Spectra Logic has announced the release of a RESTful interface for tape storage systems. The company calls the technology, “Deep Simple Storage Service, DS3. Those familiar with cloud storage may recognize a similar term, S3, or Simple Storage Service. However, S3 is not compatible with the requirements of a linear tape storage. That’s where Spectra’s DS3 comes in.
The Spectra Logic D3 solution provides a native RESTful interface for robotic tape storage systems. The DS3 interface is the cornerstone of Spectra’s vision for delivering deep storage solutions for customers needing cost‐effective ways to store massive volumes of long term data.
“Our vision and roadmap for delivering deep storage solutions is designed to meet the new, evolving storage requirements of modern data centers and use cases,” said Nathan Thompson, founder and chief executive officer, Spectra Logic. “There is a transformation occurring in how organizations amass, use and store long term data that necessitates a new tier of storage – deep storage – that delivers extreme low cost, power efficiency, high density and massive scalability. This tier must be designed to manage large, bulk quantities of data for extended and possibly indefinite periods of time while meeting the needs of newer data center architectures that leverage storage in the form of data objects and utilize RESTful interfaces.”
The Spectra Logic DS3 interface provides:
●Ease-of-use. The UI and program language will be familiar to those with experience with RESTful and S3 applications.
●Efficiency. The DS3 interface allows applications to move large quantities of data with little effort. The RESTful interface is a subset of HTTP.
●Scalability. DS3 enables organizations to achieve massive scalability, with configurations ranging from 15TB to multiple Exabyte capability in a single tape storage system.
Speaking at Spectra Logic’s summit in Boulder, CO, David Trachy, Sr. Director for Emerging Markets highlighted some of DS3’s key attributes. He noted that DS3 is a well defined web service, which relies on HTTP(s) coding and familiar commands. It is inherently WAN capable. Said Trachy, “DS3 is modeled after Amazon’s S3, which many programmers [already] well understand.” DS3 uses familiar S3 commands, like Put or Get, but enable them to command quick, easy and efficient movement of large quantities of data to and from a tape library.
Spectra Logic is offering the DS3 protocol to the industry as an open standard, complete with initial applications and an on-line simulator to speed and test routines.
