Masstor Systems Corp yesterday announced the M960 Mass Storage System and the M1000 Storage Module, which can be configured together for up to 6,220Gb per subsystem of on-line storage using 3480-type cartridges. The system consists of the M962 storage controller, M961 storage module, Storage Management Task host software and an optional hardware data compression feature. The M962 serves as the communications interface between the M960 and the host soft ware, and each controller can hook up to four IBM 370-type MVS hosts using data streaming channels at up to 4.5Mbytes-per-second. The M961 module holds 316 350Mb 3480 cartri dges – 110Gb in total – and average fetch time is 2.8 seconds per cart ridge; each system can take up to two controllers and eight storage modules. The Eastman Kodak-made M1000 Storage Module stores 1Tb on 32Gb cartridges. The robotic acc essor from Fujitsu retrieves and loads cartridges in seven seconds. M960 ships first quarter 1989, the M1000 in the fourth quarter 1989.
