Re-defining the storage hierarchy: an ultra-fast magneto-optical disk drive

Abstract

Asaca Corporation has developed a multibeam, magneto-optical disk drive with a native 12.24 Mbyte/second transfer rate. Originally developed for video broadcasting, it is now being adapted for the computer mass data storage market. A SCSI-2 interface is currently being developed to attach the drive and its related auto-changer to a high-performance computer as components of a network-attached, hierarchical file server system. Storage capacities of 2.88 TB and average aggregate (four drive system) input/output (I/O speeds of 32 MB/second) are considered possible. Asaca's high-speed magneto-optical (HSMO) technology enables a re-definition of the present storage hierarchy by allowing the use of optical disks to complement or, in some cases, replace high-performance magnetic tape.<>