From Vision to realisation - The ReadVerify Appliance of Crossroads reports to the Zuse-Institut Berlin exactly the information about Tapes and Drives that are needed.

Highly-innovative research establishments like ZIB, where complex algorithms and complicated mathematical models are generated, know the particular importance of data for research work. The IT Services department of the ZIB, therefore, concerns itself not only with the planning, procurement and maintenance of IT resources but also pays particular attention to backing up data securely. The goal is to store data from research projects and documentation safely and permanently.

The ReadVerify Appliance (RVA) monitors state and quality of drives and tapes  and early send alarm messages about arising problems. For this purpose the RVA is continously reading diagnostic information from the drives which could not be found in any logs of the servers.

Together with add ons developed at ZIB there exists a life caree for each tape which made it possible to estimate his quality. Therefore arising problems are proactively detected before real damage occurs.

Tapes of the long-term storage which not have been used for a longer time are automatically read for test purposes. Aging of material can be recognozed early enough for manualy counter measures  take place.