Sometimes it is not possible to return a device for in house repair or an urgent solution might be required ASAP so your back ups are not interrupted.

We are able to offer an on-site repair for a wide range of Tape Drives, Autoloaders and Libraries.

Before we attend site we will try to obtain as much information about the fault and its symptoms as possible because our engineers prefer to attend site with ether a like for like replacement or a loan solution. This means that in the unlikely event of a repair not being achieved they can replace the faulty device or leave a loan so that a back up can be achieved.

We offer an 8 hour response as standard and where possible we will offering a 4 hour response if the site is near to Reading. Our rates are very competitive so please call our sales team for further details.

Castle Computers are able to offer rentals for a wide range of equipment. The majority of our customers ask to rent storage devices and we are happy to do this on short or long terms periods.

A rental can prove the ideal solution if you do not want to purchase a device or your needs are short term (Data Recovery, reading a customers tapes etc). Single tape drives,  Autoloaders or libraries we are happy to provide any of these products on rental if required.

We will also offer rentals on the vast majority of products from stock, be it a refurbished UPS, networking equipment, printer or a complete server. Please contact our sales team for a competitive quotation.

Here at Castle Computers we believe that Dell is one of the most trusted and reliable names in storage. The Dell Powervault 132T is no exception and we are pleased to offer these cost effective tape autoloaders from stock.

The PV132T uses two LVD SDLT 160-320GB Tape Drives and is able to take a maximum of 24 Tapes. This offers up-to a massive 3.3TB with a transfer rate of 16mb/Sec. They can be mounted in a standard rack and come complete with rails, cables and a terminator so they can be installed with a minimum of fuss.

We are also able to offer on-site installation and maintenance for these tape autoloaders, please ask our sales team for advise or further information.

The storage market has gone through many changes of late with the introduction of faster tape storage devices that will store more and more data on one tape.

However, what happens if you don’t need to store 400GB on one tape? What if you just need to back up a small network or single PC?

Our commitment to stock a complete range of tape drives means that we have devices ranging from 1/4″ Streamers and Travan drives all the way through to the latest LTO, AIT and SDLT technology.

We had an email only last week from someone who needed to back up a small accounts package of only 2GB so we were able to offer a number of solutions to meet his budget. As speed was not critical he opted for a Seagate USB Travan.

Our knowledgeable sales team can offer you a range of refurbished and new tape drives to suit your requirements so please do not hesitate to contact them for further information.

 At Castle Computers  we recognise the need of the smaller business so we

Your back up devices are very important and you need to feel confident that they will perform to the standard required so that your back ups are completed without errors.

Castle Computers offer a complete tape drive repair service for all types of tape drives from 1/4″ to LTO Drives. Modern tape devices operate under very extreme conditions and sometimes for many hours at a time, this will eventually take its toll on some of the mechanical parts of the drive. We have recognised the weaknesses of these devices and over many years we have developed strict repair processes to ensure that parts are replaced as a matter of course, even if they dont require it. This means that a premature failure will not take place.

Many repair companies charge extra for a replacement board or head but we will replace them at no extra cost if they are required. Once a drive has been through the repair process where possible it is tested with manufacturers diagnostic software and then a full read/write test is carried out to capacity.

Whether you have a DAT Drive or a LTO3 device we are able to offer a full and comprehensive repair servce. Castle will not charge to look at your repair and they are carried out on a no fix no fee basis. However, in the unlikely event that we are unable to repair the drive we will try and replace the drive for you.

Please contact our sales team for further information

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APC Smart-UPS3000VA USB & Serial RM 2U 230V

A power serge or power cut can be a disaster for any office or business, no matter how large or small. Castle Computers sell a range of UPS from APC, Compaq and HP.

The SUA3000RMI2U is an excellent rackmount solution from APC offering USB and serial port conectivity. It has an output power capacity of 3000VA and will sit in a 2U rack. The typical backup time at half load (1350 Watts) is 11.3mins. At full load (2700 watts) it is 3mins.

For the user it could not be easier to use this UPS because it has a maintenance free sealed battery. There is also an alarm to alert you when the battery is running low.

We use APC UPS in our office and find them excellent, you forget they are there until you need them most.

We stock a complete range so if you need a larger or smaller UPS, different size for your rack or a tower device please email sales.

Castle Computers have just received a new product into stock.

The Tandberg LTO2 8 Slot 1U Autoloader

This Autoloader is a break through in technology offering a cost effective and space efficient back up solution. The rackmountable Autoloader is only 1U high using the minimum amount of space in the rack.

Using 8 LTO2 tapes it offers  1600-3200GB of back up capacity.  Its transfer rates are excellent with a 24GB/sec native speed.

HP Storage works have been a long established backup brand. HP has always provided high performing hardware. The HP StorageWorks MSL series of  Tape library is no exception and a great mission critical device.

As a backup device the HP Storageworks is highly scalable and has a PCI backplane to enable further expansion. HP aims this device at the mid-range market. The HP Storage works is aimed at multi-environments and can lower business a cost increase your efficiency and is scalable to accommodate even the largest data growths.

The great feature of this library is that it is always available as it has hot pluggable drives which minimise downtime. The unit is available in 5U format and can use ether LTO1, 2 or 3 drives with 30 slots or SDLT110/220GB, 160/320GB or 300/600GB with 26 slots. For larger requirements the same drives can be used with the 10U loader offering 60 slots with LTO drives or 52 slots with SDLT. These Autoloaders have a rich range of features often associated only with enterprise libraries.The MSL5026 can work with multiple operating systems and a variety of server platforms and software applications. Functionality is certainly at the fore with tape magazines that can be removed for off-site storage of backups.
With a touch screen graphical user interface the tape library is easy to operate. Business continuity is paramount these days in a climate where data retrieval needs to be immediate. They can also be attached to a fibre card or router using the optional card which can be installed.

We can offer from stock a MSL6026 SDLT Autoloader which is new and boxed and has 2 SDLT600 drives. We are offering this autoloader at an excellent price which will save thousands of pounds on the retail price. We sell a lot of the MSL Series Autoloader and it is unbeatable for reliability.

The need for an automated backup procedure these days is essential. All sorts of disasters can occur which could potentially cause you to loose data, anything from power surges to loss of power, hardware failure data corruption and viruses.

Hence the necessity for a well thought out disaster recovery plan.

Backup solutions are varied, this is because there are many considerations to take into account when implementing backup hardware and software:

• Network and Data Performance needs to be appraised
• Storage Capacity required
• Life expectancy
• Costs
• Security
• Data Recovery

Lets look at the different types of backup devices available in today’s market:

DAT Tape Drives

The DAT Tape Drives has now been around for nearly ten years and uses DDS (Digital Data Storage) technology for its tapes. Whilst many vendors support this technology DAT has its own standards and levels of interchangeability. Great for small companies and medium sized businesses.

DLT Drives

When working on a budget DLT Drives are a good solution and can deliver great performance with high capacities. DLT Drives are aimed at reducing backup operation costs. The Drives also have additional benefits of being very manageable both for automated and non automated backups.

SLR Drives

Another budget conscious drive is the SLR. The early models started by offering 1.2GB on one tape but quickly developed into larger and larger capacities and now offer over 100GB on a single tape. The SLR format of tape has proven to be very reliable technology offering a secure form of data backup.

AIT

AIT or Advanced Intelligent Tape Drives are excellent when a company requires a separated backup solution. They often have advanced access features and can handle the future of data storage.

The decision to purchase a backup tape drive device can be difficult enough, but when you consider the number of manufactures available such as Quantum, Dell, Colorado and IBM it is easy to see why confusion could creep. The different combinations of backup software and hardware is also extensive

Why make the decision to buy a backup device?

Without properly backing up your data you are literally waiting for a disaster to happen. Realistically it simply isn’t worth the risk to your business if you do not have a backup device installed.

Think of the various information types that are critical to your business:

Database information
Customer contact details
Accounts
Emails

This list is endless and the law often dictates that certain types of information should be stored and easily retrieved if necessary, often for time periods going back several years.

Setup your Backup Strategy Now

Don’t waste time, your data is important so make sure you have a backup tape drive installed with a well defines backup strategy now.

Tape drives for corporate backups

Magnetic storage of data on tape drives is nothing new, but this is the most simple and cost effective way of storing your company data. Tape Drives are also highly portable and one of the most secure ways of storing your data.

If your accounts department question the acquisition of a backup device, the simple answer to justify its purchase is that the price of this hardware is low compared to the price of loosing company information.

Tape drives are available for a variety of budgets from a few hundred pounds to in excess of a thousand pounds. Backup procedures need no longer be complicated especially when you have already decided what data needs to be backed up and how often.