George Crump of Information Week reports that tape isn’t dying off anytime soon -- in fact, he predicts it will gain importance in data centers in the coming years.
“Thanks to the increased importance of economics, as well as the popularization of three tape technologies, 2013 was a very successful year for tape technology,” says Crump.
In our assessment he couldn’t be more correct. The economic factor comes down to the fact that storing massive amount so of data on tape (offline) is far less expensive than storing it on disk (online).
Even with the Cloud becoming more and more prominent in the data storage world, there is a place for tape. Earlier in 2013, Crump outlined the three roles for tape with regard to the cloud:
1. Cloud seeding.
2. Cloud recovery.
3. Cloud deep archive.
The truth of the matter is that the cloud can be susceptible to error and even failure. Backing up all data to tape assures any organization full data recovery if there are problems with the cloud.
Crump also cites “standardization” as a reason for tape’s present and future success. He points to LTO media’s importance in the majority of data centers that use tape. “The first technology that made tape more attractive in 2013 was the linear tape file system,” says Crump.
Just in case you aren’t familiar with the linear tape file system (LTFS), it allows for you to easily save and recover data -- just as you would with a hard drive. Prior to the institution of LTFS, information retrieval was time consuming -- not to mention frustrating.
In our minds, one of the most important things about tape is that it can be recycled and reused. Not only does recycling keep e-waste out of landfills, it provides a great opportunity for growing organizations to purchase tape and other equipment for far less money.
Recycling also helps organizations recoup a portion of technology investments. Big Data Supply’s tape buyback program is a perfect example. We buy used tape, completely eradicate all data on all tapes, and make them available for purchase.
Want to learn more about tape? We would be happy to answer your questions and help point you in the right direction. Give us a call or drops us an e-mail!
Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633