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1. Introduction
1.1. About this Product Specification Manual
This Product Specification Manual is applicable for AIT-5 drive.
This manual provides information about the Sony SDX-1100V series Advanced Intelligent Tape Drives which is
necessary to integrate the drives into OEM products. This manual describes the specifications, SCSI Interface,
diagnostics, operation and installation of the Sony AIT-5 Tape Drives.
The Sony SDX-1100V drive uses data compression to achieve high capacity and high transfer rates. Actual
capacity and transfer rate depends on the source file type. The capacity ratings listed in the next subsection are
based on a 246 meter tape AIT-5 cassette. The Sony SDX-1100V drive is a high capacity data storage device
using Advanced intelligent tape (AIT) technology. The Sony SDX-1100V drive achieves high data integrity through
read-after-write, an additional level of Error Correction Code, and other features.
The Sony SDX-1100V drives provide MIC technology that automatically enhance reliability and performance. The
Sony SDX-1100V drives provide read and write capability for MIC user data area.
1.2. Introducing the Sony AIT Technology
While magnetic storage technologies continue to push the envelope of recording density and provide higher
capacities and transfer rates every 18 to 24 months, improvements in time to access this data have become very
limited. Since 1990, tape recording densities have increased up to ten fold, while the time to access this data
has increased less than two fold, creating a large mismatch between the amount of stored data and the ability to
access it.
This large "gap" between data access latency and area density has created a dilemma in application development
and limited the potential to implement truly cost-effective tertiary storage solutions. Many applications
compensated for this deficiency by incorporating multiple redundant tape drives, at higher cost, to achieve an
acceptable level of service for their users. Sony's new Advanced Intelligent Tape design has recognized this need
and provided an innovative approach to solving the data latency problem while increasing capacity and data
transfer rates.
Traditional, older tape technologies relied mostly on conventional mechanical means, such as faster search
speeds or an on-tape index to improve access to stored data. While improvements in electronics and magnetics
have been the main enablers of increased capacity and transfer rates, rarely have these same technologies been
employed to significantly improve access to data.
Sony's Advanced Intelligent Tape (AIT) architecture has deviated from conventional designs and employed
electronic enhancements to significantly improve access to stored data, using a captive, non-volatile memory
chip contained within the magnetic data cartridge. Known as Memory-In-Cassette, or MIC, this memory chip
provides a direct and immediate connection to the tape drive's on-board processors to enable quick media
load, fast access to user files and provide a wealth of data about the history and current state of the data
cartridge.
1.3. Features of the Drive
Major features of the Sony SDX-1100V include:
• Capacity
100 Gbyte typical when using 230 meter tape AIT-3 cassette (SDX3-100C)
260 Gbyte with 2.6:1 Data Compression
150 Gbyte typical when using 246 meter tape AIT-3Ex cassette (SDX3X-150C)
390 Gbyte with 2.6:1 Data Compression
200 Gbyte typical when using 246 meter tape AIT-4 cassette (SDX4-200C)
520 Gbyte with 2.6:1 Data Compression
400 Gbyte typical when using 246 meter tape AIT-5 cassette (SDX5-400C)
SONY AIT-5 drive SDX-1100V series Ver.1.0
1.Introduction
1-1
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