BlackPearl Nearline Gateway

Simply and Affordably Preserve Data
Storing data affordably in an increasingly data-sensitive climate, may be an organization’s single greatest challenge.

Spectra’s BlackPearl Nearline Gateway solves the problem of costly and complex approaches to digital preservation. Configured with multiple storage targets, Spectra’s BlackPearl Nearline Gateway provides a simple and affordable solution and is designed for numerous concurrent workflows. By integrating Spectra DS3 with a range of certified clients and simple file movers, BlackPearl reduces the need for expensive third-party data movers.

A simple approach to interface and managing tape and unlocking tape’s true calling – BlackPearl takes user- defined buckets, caches the buckets on high-speed disk or flash storage and determines the best time to write it to tape for greatest system performance. To ensure perpetuity and ease of access for your data, the BlackPearl system writes data on tape in the open LTFS format.

BlackPearl’s automatic tape compaction feature provides self-activated consolidation of data on fragmented tapes, reclaiming deleted tape storage space. In addition, BlackPearl’s media migration capability allows data to be migrated from one storage type to another, quickly and transparently, which ensures data integrity while reducing costs. The feature automatically migrates data in the background, allowing users to continue to archive and restore data without interruption. It also makes it easy for users to upgrade to new technologies without disruptions.

Example of Nearline Gateway Applications

The Spectra Logic BlackPearl Nearline Gateway provides an easy, cloud-like interface to on-premises storage solutions, including Spectra tape and disk libraries, and multiple public cloud integrations.The cloud interface is called Spectra DS3, and a software client transfers data to the Spectra DS3 interface. Many Spectra DS3 clients already exist, with full integration into data management software. Customers can create their own clients or modify existing clients to custom fit their workflows and environments.

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Object Storage Disk

BlackPearl’s Object Storage Disk provides fast access to data at a fraction of the cost of primary storage. Organizations have instant access to changing data through an object storage disk tier. When used with Spectra DS3, Object Storage Disk can be powered-down for increased savings and will extend the life of the drives.

Spectra BlackPearl Nearline Gateway modernizes the use of tape

The first RESTful interface to tape, the BlackPearl Nearline Gateway provides BlackPearl and client interaction via REST, allowing you to move large data sets easily to and from automated tape storage. The user only moves data through the client while BlackPearl handles all interaction with storage targets, including automated tape libraries. There are many Spectra DS3 clients that have been built by Spectra, its partners and its customers. Customers can also build their own Spectra DS3 integrations for custom workflows with the free Spectra Logic Developer Program. Learn how to get started building here.

​BlackPearl® RioBroker®

BlackPearl RioBroker is a software front-end to BlackPearl that acts as a data mover to speed file transfers, streamline workflows and scale out in both performance and capacity to accommodate growing amounts of digital assets. As a soft- ware front-end to BlackPearl, BlackPearl RioBroker offloads the data transfer job from the application to the BlackPearl RioBroker system, bringing greater performance and consistency to the entire platform. BlackPearl RioBroker simplifies the integration process to popular asset management software applications. It also facilitates seamless content migration from legacy storage software to a modern solution.

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BlackPearl as a Nearline Gateway Use Case

The Goal:
This organization was looking to expand their research area of expertise into other areas of research but doesn’t have the infrastructure to support the vast amount of data they will collect.

The Challenge:
This research institute applied for a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant for research that required a large data archive system with a long retention period. They were hoping to collaborate with fellow scientists and archive data for long-term retention with data reaching into the hundreds of petabytes.

The Solution:
This archival solution of BlackPearl nearline gateway and a T950 automated tape library offered unbeatable density, reli- ability and scalability to help the institute store mass quantities of data to support the NIH project. The BlackPearl was connected in their data center to an
existing application designed by Globus. Globus, a Spectra Logic technology partner, offers software solutions specifically designed for the education industry, making the sharing of research data easier. The Globus client software allows the faculty to easily move data files between computers, servers and its supercomputing facility, using a simple browser. This prevents groundbreaking research efforts from being stalled when IT technical issues arise. BlackPearl platform enables the university to archive and share petabytes of information in a convenient solution.

BlackPearl Developer Site

The Developer Program provides developers with SDKs, APIs, sample clients and more to create and develop RioBroker, BlackPearl DS3 (formerly Spectra S3), and StorCycle applications and plugins.

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*Amazon Glacier is a registered trademark of Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Resources

"When we set out on our search to find a storage solution capable of preserving Imperial War Museums’ substantial digital archive, there were specific criteria on which we were not willing to compromise. Spectra met all of our requirements and then some, and now continues to deliver with StorCycle’s storage lifecycle management capabilities."

– Ian Crawford, Chief Information Officer, Imperial War Museums

"We appreciate the collaborative relationship and Spectra’s attentiveness to incorporating our feedback and ideas into solution enhancements. Our continuing investment into Spectra technology on behalf of our organization has proven invaluable in helping us implement the next level architectural model taking us into the future."

– Eric Grau, Manager – Media Asset Management, Joyce Meyer Ministries

"The new library has just shy of 14,000 slots for tapes. We were able to easily move all 70 petabytes of existing data into the new system and have grown to 104 petabytes in size and have plenty of room for at least a year or two before we have to start thinking about expanding."

– HPC Linux Systems Engineer, OLCF

"We have to store a lot of data for long periods of time. A single microscope can capture 10TB of data in as little as a few hours, and a published breakthrough on cancer research can take anywhere from a few years to a couple of decades. The BlackPearl and tape solution from Spectra provides a scalable and cost-effective way to store multiple data workflows with varying retention requirements."

– Jeffrey McDonald, director of IT, Hormel Institute at University of Minnesota

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