Glyph cy-misan-v User Guide
11
Introduction to the miSAN
Cybernetics
UM-MV-86-B1-0801
Chapter 1
Introduction to the miSAN
miSAN-V-Series Overview
The Cybernetics miSAN-V-Series is a disk-based storage appliance that runs Cybernet-
ics’ CY-HSTC (High Speed Tape Cache) tape virtualization engine. Using the HSTC
engine, the miSAN-V-Series emulates conventional tape drives and tape cartridges. Host
applications use miSAN-V-Series virtual tapes and drives as conventional backup
resources. Virtual drives appear to hosts as physically-attached, parallel SCSI devices.
Virtual tapes appear as tape cartridge images written in their native format. The miSAN-
V-Series stores virtual tapes securely on disk drives and allows for copying to physical
tape cartridges.
ics’ CY-HSTC (High Speed Tape Cache) tape virtualization engine. Using the HSTC
engine, the miSAN-V-Series emulates conventional tape drives and tape cartridges. Host
applications use miSAN-V-Series virtual tapes and drives as conventional backup
resources. Virtual drives appear to hosts as physically-attached, parallel SCSI devices.
Virtual tapes appear as tape cartridge images written in their native format. The miSAN-
V-Series stores virtual tapes securely on disk drives and allows for copying to physical
tape cartridges.
miSAN-V-Series virtual drives write and read data using virtual tapes at speeds unreach-
able with physical devices.
miSAN-V-Series resources are administered remotely over the network using a web
browser or telnet terminal. Using the iSCSI protocol, the miSAN-V-Series can function as
a network backup solution, by offering tape backup and archiving services to multiple
hosts. Virtual tape backups can be automatically duplicated to tape cartridges, assuring
data integrity by maintaining redundant tape backups.
able with physical devices.
miSAN-V-Series resources are administered remotely over the network using a web
browser or telnet terminal. Using the iSCSI protocol, the miSAN-V-Series can function as
a network backup solution, by offering tape backup and archiving services to multiple
hosts. Virtual tape backups can be automatically duplicated to tape cartridges, assuring
data integrity by maintaining redundant tape backups.
The miSAN-V-Series increases the functionality and extends the usefulness of a current
parallel SCSI backup solution. iSCSI provides network accessibility for peripheral backup
devices. With virtual tape drive autoloading, the miSAN-V-Series handles tapes like a
library changer. The internally mounted AIT tape drive allows for integrated tape offload.
Attached tape drives and tape libraries, connected remotely via iSCSI, can also be made
available for direct host access.
parallel SCSI backup solution. iSCSI provides network accessibility for peripheral backup
devices. With virtual tape drive autoloading, the miSAN-V-Series handles tapes like a
library changer. The internally mounted AIT tape drive allows for integrated tape offload.
Attached tape drives and tape libraries, connected remotely via iSCSI, can also be made
available for direct host access.
Options
The miSAN-V-Series models use internal hot-swap disk drives for the virtual tape cache.
The total storage capacity for the virtual tape cache is based on the number and configu-
ration of the disk drives. For example, the miSAN-V-Series, with six internal disk drives of
nearly 750 GB capacity each, will have about 4.5 TB of raw capacity available for the vir-
tual tape cache. However, in a RAID 5 configuration, the usable capacity would be
approximately 3.75TB. In the most secure, and recommended configuration of RAID 5
plus Hot Spare, usable capacity would be about 3.0TB.
The total storage capacity for the virtual tape cache is based on the number and configu-
ration of the disk drives. For example, the miSAN-V-Series, with six internal disk drives of
nearly 750 GB capacity each, will have about 4.5 TB of raw capacity available for the vir-
tual tape cache. However, in a RAID 5 configuration, the usable capacity would be
approximately 3.75TB. In the most secure, and recommended configuration of RAID 5
plus Hot Spare, usable capacity would be about 3.0TB.