Cost-Effective Tape Connectivity Made Simple
Simplify tape integration with flexible,scalable connectivity solutions designed to reduce costs and support evolving IT environments.
Connect Your Way — Simple, Affordable, at Scale
Tape remains the most reliable, secure, and cost-effective medium for long-term data preservation. What often slows organizations down isn’t tape itself — it’s outdated connectivity models like Fibre Channel that add cost and complexity. Spectra tape connectivity options solve this challenge by providing multiple ways to connect your Spectra tape libraries using mainstream technologies such as Optical SAS and Ethernet. With more choices, simpler deployment, and dramatically lower costs, you can align tape with the rest of your IT infrastructure — seamlessly and at scale.
The Challenges of Fibre Channel Connectivity
High acquisition & support costs. Fibre Channel HBAs, switches, optics, and support contracts add up — especially when tape is often the last remaining Fibre Channel workload.
Specialized skills. Fibre Channel expertise is scarce and costly, slowing projects and complicating day-to-day management.
Rigid topologies. Traditional Fibre Channel makes it harder to right-size connectivity or extend cost-effectively to new rooms, floors, or nearby buildings.
The Spectra Optical SAS switch and SAS bridge options tackle these pain points with standard networking and streamlined operations at a lower cost per port.
The Upside of Modern Connectivity
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Lower TCO Optical SAS and SAS bridge options cut costs versus Fibre Channel while maintaining enterprise-class performance.
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Simplified Deployment Leverage familiar Ethernet and SAS skills for faster rollouts and easier management.
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Flexible Distance & Design Extend connectivity up to 100m with Optical SAS or 250km with Ethernet bridges.
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Enterprise-Class Features Benefit from zoning, high availability, and switched topologies for secure, resilient integration.
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Future-Proof Flexibility Mix SAS and Fibre Channel drives to maximize investment and scalability.
Real-World Use Cases
Eliminate Fibre Channel in the Data Center
Streamline data center operations and reduce infrastructure expenses by replacing costly Fibre Channel with Optical SAS. With connectivity distances up to 100 meters, Optical SAS enables efficient layouts, connecting servers to tape libraries across large data centers or even adjacent buildings — without the need for specialized technical skills.
Remote Vaulting & Business Continuity
Protect off-site data with Ethernet-to-SAS bridges that extend tape connectivity across distances of up to 250 km using iSCSI or iSER over standard Ethernet. This enables remote vaulting, secure data isolation, and streamlined replication workflows — all without maintaining complex Fibre Channel infrastructure. By using existing Ethernet networks, IT teams ensure business-critical archives remain recoverable.
Mixed Drive Environments & Transitional Architectures
Add cost-effective SAS tape drives to existing Fibre Channel libraries. A Fibre Channel-to-SAS bridge allows FC applications to continue running while introducing SAS drives into the same environment. This approach reduces drive acquisition costs, maximizes infrastructure investment, and supports a low-risk transition away from Fibre Channel at the organization’s pace.
Spectra OSW-2400
Optical SAS Switch
Transform tape connectivity with the industry’s first 24G SAS-4 optical switch designed for data center scale.
| Scale & speed: | Up to 48 x 24 G lanes (12 x 4-wide ports), ~108 GB/s aggregate bandwidth |
| Distance: | Up to 100 meters via Active Optical Cables — span large data floors, between floors, or nearby buildings |
| Enterprise features: | Port-to-port zoning, switch cascading, and dual hot-swap PSUs & fans |
| Compatibility: | Spectra LTO libraries and IBM TS11xx; interoperable with Spectra tape portfolio |
Learn more about the Spectra OSW-2400.
Ethernet-to-SAS Bridge: ATTO XstreamCORE ET 8200T
Expose SAS tape drives over standard Ethernet — no FC required.
| Performance options: | iSER for up to ~4.8 GB/s per bridge; iSCSI up to ~3.0 GB/s sustained |
| Input Connectors: | 2 x 40 GbE |
| Output Connectors: | 4 x 12 Gb SAS out |
| Low latency: | Architecture latency < 2 μs |
| Supported drives: | Up to 16 tape drives per bridge |
Explore Ethernet-to-SAS for DR & cyber-resilience.
Fibre Channel-to-SAS Bridge: ATTO XstreamCORE FC 7600
Add lower-cost SAS drives to FC environments; extend existing FC connectivity investment while reducing future FC dependencies.
| Performance options: | iSER for up to ~4.8 GB/s per bridge; iSCSI up to ~3.0 GB/s sustained |
| Input Connectors: | 2 x 32 Gb Fibre Channel (SFP+) |
| Output Connectors: | 4 x 12 Gb mini-SAS HD connectors (x4) |
| Architecture Latency: | < 4 microseconds |
| Supported drives: | Up to 16 tape drives per bridge |
Simplify your transition from Fibre Channel, learn more about the FC-to-SAS Bridge.
Why Spectra
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A complete strategy. One vendor, three paths — choose the solution that fits your data center and budget.
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Proven at scale. Built for modern tape, including LTO-10 support.
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Expert guidance. Architectural help, validated designs, and straightforward deployment from the Spectra team.
Ready to Connect?
Whether it's Fibre Channel, Ethernet, or SAS — we've got the connections to make it happen.
Let’s get you plugged in — reach out and we’ll find your perfect match.
