While the rise in popularity of disk-based backup solutions has made tape backup feel like “yesterday’s news,” the fact is, for many organizations, tape archiving
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remains a viable,
cost-effective option for storing infrequently accessed data. The editors of SearchDataBackup.com
have compiled this list of our five favorite tips from the past year on archiving
to tape. You’ll learn what to do with your tapes if you do switch to a disk backup appliance,
whether tapes remain feasible with cloud data protection, the evolution of tape systems, and how
Linear Tape File Systems have helped boost interest in tape archiving.
Tip #1
Transitioning from tape to a disk backup appliance
The efficiency and effectiveness of disk-based backups make the notion of getting rid of tape backups a palatable one for many organizations. But making the switch is a lot easier said than done. There are a number of challenges you have to consider, including how to restore data that was originally backed up to tape, using existing tape hardware for archiving to tape, and assessing future backup needs. This tip, which will help you with tape archiving, also stresses the importance of testing your new disk backup system before deploying it in your production environment.
Tip #2
Will tape have a second life with data protection in the cloud?
No matter how prevalent disk backup becomes, tape backups remain a viable archiving option in many organizations. Indeed, new technologies such as the Linear Tape File System have shown that there are real innovations in the tape backup market. But there’s a new game-changer in the marketplace and no one knows for sure how data protection in the cloud will affect tape. This piece looks at how tape is being used by cloud providers, an emerging trend in the world of tape archiving.
Tip #3
Tape systems evolve with higher performance, sophisticated robotics
As you’ve seen, there have been developments in tape archiving systems. Not only have there been changes to the tapes themselves with increased capacities and faster data transfer rates, but tape libraries are changing with faster data transfer rates and a further evolution in robotics.
Tip #4
Tape storage systems continue to evolve with long-term data archiving functionality
This tutorial looks at recent developments in tape storage systems, LTO-5 and LTFS, compares backup software and archiving software, and examines how tape is morphing into a long-term data archiving solution.
Tip #5
Linear Tape File System (LTFS) products seen as archiving boon
In the 18 months since IBM rolled out LTFS, we’ve seen a growing number of vendors introduce products that support the LTFS format. Many expect LTFS to eventually play a significant role in the way data is archived to and retrieved from tape.
This was first published in December 2011
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