In front of everyone advantages of solid state drives they still have at least one significant flaw that is very difficult to dispute. Of course, this is a small volume. Despite the fact that their capacity is constantly increasing every year, they are still not able to compete in this indicator with hard drives. No, of course, it is technically possible to do SSD storage capacity There are more, but this will definitely affect their dimensions. And it’s very, very noticeable.
Largest SSD drive
Western Digital introduced unique SSD drive 368 TB (yes, the unit of measurement is correct, we are talking about terabytes) called Ultrastar Transporter. Large volume is determined by the purpose of the product. This is not a consumer drive: it cannot be installed even in a desktop computer, not so much because no household system supports such a volume, but because of its dimensions.
Ultrastar Transporter is a portable network storage weighing under 15 kg and consumes up to 1.3 kW of energy at peak load. Despite the weight, it can really be carried from place to place.
Especially for this purpose, Western Digital engineers packaged the storage device in a case that resembles a suitcase with a handle in its shape and purpose, and attached wheels to it so that it could be carried rather than carried by hand.
Why this is needed is by and large clear. There are many professions that, in addition to working with large volumes of data, also require a traveling nature of the work. These could be camera operators and editors who work with high-definition video, reviewers, or, at worst, copywriters (there are very productive representatives of the profession).
Under normal conditions data can be stored in the cloud, but there are areas where the quality of the Internet connection leaves much to be desired. Therefore, in such cases it is much more rational to have your own storage.
WD Ultrastar Transporter Specifications
Since the Ultrastar Transporter is not an ordinary drive, it consists of more than just SSD strips. Technically, it is equipped like a good computer. Its heart is the 12-core Intel Xeon 4310 processorwhich complements 128 GB of RDIMM RAM.
To connect to the network – do not forget, this is still a network storage – the gadget uses a 200GbE interface via QSFP112 ports and 10GbE via the classic RJ-45. To connect external devices, a pair of USB 3.0, VGA and DB9 connectors are used.
Portability has not affected the safety mechanisms used in the Ultrastar Transporter. They meet the criteria of two safety standards at once:
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FIPS 140-2 – this is a standard that sets requirements for cryptographic modules);
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TPM 2.0 is a standard for secure cryptoprocessors that provides physical security functions for storing keys, certificates, and other sensitive information used for encryption and authentication in computer systems.
Theoretically, the Ultrastar Transporter could be even more spacious if the manufacturer used other types of drives. However, portability required Western Digital to rely exclusively on SSDs. Regular Shocks during transport could damage hard drives. And magnetic tapes would make the device physically larger and more expensive.
Which drives are the most durable?
Fujifilm recently introduced Kangaroo tape storage with a capacity of 1 petabyte. This volume was achieved thanks to the installation of 120 cartridges. Therefore, the storage building has corresponding dimensions: 113 × 60.4 × 104 cm.
It is based on a 16-core processor, 128 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a built-in 3 kVA UPS, which makes the device completely autonomous. And the data storage period declared by the manufacturer is 30 years. Unfortunately, even enterprise-grade SSDs can’t boast such longevity.
Retail Ultrastar Transporter price not named yet. The manufacturer suggests focusing on its website official online store, where information about the availability and cost of the device should appear soon. And here Fujifilm Kangaroo price already known. In the top configuration, tape storage will cost 350,000 euros.
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