Formed in 2009 through the merger of the University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Center of the Helmholtz Association, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) educates the next generation of scientists while also operating large-scale national research infrastructure. The Scientific Computing Center is the information technology center of KIT.
Having a Spectra TFinity Plus tape library gives us flexibility, especially if we decide to change technologies in the future.
The Challenge
Operating on aging Oracle tape libraries with diminished support introduced vulnerabilities to long-term reliability for KIT’s GridKa, a Tier 1 center for CERN. To ensure continuous access to research data and maintain operational stability, KIT needed to migrate 100 PB from legacy Oracle technology to a scalable and fully supported storage infrastructure.
The Solution
KIT selected the Spectra TFinity Plus tape library for its unmatched capacity, reliability, and cost efficiency, along with its multi-media flexibility. Over two years, KIT migrated 100 PB from its Oracle systems to the Spectra TFinity Plus and TS1160 tapes and drives while keeping both libraries active to maintain daily operations. During migration, KIT optimized its environment and workflows, eliminating HDD buffers in favor of flash to maximize tape drive performance.
The Result
KIT now operates on a future-ready storage foundation that can scale seamlessly as data demands grow. The modernized architecture delivers improved tape library diagnostics, maximum drive performance, and world-class technological support, enabling faster, more reliable access to critical datasets for researchers around the world.
The Environment Snapshot
- Spectra TFinity Plus tape library, 17 frames
- TS1160 tape drives and media
