VTL Express 4400 / 4500 Systems

This product home pages applies to:

Fibre Channel Models:
VTL Express 4520 / 4530 / 4532 / 4540 / 4542
Quix PN 108-0139, 108-0153, 108-0192, 108-0132, 108-0133

SAS Models:
VTL Express 4420 / 4430 / 4440
Quix PN 108-0162, 108-0164, 108-0157

System Description

The Quix VTL Express 4500 Series systems share the same data processing core, capable of sustained saturation of one or two Fibre Channel interfaces while providing on-line wire-speed advanced data integrity.

The Quix VTL Express 4400 Series are identical to the 4500, but offer multiple SAS interface channelsinstead of Fibre Channel.

Both 4400 and 4500 Series systems offer an advanced, wire-speed data encryption option.

The internal architecture includes a dedicated I/O channel for each disk drive slot. The systems can be extended with an external 16-slot expansion chassis, which utilizes indirect communication over four 3Gbps channels.

Familiy Differences

The 2U / 8-Slot models are low-cost versions and have a fixed power supply. They do not offer a redundant power supply option. Due to the restricted space in the 2U enclosure, most expansion options are not available for the 2U models.

The 3U / 16-Slot models contain a front-accessible slot, which allows the installation of an optional chip card reader, which assists the user with entering long encryption keys. The 3U / 16-Slot models are the recommended hardware for use with the Encryption Option. Note the the Encryption Option is not available in all geographical locations.

16-Slot Expansion Kit / Chassis

The 16-Slot Expansion Kit / Chassis, PN108-0193, is available for VTL Express 3U and 4U systems. It includes a controller card to be installed into the VTL Express systems, a connection cable, and an external 16-slot 3U chassis. Installation of the kit requires the VTL Express System to be shut down, to install the controller card. The cable to the external chassis is hot-plug and is recognized during operation. The 3U chassis has a single power supply unit, and can be upgraded to redundant power using PSU PN 108-1010. A maximum of one 16-Slot expansion chassis can be added. Due to the multiplexing of data from 16 disk drives thorugh a single cable, performance of slots in the expansion chassis may be slightly lower. The cable carries 12Gbps of transport capacity.

Encryption Option

All 4400/4500 VTL Express systems are suitable. The Encryption Option is export controlled from Switzerland, and may not be available to you (depending on destination country and other criteria). When enabled, the Encryption Option allows to encrypt data using 128bit IDEA CBC. The keys are generated by the customer itself. Keys are entered manually, or can be loaded from a chip card. The use of chip cards for key storage is optional, but recommended for convenience.

Chip Cards & Card Reader Option

The chip card reader allows quick entry of encryption keys. The keys are protected by a PIN code, which is validated by the chip card hardware itself. The chip card irrevocably blocks itself permanently if repeated false PIN entries are detected.

The chip card is never the only storage of the key, it is only an aid in the daily operation of the system.

Firmware

The latest firmware Version is "March 23, 2011".

Customers within the 30-day installation period or with software maintenance receive e-mail notification when new firmware becomes available.

There are known issues for this firmware:

Callhome: When callhome is operated through a https proxy, the callhome status menu reflects the connection with the proxy. This may not necessarily reflect actual connection between the proxy and the Quix call-home server.

Fibre Channel ports: Disconnecting the fibre optical cable during an ongoing backup in some cases can lead to an "assert" (forced stop) of the VTL Express system. The underlying reason is accounting code that incorrectly believes to have found inconsistent data structures.

Medium Changer: A race conditions exists in the medium changer, which affects Bacula users. The current solution is a 2-second delay in the Bacula medium change script.

Express 4500 Hints

Redundant Power Supplies: These systems intentionally do not balance power symmetrically - instead, one power supply delivers most power, while the other is running with minimal load. The reason is to increase energy efficiency. This information may be useful when planning UPS Backup supplies.

HDD Mounting screws: The trays offer six holes to mount disk drives. Please mount all six screws, for vibration control reasons.

Dust / Contamination: The Express 4500 Systems are designed for regular office / data-center levels of dust contamination. Quix observed one case where construction dust entered the running system, which lead to a system failure due to insufficient component cooling that resulted from dust buildup inside the system.

Express 4500-specific FAQ

Installation

Can I operate the Express 4500 systems in the office?

You can, but the system ventilation produces noise at a level that is not acceptable in a regular office. If you need to do this, you should contact Quix to see what options exist.

What is the part number of the rack installation kit?

Rails and mounting screws are included with each system.

See the VTL Express General FAQ for Questions and Answers that apply to all VTL Express products.