ByKen Kajikawa,
OEM Technical Support Manager
FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc.
Did you know 96,000 petabytes (PB) of total compressed tape capacity shipped in 2016? To put that into perspective, that’s over 326,000 years of 24/7 Full HD video! But why do so many companies depend on tape if primary backup can be faster to disk or cheaper in the short-term to the cloud?
For starters, mid-size and enterprise companies produce reams of digital data that they must retain for long periods of time and tape provides more reliability than disk—at a significantly lower total cost of ownership. For most companies, data is their most prized possession, and LTO tape provides reliable, offline protection against on-line data corruption. For mid-sized to enterprise companies, by diversifying their storage practice, they can depend on their data from tape always being there when they need it.
Don’t listen to the hype from fancy providers; LTO tape is actually the most reliable solution available, with bit error rates that best those of disk. The bit error rate (BER) predicts the percentage of faulty bits per total number of written bits. Tape’s reliability is an impressive 100 times more reliable than Flash SSD, 1,000 times more reliable than Fibre Channel & SAS HDD, and an outstanding 10,000 more reliable than enterprise SATA disks (Source: Supplier Data, Horison, Inc.).
Our friends at LTO.org helped put this into perspective: for LTO-7 tape, that would be 1 error event in every 200,000 LTO-7 cartridges (1.25 exabytes) compared to 1 error event in every 20 enterprises 6 TB SATA disks (125 TB). Clearly, LTO Ultrium tape is designed to deliver outstanding reliability.
Additionally, an ESG audit found that the new Error Detection/Correction Code in LTO-7 Ultrium tape technology was so advanced that customers would be more likely to be struck by lightning or killed by a shark than hit an uncorrectable error when saving data to tape. Below are some fun probabilities:
- Getting hit by lightning; the odds are one in a million.
- Getting killed by a shark; the odds are one in 11.5 million.
- Winning a multi-million dollar lottery; the odds are 1 in 259 million.
- Getting an uncorrectable error using LTO-7 media; the odds are one in 10 quintillion
Not only is LTO tape reliable, but it is also durable enough to withstand the test of time. LTO Tape provides users with a shelf-life of over 30 years—unlike disk that has a shelf-life of 3-5 years. Additionally, advancements in technologies like Barium Ferrite ensure longer archival life with no loss of magnetic signal.
We all know data volumes are growing explosively while IT budgets are remaining stagnant; the most effective solution to this problem is a low-cost, highly reliable and high capacity tape storage system. There is no doubt some of your backup/achieved data will need to reside on disk, but with astounding reliability and its cost advantaged most of your backup/archive data should reside on tape.
FAQs
Tape storage used by the military is said to be safe from data deterioration for at least 50 years. This makes tape drives a good repository for backup data that needs to be retained for years as per compliance regulations or internal business policies.
How long does tape storage last? ›
LTO Data Cartridge Life Expectancy
Most manufacturers estimate that LTO tapes will provide dependable data storage for 15-30 years. However, LTO archives require precise storage conditions. Slight deviations in temperature or humidity can affect storage life. Ideally, LTOs should be stored at 61 to 77°F (16 to 25°C).
Is tape still used for data storage? ›
Given the rapid development of data storage technologies over the years, magnetic storage media is something of a marvel. Companies still use tape in state-of-the-art data centers, but engineers developed the underlying tech before the advent of computers.
How dependable is tape as a data backup solution? ›
Tape backup offers a reliable and cost-effective solution for long-term archival storage, exceeding even the lifespan of most hard drives or cloud storage contracts.
How does tape storage work? ›
A tape drive is a device that stores computer data on magnetic tape, especially for backup and archiving purposes. Like an ordinary tape recorder, a tape drive records data on a loop of flexible celluloidlike material that can be read and also erased.
What are the advantages of tape storage? ›
Tape storage has several advantages over other storage media, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid state drives (SSDs). Tape storage is cheaper, more durable, more energy-efficient, and more scalable than HDDs or SSDs.
What is the most reliable storage device? ›
SSDs don't use conventional spinning “platters” to store data, so there are fewer moving parts. Under optimal conditions, an SSD can be used for ten years or more without any hardware issues. This makes SSD ideal for long term data storage.
How much data can tape storage hold? ›
The typical storage capacity of a magnetic tape is from 1 to 16 terabytes (TB).
How fast is tape storage? ›
Although magnetic tape systems give the impression that they read data slowly, LTO7 can transfer data at a high speed of 300 MB/second (750 MB/second when the data is compressed), which is more than 20% faster than other storage systems.
What are the disadvantages of data tape? ›
One of the biggest drawbacks of using tapes as your backup is their speed. Data is written sequentially, so it can take lots of time to back up large amounts of data. Restoring files also takes a lot of time. Time-consuming Search.
A backup from physical tape takes valuable time to transport and reconstruct. Backup restoration begins, and because the data is stored in linear fashion, it can take hours or days to rebuild the system; that is, if a tape doesn't fail and the backed up data is complete.
How much does tape storage cost? ›
Average Costs of Offsite Tape Storage
| Storage Solution | Cost per GB | Reliability |
|---|
| Offsite Tape Storage | $0.005 – $0.02 | High |
| Cloud Storage | $0.02 – $0.03 | High |
| Hard Drive Storage | $0.03 – $0.08 | Moderate |
Mar 1, 2024
Generally speaking, disk-based backup is significantly quicker and more reliable for data restoration than tape-based backup. Instead of writing from disk (such as your hard drives or servers) to a tape, a disk-to-disk backup is simply a more efficient method of data transfer.
What are the risks of tape backup? ›
Obsolescence isn't the only time-critical threat to tape backup, either: tape also degrades over time. If not stored properly, it's subject to oxidation, and uneven stresses could stretch or distort it.
What is the main disadvantage of tape storage as a backup? ›
One of the biggest drawbacks of using tapes as your backup is their speed. Data is written sequentially, so it can take lots of time to back up large amounts of data. Restoring files also takes a lot of time. Time-consuming Search.
What is a drawback of tape backups? ›
Disadvantages of Tape
Writing to tape and reading from it takes a lot longer; it's not an automated process, and there's always a chance of data corruption. And if you ever need to restore your data from a tape, you'll need to go through a series of precise, hands-on steps to make that happen.
What is the drawback of magnetic tape storage? ›
These tapes provide high storage capacities and are relatively cost-effective, making them ideal for storing large volumes of data for extended periods. However, due to their sequential access nature, reading or writing data on magnetic tapes can be slower compared to other magnetic storage devices like HDDs.
What are the cons of tape backups? ›
Can be destroyed by natural disasters. Unless your tapes are stored in a metal bunker under the ground, hurricanes, storms, and floods may seriously corrupt them or even totally destroy. Old technology, data may be corrupted. A tape is a very old technology and it doesn't always meet the modern security requirements.
ByKen Kajikawa,