Crossroads StrongBox®


StrongBox is a non-proprietary, file-based and fully portable storage solution for long- term data retention. This enterprise-level solution leverages Linear Tape File System (LTFS) technology, combining the unparalleled scalability of tape with the speed and accessibility of disk. StrongBox is the industry’s most cost-effective answer to ever-growing data storage requirements, seamlessly scaling for today while future-proofing for tomorrow.

Online All-the-Time


Tape is transformed into an online all-the-time, easily accessible file system. Multiple access points can engage StrongBox simultaneously and will be presented with a unified, persistent view of the data vault. StrongBox minimizes IT dependency and allows users to experience real-time, online access.

Experience Enterprise-class archiving – Tape is transformed from a rigid, single point of access into an online file system that supports multiple access points, simultaneous engagement, and rapid queries. StrongBox provides a unified and persistent view of your entire file archive. Storing and retrieving data is as easy as dragging and dropping files. Flexibility of policies, optimized performance, and scalability enhance online all-the-time capabilities and meet the demands of enterprise environments.

Access data at will – StrongBox unites the speed of disk and the capacity of tape to provide a high performance, network-attached data archive. Retrieving data from an offline storage layer takes time and valuable IT resources. With StrongBox, data is online all-the-time and accessible by the end user at will. Access time and IT dependency is minimized, improving efficiency and maximizing existing IT investments.

Vendor Neutral


Vendor lock-in is eliminated, allowing organizations to take back control of their data with this non-proprietary archive solution. Tape media written by StrongBox is readable in any LTFS compatible drive or system. No agents, no applications, and no proprietary software means you control your data today and future-proof it for tomorrow.

Deploy best-in-breed solutions – Achieve brand independence with StrongBox and the open standards of LTFS. The non-proprietary nature of these technologies empowers you to mix and match vendors’ products to utilize best-in-breed technology for your total solution. Data created in one system is fully accessible in another, maximizing your existing IT and data storage investments and optimizing future add-ons.

Future-proof against vendor changes - As an interoperable, accessible and non-proprietary data archive, StrongBox frees organizations from proprietary systems and storage technology dependency. Vendor lock-in is no longer a factor. As your archive evolves, files are automatically migrated to the new tape drives and media of your choice. With the decades-long shelf life of tape, your data is stored with the reliability and longevity essential for long-term data retention. 

Data Mobility


Data is easily shared with affiliates, moved to a secondary site, or accessed from any LTFS supported vendor system. Due to the open standard of LTFS, terabytes of information can be moved and managed via tape cartridge – freeing up expensive network bandwidth while retaining online accessibility to your data.

Easily exchange data – Distribute content among different users, platforms and locations by simply transferring the tape or by leveraging the built in data replication of StrongBox for over-the-wire data migration. Either case, users are able to access local or remote data with a simple click. With the ability to extend file systems seamlessly onto tape, tape is now as portable and accessible as a USB flash drive.

Collaborate across multiple platforms – Enable partnership between creators, producers and editors of file content. As a standard network file system, data can be accessed simultaneously and shared among multiple users. Any LTFS generated tape can be ingested into StrongBox and made available on any of the network shares just as if the data came over the network. If desired, content can also be exported from StrongBox and read by any LTFS supported tape system.

Expedite multi-location transfers – StrongBox grants you online and offline cost-effective options for transferring data between multiple locations. Data can be replicated electronically across geographic boundaries, using secure and authenticated links and Wide Area Network (WAN) acceleration. If the data is too large or if your network bandwidth is too valuable, terabytes of data can be exported to tape and moved physically to a secondary location. To access the data online again, simply load the media into the attached tape library. 

Self-Healing


StrongBox ensures data is available to meet critical business requirements by proactively monitoring and reporting on the health of data and drives. It automatically detects media/drive degradation and copies files, healing your archive and preserving data policies. StrongBox also auto-migrates files to newer drive technology and media without sacrificing the files’ online accessibility.

Prevent data deterioration - Continuous and real-time monitoring of the physical storage subsystems identifies at-risk media before data becomes unreadable. These at-risk files are automatically copied to a known good medium without user intervention, resulting in built-in data protection that ensures data accessibility and recoverability in times of disaster.

Avoid data loss – If a system or site disaster occurs, your data is protected on multiple fronts. Built-in redundancy, multiple copies of data on different tapes, and support for multiple libraries protects against data loss on a system level. Wide Area Network (WAN) accelerated, asynchronous replication of files to a secondary site ensures that data can be recovered and accessed in the event of a site disaster.

Maintain data integrity – StrongBox assures the future readability of data. On the file level, it calculates and verifies the unique signature for every file (HASH code), guaranteeing that the data written is the data read. The readability and validity of the media itself is also periodically checked and verified. Data and media integrity are maintained without sacrificing online accessibility or application modification, thus minimizing the risk of data loss while helping to satisfy regulatory compliance requirements.

Optimized Performance


StrongBox harnesses the reliability and economy of tape with the accessibility of disk to achieve up to a 90 percent cost reduction for file-based storage. Disk caching and buffering expedites the data archive and retrieval process on low-cost, highly reliable tape media. Flexible policies and configurations provide optimized access to data and minimize total cost of ownership for an online all-the-time data archive.

Reduce Total Cost of Ownership - Optimized usage of tape drive, media and library assets results in significant cost savings. Powerful caching and buffering technology allows for maximum throughput on high-performance tape drives, while also minimizing wear and tear. This builds efficiencies into drive asset utilization and efficient storage operations, maximizing IT investments greatly decreasing expenses.

Access data faster – StrongBox meets critical file access time requirements and prevents application timeouts in enterprise environments. Purpose-built disk caching and buffering designs enable applications and users to access and retrieve data quickly and efficiently. By fusing the speed of disk with the capacity of tape, StrongBox provides fast, easy access to low cost, high capacity storage.

SeamlessScalability


Data grows exponentially – budgets don’t. Organizations can now invest in a cost-effective solution that seamlessly scales as their archive grows from 500,000 files to 5 billion. New devices will be automatically detected and organically integrated, scaling to high capacities while keeping total cost of operations low. The complexity of traditional tape-based solutions is replaced with the simplicity of file-based NAS storage.

Expand to infinite capacity - To meet the growing demand for long-term data preservation, simply add new media, libraries or drives to your archive. StrongBox capacity scales with any expansion, such as tape drives, media, libraries, or disk arrays, without any wholesale, forklift upgrades or hefty license fees. Since tape is a low-cost, high-capacity storage medium, organizations can easily scale using a tape-based solution that drastically reduces capital and operational costs.

Eliminate costly performance tuning - As additional devices are added, StrongBox automatically detects and integrates them into its environment. Management of these new devices is based on flexible policies and occurs without user intervention. By eliminating manual processes and automating scalability, organizations can scale capacity without straining IT resources.

 

System Specifications StrongBox T1  StrongBox T3 
IP Services NFS v3 - Unix/Linux, CIFS - Windows NFS v3 - Unix/Linux, CIFS - Windows
Files Support 200 Million Files 5 Billion Files
Sustained transfer rate Up to 160 MB/s (Network Shared Performance Up to 600MB/s (Network Shared Performance)
Internal Hard Disk Drive  5.5TB (RAID 5) 14TB (RAID 6)

Option 12TB (RAID 6) 
Connectivity User: Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for data, Single Gigabit Ethernet port for management.

Storage: Dual 6GB SAS ports for tape library and external RAID		 User: Quad Gigabit Ethernet ports for data, Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet port for management.

Storage: (for libraries and external RAID) Quad port 6GB SAS, Quad port 8 Gig FC
Format Compatibility LTFS, LTD 5 Drives LTFS, LTD 5 Drives
Physical Specifications

Form Factor 1U Server 3U Server
AC Power 100-240 VAC auto-sensing
50/60Hz, 2.72 amps 		100-240 VAC auto-sensing
50/60Hz, 6.75 amps
Width 17.2 inches 17.2 inches
Depth 25.6 inches 25.6 inches
Height 1.7 inches (1U) 5.2 inches (3U)
Weight 46 lbs (20.9 kg) 72 lbs (32.7 kg)
Environmental Specifications

Operating Temperature 10 to 35oC 10 to 35oC
Operating Humidity Range 8-90% non-condensing 8-90% non-condensing
Heat 1126 BTUs 2322 BTUs