Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a major Australian research university with a truly global outlook — QUT is heavily invested in collaborative learning and interdisciplinary research environments. Home to nearly 50,000 students, QUT provides real-world infrastructure, learning and teaching, and graduate skills to the next generation of change-makers
We are seeing an unprecedented growth in research here at QUT with a 40% increase in the last 5 years. Our Spectra tape libraries provide us with a solution that will cost-effectively scale and upgrade in technology as our high-performance computing platform grows.
The Challenge
Facing unprecedented data growth that must be kept indefinitely, QUT had a pressing need to cost-effectively increase data storage capacity in support of its high-performance computing platform. With multiple connected technologies to manage across two separate geographic locations, QUT desired a common interface for all its storage equipment. QUT’s tape archive was the only part of the research storage system that still required Fibre Channel over the WAN or over the links back to its 2 on-campus data centers.
The Solution
When looking for a solution to support a central, secure data repository for the long term, QUT desired technology that could be quickly and easily upgraded to new tape drive generations in the future. The new solution needed to not only integrate with their archive and ensure researchers’ findings are accessible at any time but also enable QUT’s largest data repository to leverage all of the same infrastructure as the rest of their data center. Researchers at QUT generate applications addressing interdisciplinary problems in a number of fields, including health, law, business, the economy, society, engineering, and the environment. QUT must ensure the secure storage and management of data based on the varying requirements of different fields – upholding the highest standards of integrity and allowing access and reference to these data where possible to facilitate transdisciplinary approach to research.
Environment Snapshot
- Two Three-frame Spectra TFinity ExaScale Tape Libraries
- Full Height SAS LTO-9 tape drives and media
- Ethernet to SAS bridges
- BlueScale® Software with standard encryption
- HPE Data Management Framework (DMF) software
Queensland University of Technology ensures data integrity and global access to shared research
With this new solution, QUT can ensure research data’s integrity and availability to advance global scientific discovery. The solution enables QUT to enhance performance and efficiency by providing Ethernet connectivity in their tape libraries while leveraging their existing data center infrastructure and networking capabilities.
