Sony has taken a major stand regarding the validity of tape for data storage and backup for the present and future. The company has officially announced that it will be working to take tape to new heights by signing a licensing deal with the Linear Tape Open (LTO) consortium to produce and distribute LTO-6 technologies.
You may be well aware that the LTO-5 has recently made a mark on the technology world, with its impressive density and Linear Tape File System (LTFS). While the LTO-5 has made many IT professionals quite happy, they will be even more thrilled when the LTO-6 offers more than two times the power!
The LTO-6 is set to offer 3.2TB of raw data storage capacity, 8TB with 2.5.1 compression, and a 210MB/Second transfer rate. Additionally, the new LTO version will include the LTFS and a host of other features that have yet to be announced. The advancements will not only make tape more practical for usage by leading and emerging organizations, it is surely to influence many disk storage device users to second guess the exorbitant amounts of money they are putting out by operating purely on-line data storage infrastructures.
In the case that you are unfamiliar with the LTO consortium, it is a collection of organizations (including HP, IBM, and Quantum) that have dedicated an amazing amount of time and resources to keeping tape alive. It is their goal to reveal that:
1. Tape is more cost-effective than disk, as it saves organizations numerous dollars on energy and storage costs.
2. Tape is extremely durable. Recent tests have revealed that it can last for 50 years and more and easily utilized for data recall and backups.
3. Tape has major density potential. As proven by the history of LTO tapes, density is increasing by leaps and bounds each year. It will continue to do the same in the coming years!
Both the LTO consortium and Sony have revealed the major increase in density for the LTO-6 is the result of a newly developed magnetic particle and other new manufacturing advancements that have yet to be fully shared with the world.
The groundbreaking advancements have also spurred the LTO consortium to announce the LTO-7 and LTO-8 will be released in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The LTO-7 will boast of 6.4TB of raw data storage, and the LTO-8 will offer an amazing 12.8TB. How is that for a commitment to tape!
At this point, it appears that the sky is the limit for tape technologies. More news to come, as LTO developments are shared by the powers that be!
Contact us for any tape media, I.T. recycling,shredding or any data center services need.
949-757-0100 / buyback@recycleyourmedia.com
According to InformationWeeks recent article How to Protect The Big Data Archive, there is a raging debate as to how big data should be protected and stored as data sets become larger and larger over time. Since data archives are often too large to be fully backed up, it is almost impossible to perform full backups.
Additionally, disk-only storage is amazingly expensive. Thus, organizations around the globe are increasingly having data protection embedded within their architectures. Because data sets are too large, running separate processes is quite difficult.
So what does all of this actually mean? When put simply, it means that an increasing number of organizations are creating big data environments that store intensive Web content, video, audio, images, and more. If for any reason, a specific piece of data needs to be retrieved due to a specific event (which may be triggered by a news event or court case), a particular video or picture may need to be accessed. Thus, such data needs to be ready for recall at a moments notice, which makes data protection more important than ever.
So, the question is, how can such large data sets be effectively protected? The answer is quite simplefirms need to get creative. Todays storage infrastructure can include a mix of disk, cloud storage, and tape.
In fact, InformationWeek reports that tape should potentially play a large role within big data archiving efforts. Archive file systems nicely support tape, while active data can be stored on tape for instant access. The beauty of such a scenario is that active data can be regularly backed up onto two tapes. The first tape is used when data is first created, and the second tape can support a nightly backup. This provides double the reliability and protection.
As tape backups become a regular practices and the number of tapes stored internally increases, they can be sent for off-site storage and recalled when needed. The off-line nature of tape saves energy and lowers storage costs.
While disk is seemingly the simplest and easiest scenario, the reality is that when all data is stored online, an organization runs the risk of their data being attacked by a harmful bug (and all data lost) and costs can be exorbitant. Todays world calls for creative solutions to big data archive, and tape is a recommended part of the mix.
Stay tuned for more information on the hot topic of big data archiving!
Contact us for any tape media,I.T. recycling, shredding or any data center services need.
949-757-0100 / buyback@recycleyourmedia.com
Why Tape Labeling and Initialization Services Key to Organizational Success
There is often a common theme that runs within organizations that try to manage their own data storage system upgrades and changesthe process often becomes overly time-consuming and overwhelming. This can lead to mismanagement and loss of vital data.
Unfortunately, many organizations that have mismanaged their legacy data have had to learn the hard way when vital information has been unable to be recalled. For example, if an organizations system is hit with a bug and needs to utilize a tape backup that has vanished, there can be major consequences.
This is why many leading organizations turn to Recycle Your Media (RYM) for tape media storage system management during a system upgrade or move. Our dedicated team works to carefully label, organize, and initialize new and redeployed tape in an effort to save our clients time and money.
Data Storage Labeling
Our strategic and organized sequential and non-sequential labeling processes takes the guessing game out of the data inventory equation. Some of our dedicated customers utilize our labeling services regularly, while others use them one-time.
Regardless of how many times we work to organize a customers data storage system, our tape organization method is easy to follow and continue to maintain. While most organizations have the best intentions in mind when deciding to internally handle system upgrades and moves, all too often the assigned staff doesnt know exactly how to effectively organize and maintain data storage devices.
Data Storage System Redeployment
In the case that an organization is upgrading or moving their data storage effort, our team works to make the effort as painless as possible. All tape is carefully labeled and initialized for possible use in the future.
Additionally, we make sure that our customers infrastructures are up and running quickly. The adage time is money definitely applies to the data storage world, as the longer you wait to have an efficiently running data storage system, the more likely costly system errors can occur.
Where Tape Recycling Fits into the Equation
Recycle Your Media assures all of our clients that we will discover ways to:
Help cut down on the amount of tapes stored in-house.
Save and even gain cash when possible.
Discover environmentally sound ways in which to dispose of data media cartridges through reuse or shredding and turning them intoEco-friendly products.
As we work to organize our clients storage media systems, our team works to identify legacy tape that can be recycled and reused by other organizations. This keeps tape from landfills and incineration, both of which are harmful to the environment.
All tape that is recycled and able to be reused is bought and payment is made to our customers. Its truly a win-win situation for all parties involved!
In todays world, organizations are searching for the most reliable and cost-effective manner to back up their rapidly growing amounts of data. It has been noted by the LTO consortium comprised of IBM, Quantum, and HP, that 50 to 60 percent of the worlds major businesses utilize a mix of tape and disk to both store and backup proprietary data.
More specifically, organizations are increasingly utilizing LTO Ultrium 5 for their backup solutions. There are a handful of reasons the LTO 5 (the most recent version of LTO technology) is growing in popularity, including the following:
1. Impressive Density. The LTO 5 can accommodate 3TB of compressed data, as compared to the LTO 4which allows for 1.6 TB in compressed mode. The fact that the LTO 5 offers nearly two times more density has made industry experts take notice.
2. Several Brand Options.For organizations that are brand conscious, they are quite motivated by the fact that they can choose from Maxwell, Dell, Sony, Fuji, Quantum, Imation, and HP tape.
3. Impressive Feature Set.The LTO 5 includes several features that make it easy-to-use, fast, and efficient. Cutting-edge features include data encryption, WORM, dual media partition, and to effectively manage huge databases.
4. Increased Speed.For IT managers who cant stand waiting around, the LTO 5 is ideal because it runs at 140 MB/second. This is 15 percent faster than the LTO 4.
5. Compatibility. There are numerous organizations rooted in LTO 3and LTO 4 tape. One of the benefits of the LTO 5 drive is that it is fully compatible with both the LTO 3 and LTO 4. Data can be recalled from them as normal, which is vital for businesses and organizations that must abide by various data retention laws and regulations.
6. Linear Tape File System (LTFS).The LTO 5 is different from all past generations with respects to its extremely valuable LTFS. It allows for the LTO 5 to operate exactly like a USB flash drive. For instance, users can copy files and paste them to or from a computer drive. This simplifies tape usage by leaps and bounds by streamlining the organizational process.
7. Cost Savings. Organizations are increasingly understanding of how much money can be saved by mixing tape into their data retention and backup strategies. When data is backed up and stored offline rather than online, energy savings are quite significant. Additionally, tape is fully recyclable and reusable, which provides opportunities for purchasing tape at lower prices and gaining cash/credit for used tapeswith leading recycling firms including Recycle Your Media.
Proponents of tape are amazed at what the LTO consortium has planned for the future. Not only is the LTO 6 going to be released in the near future — the LTO 7 and LTO 8 are already planned for development! It is expected that tape density will continue to increase at unbelievable rates.
Data Duplication & Format Conversion Made Easy
At Recycle Your Media, our team has worked to revolutionize the way leading and emerging organizations are working to both duplicate and covert data from one data storage device to the other. Much of our success is linked to our understanding of the complexity of managing data.
For instance, many of the organizations that we work with have several departments/divisions that often utilize several different types of data storage devices. They often rely on our team to simplify their systems so that data can be easily accessed at all times. Also, there are many organizations are challenged with data storage system upgrades and dont have the manpower and/or technology to transfer data from numerous old magnetic tape formats to newer ones.
