For more information, contact: Jay Woodruff or
Alice Callahan at Epoch Systems
(508) 481-3717
Epoch Systems adds Erasable Optical Jukebox
to InfiniteStorage Server Family
Eliminates tape backups and offline archives
WASHINGTON, D.C. at the Uniforum '90 trade show, January 23, 1990 --
Epoch Systems, Inc. today added an erasable optical disk library unit
("jukebox") to its family of high-capacity Epoch-1 InfiniteStorage
servers. The new library unit does double duty, providing:
-- online backup service that completely automates backups
and eliminates backup tapes, and
-- online backing store to the server's Winchester disk
drives, so magnetic disk space is always instantly available.
The new erasable library unit, manufactured for Epoch Systems by
Hitachi, Ltd., can handle up to forty-eight 5.25-inch optical
cartridges, for a total capacity of 30.9 billion bytes (GB). The units
can be added to any existing Epoch-1 system, including those using
either 5.25-inch or 12-inch Write-Once, Read-Many (WORM) optical disk
library units.
The Epoch-1 is an NFS and TCP/lP-compatible file storage server system
that uses hierarchical storage techniques (Figure l) to transparently
integrate the high capacity and low cost of optical disks with the
high access speed of magnetic disks. It is designed to satisfy the
expanding storage needs of NFS workstation users -- of Sun, HP,
Apollo, DEC, IBM, SGI and other technical workstations and compute
servers -- who require very fast online access to high-capacity disk
storage over an Ethernet network.
(more)
(Epoch-2)
The Epoch-1 is designed as a central data storage resource for
departmental workstation networks experiencing a chronic shortage of
disk space in data intensive engineering, scientific and commercial
applications environments. These networks run MCAD, ECAD, CASE,
electronic publishing, imaging, engineering and scientific
visualization, and computer-generated animation.
Erasable Optical Disks as an Online Backing-Store
Epoch Systems is the first computer manufacturer to offer erasable
optical technology as part of an online hierarchical storage
architecture. By applying virtual memory concepts to disk storage,
infrequently used files in the server are automatically transferred to
optical disk backing-store to free up space on magnetic disks. "We've
taken a limited resource -- magnetic disk space -- and made it appear
unlimited to workstation users," stated Robert Olsen, Epoch Systems'
director of marketing. 'This process ensures that the magnetic disks
never fill, and that plenty of disk space is always available to all
client users."
However, unlike an offline archival storage system where files are
removed from the server to free up magnetic disk space, all files
residing on optical disk in the Epoch-1 remain fully online and
immediately accessible on demand by any client program. When accessed,
a file on optical disk is automatically located in the library unit
and transferred back to magnetic disk. With this storage architecture,
either WORM and erasable optical storage technologies can be chosen,
since generally only stable or infrequently used files are moved out to
optical disk. However, the new erasable library unit is preferable for
users whose optical files will be frequently modified, or where the
files have a relatively short lifespan.
Erasable Optical Disks for Online Backup One of the major advantages
to adding the new erasable optical unit to an Epoch-1 server is that
it can be used as an alternative to magnetic tape for backing up data.
Backup of the Epoch-1 is totally automated with the erasable library
unit option. Backup volume handling software directs the robotic
library unit to automatically mount and dismount volumes as needed,
eliminating hours of operator intervention.
(more)
(Epoch-3)
As a convenience to client workstation users, backup runs as a
background process while the server remains online and continues to
serve files. Highly automated restore utilities reduce the amount of
time needed to recover lost files in the event of user error or
equipment failure.
"Backing up multi-gigabyte UNIX systems has long ranked as one of the
most important, but tedious tasks performed by system managers," Olsen
stated. "With the new erasable optical library unit, we now offer a
backup system that win save countless hours of operator time."
Price and Availability
The erasable optical disk library unit is available 90 days ARO from
Epoch Systems. Prices for servers incorporating the new units begin
at $158,500 for Model 31B, a 31.7 GB server with a 30.9 GB erasable
optical disk library unit and 760 MB high-speed magnetic disk drive.
Additional magnetic disks ($8,000) and erasable optical library units
($65,000) can be added at any time. The library unit comes standard
with one optical drive, and can be expanded to four drives ($14,000
per drive). A 157 GB server (Model 153B) with five library units and
2.3 GB of Winchester disk storage lists at $471,500.
About Epoch Systems
Founded in 1986, Epoch Systems is headquartered in Marlborough,
Massachusetts. The company is the leading supplier of network storage
management systems for users of high-performance technical
workstations. The company's Epoch-1 InfiniteStorage Server
complements, and is compatible with, existing NFS technical
workstations and servers throughout a network.
Sales and support offices are located throughout the United States,
with international sales handled by distributors throughout Europe and
Japan. The company has an experienced, highly regarded management team,
and has been financed by venture capital from Charles River Ventures,
Matrix Partners, Sigma Partners, TA Associates, Sierra Ventures, and
Ampersand Ventures.
# # #
InfiniteStorage is trademark of Epoch Systems, lnc.
UNIX is a trademark of AT&T in the U.S.A. and other countries.
NFS is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
up to 24 MB of memory
System RAM file caching
to reduce disk seeking.
up to 5.3 GB of high-speed
Magnetic Disk Drives - Winchester disk storage
that never fills.
FULLY Erasable Optical Disk up to five 30 GB
ONLINE Library Units eraseable optical
STORAGE library units
Erasable Optical
DiskDrives
Erasable up to 150 GB of
Optical Disks for Iow-cost erasable
backing-store online data storage.
Erasable Automatic unattended
ONLINE Optical Disks backups while system
BACKUP for backup serves files to users.
Epoch System's InfiniteStorage Server Epoch Systems, founded in 1986, is the
is based on an hierarchical storage leading supplier of high-performance
architecture that combines the speed of storage servers for workstation
magnetic disk storage with the capacity networks. The company is the first
of erasable optical disk storage. It vendor to integrate optical disk storage
integrates low-cost optical disk storage into an online data storage environment
as transparent backing-store for for workstations.
high-performance magnetic disk drives.
It is the first system that permits
completely automated backups while
remaining online and serving files to
users. The server appears to the user as a
high-speed magnetic storage system For additional information contact:
whose disks never fill and are always Jay Woodruff Or Alice Callahan at Epoch
backed up. Systems,Inc. (508)481-3717.
