Enterprise Storage Solutions For Data & Document Management Magneto-optical storage solutions for enterprise storage management Hewlett-Packard The computing solutions of today require fast, high-performance storage devices that offer extensive capacity and expanded functionality. With growing requirements to store and manage a wide variety of data including document images, graphics, photographs, medical X-rays and video clips, enterprise computing will continue to push the limits of data storage, placing unprecedented demands on data storage technology. As users study the available storage options today, magneto-optical (MO) storage technology continues to gain prominence and support. With its ability to store extraordinarily large amounts of data cost-effectively and reliably, MO storage is a vital technology for environments with intensive data storage requirements. Advances in lasers, optics and recording technology have already provided dramatic improvements that enable MO devices to approach the performance of magnetic storage devices at a fraction of the cost. What is magneto-optical (MO) storage? Magneto-optical storage technology, which employs laser light to read and record data onto specially designed media, is actually available in several different sizes. However, 5.25-in. MO disc technology is widely accepted and used for enterprise storage management today. One major reason for MO's popularity is its exceptional reliability. Because no mechanical portion of an MO drive mechanism ever makes physical contact with an MO platter, there is much greater data reliability than other technologies. Accidental magnetic disk "crashes" simply do not happen with MO technology. In addition, MO media have lifetimes estimated to be on the order of 100 years or more. Within magneto-optical storage technology, there are two distinct types of media. They are: * WORM (write once and read many) discs that allow you to write to a given sector on a disc once and only once and subsequently permit you to read the data many times; * rewriteable MO discs that permit both repeated reading and repeated writing. While magneto-optical storage drives are useful for desktop applications, enterprisewide storage solutions generally require one or more optical jukeboxes. MO jukeboxes currently on the market harness the benefits of MO technology and combine them with mechanical robotics to access dozens or even hundreds of MO platters. Such MO jukeboxes can contain one or more optical drives and permit vast libraries of 600GB or more. The role of MO storage in application environments Magneto-optical storage technology plays a vital role in many computing environments. The list of industries that employ MO storage devices is vast: financial, legal, medical, engineering, manufacturing, advertising, graphics, video production and government. Among the many applications that utilize MO are document imaging, data backup, data warehousing, CAD/CAM, computer output to laser disc (COLD), microfiche replacement and product data management (PDM). In some cases, MO forms an integral part of the software solution and is tightly integrated with the application. In other cases, MO is deployed as a component of a comprehensive storage management subsystem configured to store data from a variety of applications. There are four main reasons to consider using MO as a storage solution: cost, reliability, productivity and accountability. First, certain data files are very large and therefore costly to store and manipulate. This data requires considerable storage capacity. For efficient, fast access to large volumes of information, MO is often the most cost-effective alternative. Second, some information objects, such as legal document images, medical records or insurance photographs, might be extremely difficult and costly to replace and in some instances, impossible to replace. This intrinsic value requires that data be stored on highly reliable media. MO storage provides a high level of reliability for many of these applications. Productivity is the third reason for considering MO. Sometimes, enterprise information will be actively accessed by a number of users, yet this data might only be accessed infrequently. Consider customer account records at a bank. When customers call in for information on a check that was processed two years ago, they expect an answer quickly. Keeping all records on disk would be very expensive, while the use of tape storage would be slow and tedious. Once again, MO is often the answer. Finally, the fourth reason for configuring MO storage into a solution is the need for audit or version control. Regulatory requirements found in legal, financial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, safety and environmental applications often must maintain data for extended periods of time--often on the order of decades. In addition, sometimes the integrity of all versions of a document might be required. Given its ability to prevent overwriting of previously saved data, write-once MO technology is ideally suited to these application environments. MO: a storage option to consider For those facing the challenges of increasing storage requirements, magneto-optical storage technology offers a proven, highly reliable and cost-effective alternative to consider. For a free guide or more information To order a free "Optical Storage Technology" guide, please call Hewlett-Packard at 800-331-7024. Or for more information, please visit HP's Web site at http://www.hp.com/go/optical, or contact your local HP Sales and Support office or HP reseller.
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