magnetic disk and then immediately written to tape once the file is closed. A typical file management cycle is illustrated below:
The software supports both rewritable and Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) tape cartridges. WORM tape provides an unalterable record of the data written to it and provides best practice when authenticity of the digital content is important. XenData Software supports the simultaneous use of WORM and rewritable media within the library.
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