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CD Jukeboxes Low-Cost Storage with a Future

by Liz Levy

CD jukeboxes are making gains in network storage. They provide a permanent, low-cost alternative to rival formats. They also provide a migration path to DVD, which will put them on the fast track to wider market acceptance.

The killer application for CD has always been software distribution. This is changing with the use of CDs for low-cost archiving. This trend has been supported by increasingly advanced jukebox management software. The quad-speed CD-R drives found on today's jukeboxes provide a practical recording solution. They support migration schemes in which hard-drive data can be moved to CD when it is no longer needed online.

CD jukeboxes are no longer just for near-line access to data. Faster read and access speeds are helping jukeboxes to compete, and hard drive CD caching solutions are growing more popular. Jukebox manufacturers like Kodak have placed hard drives inside their jukeboxes to deliver online access speeds.

Jukebox management software products like Smart Storage's (Andover, MA 978-623-3300) SmartCD version 3.0 supports various CD caching schemes for different applications. As the price for hard drive storage drops, the use of CD caching is on the rise.

The next major development we're all anticipating is DVD. DVD is waiting to take on mass storage applications and become the new, low-cost storage and distribution media
of choice.

CD jukeboxes have a great cost advantage over other formats because the media is currently priced at a rock bottom $1.50 per disc. What gives CD jukeboxes a little extra caché these days is their upgradability to DVD. Many manufacturers are capitalizing on this by putting "DVD Ready" stickers on their CD jukes. Companies like Cygnet, Kodak, NSM and Pioneer all promise DVD jukeboxes by the end of this year. The rewritable DVD-RAM format that many jukeboxes will use offers a 2.6 GB capacity on a single-sided disc and 5.2 GB on a double -sided disc that costs under $20-$40. MO media with 5.2 GB capacity is priced at more than $100.

CD jukeboxes are used by organizations such as healthcare, financial, law and engineering firms and government agencies that need a way to share over a network pre-published CDs with sensitive data, records, reference materials or drawings. As CD recording has become more affordable, organizations have started accumulating data on CD; if they want to give multiple users reliable access to that data, there is little choice but to buy a jukebox.

The sweet spot for CD jukeboxes is in the 100- to 200-disc capacity range, where most prices fall between $5,000 and $10,000. These models provide fast, reliable performance for network operations. Once you get above the 150-disc mark, many models have slower access times due to their higher disc-to-drive ratios and longer robotic movements. Some manufacturers have alleviated this problem by adding even more drives and hard drive cache. For example, several 500-disc jukeboxes pack six or eight drives for fast access times, but corresponding prices can climb above $20,000.

Another option is to use a number of mid-sized jukeboxes for increased speed and capacity. Most CD jukes can daisy chain additional units off the SCSI interface; jukebox management software will put them all together.

Here's a rundown of some of the newest CD jukes. They start at the 50-disc capacity and range up to 500 discs. Corresponding prices range between $5,000 and $21,000. Capacity isn't the only point of differentiation. Users should keep four factors in mind: reliability, price, performance and capacity. Reliability is measured by ratings such as mean exchange between failures (MEBF). Most manufacturers meet high standards these days. The other three variables are usually what can set jukeboxes apart.

Cygnet's (San Jose, CA 408-954-1800) Infinidisc CD jukebox is available in two drive configurations. With 250 discs, the juke can hold up to eight drives ($10,000). With 500 discs, it only has room for four drives ($16,000). Infinidisc uses a unique building-block approach to add scale. The jukebox has three separate modules on a basic rack-mount. There is a disc carousel module, a drive module and a controller module. Each disc module holds up to 250 CDs; the drive module holds two drives. This architecture makes it easy to add a second disc carousel or up to four pairs of drives. Infinidisc uses 12X or 32X speed CD-ROM drives. It has a maximum load time of 15 seconds. Discs can be bulk loaded with front access. A mailbox slot is also provided for single disc loading.

Kodak's (Rochester, NY 716-724-4000) CD Library 144 is a competitively priced jukebox for those seeking 100- to 200-disc capacities. The library is configurable with one to four CD-ROM/CD-R drives and nine interchangeable 18-disc magazines. The maximum capacity of the CD Library 144 is 162 discs. According to Kodak, most customers opt for the two-drive, 144-disc configuration ($7,500). Disc exchange time is less than eight seconds and disc spin-up time is less than 0.7 seconds on average. Disc magazines are hot swappable, meaning they can be exchanged without shutting the juke down. A key-locked door provides access. A front-loading mailbox slot lets you swap individual discs while online. The drives are Teac 4X/4X CD-R and 16X speed CD-ROM.

For online storage, Kodak has placed a 6.4 GB SCSI-2 hard drive on board. This provides enough storage to cache 20 to 30 partially filled CDs. The CD Library 144 also boasts an above average two million MEBF. The average MEBF rating is one million.

The Luminex (Riverside, CA 909-781-4100) Fire Series LSX-CDL-100 library is a 100-disc capacity jukebox that holds four drives. Luminex offers the jukebox as a package with an internal LSX SCSI expander and Luminex's Fire Series software ($13,000). Four drives and 100 discs give the juke a 25:1 disc-to-drive ratio, which offers fast performance. The internal LSX SCSI expander lets the library occupy one SCSI ID on the server. This makes it easy to add up to seven more jukeboxes for a total of 28 drives. Swap time is five to ten seconds for loading the trays while drive spin-up time adds a few more seconds.

Luminex's robotics move the discs, not the tray. According to Luminex,

jukeboxes that don't use trays are easier to upgrade. This is because the drives require no special mechanisms, and you can use off-the-shelf equipment. For those who will want to upgrade their drives in the future, no service call is necessary because the library is user upgradable.

The Fire Series Software that is bundled with the Luminex jukebox is Unix based, for better multitasking. The software can write to four CDs simultaneously through separate data streams at 4X speed. The software provides full-featured duplicating and mastering. For added versatility, the software can both read and record Mac formats to CD from a non-Mac server. The software can also cache the most active files.

NSM (Bensenville, IL 630-860-5100) recently introduced a new member to its Mercury family of CD jukeboxes, the Mercury 22 ($16,500). The Mercury 22 is equipped with two 12X read drives and two 4X/12X recorder drives. The jukebox can record 150 CDs in less than 24 hours. Network users can read and record CDs.

The Mercury features a mail slot for external swapping of CDs without taking the jukebox offline. It has front panel controls and an LCD display. The Mercury can hold up to 150 CDs using three 50-CD magazines. Media exchange time is a fast 2.5 seconds.

NSM's Satellite line offers another family of fast, compact, mid-sized jukeboxes. The Satellite family ($10,000-$13,000) handles 60 to 135 CDs using 15-CD packs. The Satellite can be equipped with up to five read drives to give you an excellent disc-to-drive ratio. There is a limit of three recorders. The Satellite features hot swappable packs that can be ejected from the front by pushing a button. It also has an optional mail slot. These jukeboxes are touted as DVD ready, giving buyers an upgradable device that will be able to handle larger storage needs.

Both NSM jukebox families feature 12X read drives from Plextor and 6X/4X recorder drives from Yamaha. They use NSM "no touch" changing that employs an elevator-like middle tray to swap CDs from drive to pack. NSM combines swap time, drive speed and queue or spin time to determine the "time to deliver data" (TDD). The Satellite has a TDD of 4 seconds -- fast performance at a fair price.

The DRM-1004X40 is a 100-disc capacity jukebox from Pioneer (Long Beach, CA 310-952-2111). The jukebox can hold up to four 12X read drives or two quad-speed recorders and one reader. Pioneer uses their own drives, which are said to have sturdier casings than those found on "street drives." The casings reduce drive vibrations, making it possible to write to and read from different drives at the same time. Pioneer uses a small picker that grabs the discs from the center. Pioneer's 100-disc jukebox features a mail slot and front panel controls. Disc change time is six seconds, even during writing operations, and disc load time is less than three seconds.

Pioneer's DRM-5004X 500-disc jukebox ($16,000) is about capacity, not speed. The jukebox holds five removable 100-disc magazines with up to four readers or recorder drives. With a 125-to-1 disc to drive ratio, the jukebox has an average disc change time of 18 seconds. An elevator swaps discs from magazine to drive.

Plasmon (Eden Prairie, MN 612-946-4100) has just upgraded their D-Series of CD jukeboxes to include 24X speed CD-ROM drives. Plasmon offers three models with a variety of disc capacities. The D-120 is the smallest of the three, offering 12 disc packs that each contain 10 CDs. The D-120 can be configured with four CD-ROM drives or up to two 4X/8X CD-R drives and two CD-ROM drives ($11,600). The D-240 holds 24 disc packs for a 240-disc capacity. A total of six drives can be used in the D-240 with a maximum of two CD recorders ($16,600). Both the D-120 and the D-240 have average disc exchange times of three seconds. The highest capacity juke in the D-Series is the D-480, which holds 48 disc packs. This jukebox can also house six drives or four CD-ROM drives and two CD recorders ($21,600).

Plasmon's 10-disc CD packs are replaced off-line. Discs can be added and removed online from a single disc import/export slot. Plasmon is known for their high performance achieved with large capacity jukeboxes. The D-Series uses thin trays to move the CDs. Plasmon is the only CD jukebox maker offering dual pickers. These robot appendages handle two discs simultaneously, which cuts disc retrieval and load times nearly in half.

Sony (Park Ridge, NJ 201-930-1000) has a family of CD jukeboxes that range from the desktop to the enterprise. At the high end, Sony offers the CDL 2200 (starting at $11,000). The jukebox holds up to 250 discs with two to six drives. If you use all six-drive slots, capacity drops to 200 discs. Drive combinations include 12X CD-ROM drives and 2X read, 4X write CD-R drives for data recording. A front mail slot and LCD display are featured.

The library connects on a SCSI-2 interface with multiple SCSI buses on CD-R units for enhanced data transfer. An elevating media tray is used for disc handling. Disc exchange time on the robotics is less than 3.5 seconds on average and is less than 10 seconds when including drive spin-up and spin-down. The library connector is a 50-pin Centronics type with RS-232C D-Sub 9-pin port for dial-in diagnostics.

Sony's largest library is the CDL 5000 ($21,000). The library has many of the same features as the CDL 2200 but holds up to 500 discs. It also uses faster 24X speed CD-ROM drives and 4X write, 8X read speed CD-R drives.

CD Jukes on the Desktop

Desktop CD jukeboxes from Kodak and Sony test the boundaries of the optical storage market. The jukeboxes are geared toward medium-sized workgroups that want to share information on CDs.

Sony's CDL 1100 ($3,000) is a desktop CD-ROM library geared to small offices, departments and workgroups. It has a compact design that packs two 12X CD-ROM drives and 100 discs into one box with a total capacity of 65 GB. Single users, small workgroups or corporate departments can use the CDL 1100 to organize and share data stored on CD-ROM and CD-R discs.

The library has an average disc exchange time of 12.2 seconds from drive to slot to drive (including drive spin-up and spin-down time). Drives have a sustained transfer rate of 1800 KB/s and an average access time of 130 ms. The library connects on a 50-pin Centronics type interface with the robotics and drives using a SCSI-2 interface. Diagnostics can be performed from the RS-232C D-Sub 9-pin interface.

The library comes bundled with SmartCD Neighborhood software from Smart Storage. The software supports Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 and is designed for standalone and small workgroup applications. It supports multiple formats, including data and audio, and can be installed on any desktop. All CDs are accessed from one drive letter using an interface similar to Windows Explorer. CD grouping makes identification of CDs easy, and a timesharing feature manages data requests from multiple users.

Kodak's CD Library 54 ($5,200) is also geared to workgroups and small offices. The library comes in two configurations: 54 discs with two drives or 72 discs with one drive (for a capacity of 35.1 GB or 46.8 GB, respectively). Discs are stored in 18-disc magazines. The drives are Teac 16X CD-ROM drives or 4X/4X CD-R drives. The library features a front mail slot and hot swappable magazines.

The CD Library TKO model features an internal 4 GB hard disk for CD caching. Disc exchange time averages 4.2 seconds and disc load time averages less than 0.7 seconds. The CD Library 54 also has an impressive 2 million mean exchanges between failure for robotic reliability.

These CD jukeboxes and CD networking products are changing the way we view CD storage on the network. While we wait for DVD jukeboxes to hit the market and turn network storage on its head, we can still rely on CD jukes as an affordable and flexible network solution for today.

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