Archiving and tape backup
There is a reason why tape backup technology has stuck around as long as it has: It works. See how tape vendors keep up in a changing market and what developments have made tape the ultimate archiving tool. Garner tips from experts on how to get the most out of tape backup, as well as some best practices.
Top Stories
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Tip
21 May 2025
Clear, Purge, Destroy: NIST media sanitization 101
NIST SP 800-88 outlines how to responsibly destroy data and keep confidential information out of the wrong hands. Learn more about the NIST guidelines for media sanitization here. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Apr 2025
Backup retention policy best practices: A guide with template
It's critical for an organization to know what data it needs to retain and where to store it. Create a backup retention policy with this free template. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Mar 2025
The difference between SSD and HDD storage devices explained
A comparison of SSD vs. HDD yields vastly different storage capabilities. Explore the differences and guidance on when to use each. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Dec 2024
Project Silica takes archive data through the looking glass
As data grows, so does the need to store it. Microsoft's Project Silica is offering an archive alternative to tape with the promise of permanence. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Dec 2024
Why data backup is important
Not every organization has a backup infrastructure in place. There are several reasons why that is a mistake, including recovery costs and rising threats to critical data. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Nov 2024
Data retention and destruction policy template: Free download
The downloadable data retention and destruction policy template here will help with compliance. Use this structure to develop other IT data management policies. Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2024
Cohesity's generative AI Gaia gets keyword search tool
A new search, questioning and data visibility feature arrives in Cohesity's generative AI Gaia with Data Explore. The update also expands Gaia's support for file storage systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Oct 2024
How to improve backup performance
Achieving and maintaining optimal backup performance is a continuous process that requires a proactive approach to monitoring, analysis and optimization. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Aug 2024
Get to know the archive bit and its role in data backup
Good data management is key to protecting critical files. A tool like the archive bit can help ensure backup administrators know what data needs to be backed up at a glance. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jul 2024
How to craft a cost-effective backup strategy
A cost-effective data backup plan requires IT teams to examine their data protection requirements and choose the right strategy that fits into what the business can spend. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2024
Cerabyte brings permanent storage to the U.S.
Cerabyte increased its footprint in the U.S. with two new offices as it looks to go beyond the prototype stage for a potential commercialization in the coming years. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2024
LTO tape shipments set another capacity record
The capacity of LTO tape breaks records yet again in annual shipments, but it might be the increase in density more than new customers and use cases. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Jun 2024
differential backup
A differential backup is a data backup that copies all the files that have changed since the last full backup was performed. Continue Reading
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Definition
29 May 2024
LTO-8 (Linear Tape-Open 8)
LTO-8, or Linear Tape-Open 8, is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium released in late 2017. It succeeded the LTO-7 version, which launched in 2015. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2024
Spectra Logic, Geyser Data launch tape as a service
Spectra Logic and Geyser Data are partnering to provide an as-a-service offering for tape, which gives customers access to tape storage in the cloud. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 May 2024
incremental backup
An incremental backup is a backup type that only copies data that has been changed or created since the previous backup activity was conducted. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Apr 2024
LTO-9 (Linear Tape-Open 9)
LTO-9 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium. It launched in 2021. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Apr 2024
LTO-7 (Linear Tape-Open 7)
LTO-7 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium released in late 2015. It succeeded the LTO-6 version, which launched in 2012. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 Apr 2024
Linear Tape-Open (LTO)
Linear Tape-Open (LTO) is an open-format tape storage technology created by HPE, IBM and Seagate Technology. Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2024
Spectra Logic introduces new tape library, OS
After more than 14 years, Spectra Logic is making changes to its long-running tape library and underlying OS. It's also unveiling a new tape offering to add to its portfolio. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Apr 2024
What is data backup? An in-depth guide
Data backup is the process of copying data in an IT system to another location so it can be recovered if the original data is lost. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Mar 2024
data retention policy
In business settings, data retention is a concept that encompasses all processes for storing and preserving data, as well as the specific time periods and policies businesses enforce that determine how and for how long data should be retained. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2024
Cohesity CEO on customer choice following Veritas merger
Sanjay Poonen, CEO of Cohesity, talks about his company's recent purchase of Veritas, what customers should expect in the year ahead and if other mergers are possible. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Feb 2024
New media could bring fresh competition to tape archive market
Tape has had the archive media market cornered for years, but newcomers including those working in DNA and glass could change that just as demand is set to increase. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Feb 2024
4 long-term data backup options
Data backups ensure copies of critical data are available in the event of a crisis or failure. When backing up long-term data, cost and capacity are vital considerations. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
Spectra Logic brings Glacier on premises for NetApp
NetApp StorageGrid customers can backup data in the cloud or on premises thanks to a new integration with Spectra Logic, a development one analyst described as advantageous. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Feb 2024
How can flape storage help my organization?
While flape was a concept coined by Wikibon back in 2012, now might be the time to employ the combination of flash and tape for a multi-tier storage system. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Feb 2024
storage snapshot
A storage snapshot is a set of reference markers for data at a particular point in time (PIT). More specifically, it's a collection of saved application data and a comprehensive log that details how the saved data has changed over time. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
Hammerspace's global file system now includes tape
With the inclusion of magnetic tape storage, Hammerspace now allows customers to access archives quickly, assuming the tapes are S3 compatible. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
18 Dec 2023
Tutorial: How to use Linux Deja Dup to back up and restore files
Deja Dup isn't advertised as a backup tool, but that doesn't mean you can't use it for data protection. Find out how to use Linux Deja Dup for backup and restore in this tutorial. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
15 Dec 2023
Tutorial: Use Linux cpio to back up and restore files
There are many ways of backing up files on Linux devices. The cpio utility copies contents out of the file system and into an archive to create reliable backups. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
12 Dec 2023
Tutorial: How to use tar to back up and restore files in Linux
This tutorial walks users through using the Linux tar utility. Readers will learn a few commands to create files, then how to back up and restore them. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Dec 2023
magnetic tape storage
Magnetic tape is one of the oldest technologies for electronic data storage. Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2023
DNA storage to tackle massive archives
DNA storage could provide dense, flexible, more sustainable form factors for archival use cases. One company plans on commercializing its offering by 2026. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Nov 2023
tape backup
Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge. Continue Reading
- Definition 15 Nov 2023
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Definition
23 Oct 2023
data archiving
Data archiving moves data that is no longer actively used to a separate storage device for long-term retention. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2023
150 TB IBM tapes hit the market
IBM's new enterprise tape drive brings 50 TB of native capacity and 150 TB compressed for archiving large amounts of data and is a sign of investment in an old storage medium. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jun 2023
7 data archiving best practices for backup admins
Among retention policies, regulatory compliance and limited storage budgets, knowing what data to keep is critical. Follow these seven best practices for a solid archiving strategy. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2023
LTO tape shipments continued to grow in 2022
Driven by data growth and the uptick in ransomware, tape continues to excel as a storage medium despite newer kids on the block. Experts don't see that trend ending anytime soon. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Apr 2023
tape library
In data storage, a tape library is a collection of magnetic tape cartridges and tape drives. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2023
What the new LTO roadmap means for tape storage
The future of tape is bright, and it should be on every storage manager's shortlist. LTO and its massive current and future capacity have a place among other storage media types. Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2023
Spectra Logic introduces multimedia auto-tiering for archives
Spectra Logic helps users manage archives with new software integration and auto-tiering into hardware or software. It's also partnering with Wasabi on more storage options. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Dec 2022
Use magnetic tape backup to ease storage capacity concerns
Does your organization struggle to store and protect all its data? Magnetic tape storage might be a smart, cost-efficient route, as data volumes continue to increase. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2022
Commvault Metallic adds archive to cloud service
Commvault added a standalone cloud file and object archive service to its Metallic SaaS to help tackle unstructured data growth and the associated costs. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2022
LTO Program looks to surpass 1.4 PB per tape
The LTO Program laid out an updated roadmap showing that tape could break the 1 petabyte barrier within the next decade, keeping pace with ever-growing data storage needs. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2022
Folio Photonics sees optical disk as alternative for archive
Folio Photonics has increased the layers of optical disk, lowering the cost and increasing the capacity while delivering higher performance than LTO tapes. Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2022
XenData's tape workaround cuts out egress fees
To help customers avoid costly egress and geo-replication fees, XenData has introduced a new tape archive appliance for local copies that can be moved at much lower costs. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Jul 2022
Future of tape backup built on consistent advancements
Tape still plays a key role in backup, including offline protection from ransomware. What are some key improvements that will keep tape backup relevant in the future? Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2022
Fujifilm to raise some LTO tape prices 5% this fall
Fujifilm will hike the price of some of its older and most popular LTO tapes Oct. 1. It's hoping the monthslong lead up time will help companies better plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jun 2022
What's driving the resurgence in tape storage use?
Tape storage use has had a recent revival as a result of its air-gapped protection from ransomware. But that's not the only reason why businesses use the legacy technology. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jun 2022
Storage media showdown: The benefits of tape vs. disk backup
Tape and disk are established as reliable backup storage, but which one is best for your organization? Consider factors such as cost, performance and security in your decision. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 May 2022
Use data classification to protect data, aid backup compliance
Following strict compliance regulations can result in high storage costs. Use data classification for backup retention to sift through affected data without breaking the bank. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 May 2022
litigation hold (legal hold, preservation order or hold order)
A litigation hold -- also known as legal hold, preservation order or hold order -- is an internal process that an organization undergoes to preserve all data that might relate to a legal action involving the organization. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2022
LTO tape capacity shipments rose sharply in 2021
Shipped LTO capacity and media unit shipments increased in 2021. Ransomware protection and the release of LTO-9 were among the reasons for the jump, analysts said. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2022
XenData's X100 provides 100-plus PB active archive
XenData's X100 brings an active archive to market that's designed to target the explosive growth in unstructured data, such as customers in media and entertainment. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2022
What is data vaulting and how does it shape modern backups?
Data vaulting methods, such as air gapping and active archives, help isolate and protect data backups from malicious deletion or accidental data loss. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2021
Get to know the Microsoft Teams retention policies
Microsoft Teams retention policies can ensure that critical data is not accidentally deleted too early, and unnecessary data doesn't take up space longer than it needs to. Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2021
Quantum tape libraries gain remote eject capability
Quantum introduced Ransom Block to its Scalar tape libraries, allowing customers to remotely eject tape magazines and prevent cyber criminals from accessing the data within. Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2021
Quantum unveils ActiveScale on-prem archiving service
Quantum's new product combines ActiveScale object storage and Quantum tape to deploy a petabyte-scale cold storage environment within customers' on-prem data centers. Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2021
LTO tape capacity shipments dip, but expected to rise
The return of businesses to the office plus tape's protection against cyber attacks should help increase LTO shipments. In addition, LTO-9 recently launched with higher capacity. Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2021
IBM leads parade of vendors delivering LTO-9 tape drives
While sales of tape drives faltered in 2020, IBM and a handful of storage vendors hope to fuel a comeback with delivery of new offerings that ascribe to the LTO-9 specifications. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2021
StorOne serves up backup storage for America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen uses Rubrik to store backups and snapshots in the cloud, then archives older data to an on-premises StorOne appliance for faster and cheaper retrieval. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2021
Protect NAS device backups with these tips
NAS devices provide reliable data storage for businesses of all sizes. Backing up that data requires organizations to implement additional data protection efforts. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2021
When long-term data archiving means 'forever'
Storage customers such as the German data processing service center GWDG have started to think about how they can archive data forever. It's challenging and complex, but possible. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2021
XenData links up tape archives with S3 interface
XenData launched an object storage interface for its LTO archives, along with a new synchronization service that consolidates multiple archives into a single, global repository. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Mar 2021
Which backup standards guide a data protection strategy?
A strong data protection strategy must follow applicable standards and regulations to protect data and comply with privacy laws. What are some key standards to look out for? Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2021
FalconStor's turnaround prospects see glimmer of progress
FalconStor's annual revenue continues to slump, but an increase in net income, new customer bookings and a renewed focus on cloud data storage bring hope to the company. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2021
Nexsan launches cloud edition of Assureon immutable vault
Nexsan Assureon can now be deployed on Azure and private clouds, no longer tying its immutable storage and active archive capabilities to Unity appliances. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2021
Potential magnetic tape storage capacity surges in 'renaissance'
Tape technology continues to improve, resulting in huge possibilities for capacity. With data growth, tape has received new customers; some don't even realize they're using it. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
Tape storage protects research on Antarctic science ship
British Antarctic Survey outfitted the RRS Sir David Attenborough with Quantum QXS hybrid disk and Scalar i3 tape libraries to store and protect research data mid-voyage. Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2020
New XenData appliances provide bridge between disk and tape
XenData seeks to simplify managing LTO tape libraries but finds itself competing with disk, public clouds, other tape vendors and 'poor storage management.' Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2020
Flexential Archive Storage heats up with Wasabi
Cloud storage has trended up since the coronavirus pandemic hit. Flexential and Wasabi have teamed up on an archival storage platform that takes advantage of the cloud. Continue Reading
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Answer
11 Nov 2020
How can I best implement an active archive environment?
Examine the major elements of an active archiving environment, including the kinds of data that you can use in one and resources to help with platform execution. Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2020
Caringo Swarm 12 adds remote sync, SSO and updated UI
Caringo's updates to Swarm are designed to make the object storage easier to access and manage while working with distributed data at scale as remote work becomes prevalent. Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2020
In new LTO roadmap, LTO-9 features 45 TB capacity
Long-term archiving and offline data protection are two key uses for LTO-9, the latest generation of tapes from the LTO Program. The roadmap extends to LTO-12. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Sep 2020
Archive as a service: What you need to know
Archive-as-a-service offerings could help simplify what can be a complicated process. Make sure you do the proper research and vetting before undertaking the cloud-based platform. Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2020
Tape data storage industry tackles challenges, archival uses
The tape data storage market has confronted a major legal issue and a pandemic. Buoyed by strong archival use and offline protection, capacity shipments rose last year. Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
IMT Software cracks open SoDA data management
Integrated Media Technologies, an MSP targeting media and entertainment, expanded into software development with SoDA, an unstructured data management tool. Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2020
Fujifilm offers subscriptions for tape-based object storage
AWS established Glacier as a cloud alternative to on-premises tape storage. Now Fujifilm positions its Object Archive to tape as an on-premises alternative to Glacier. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
Azure partner Aparavi takes on unstructured data management
Aparavi retired its Active Archive and File Protect & Insight products and brought their features to its new cloud-based data management and automation platform launched on Azure. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jul 2020
How to choose a long-term data archiving services vendor
When evaluating archiving services, you must determine what you need to archive, requirements around that data and how to make the most cost-effective selection. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2020
Quantum tape, NAS recovery stalled by COVID-19, sports break
Quantum says, 'Let the games begin' after sports and entertainment pauses interrupt sales of tape and scale-out NAS storage; vendor also faces possible PPP problems. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jun 2020
Why tape-based backup is making a comeback
New technologies make venerable tape storage tech a smart choice for off-site backups and data archiving. Explore pros and cons, as well as how the pandemic affects tape use. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2020
StrongBox Data adds native LTFS to its StrongLink platform
With native support for any tape library, StrongLink is capable of cross-platform data management whether the underlying storage is flash, disk, tape or cloud. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 May 2020
Best practices for backup audit preparation
What are must-have items to satisfy an audit of your backup platform? Why is auditing important? Discover how the audit process can help your organization improve. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 May 2020
Data backup plan template: A free download and guide
Download our free backup planning template to help you get started or improve your current plan. It's important to have critical information laid out in a document. Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 May 2020
Add tape backup in 2020 to boost a data protection strategy
Tape has never really gone away. But it can be useful beyond long-term archiving. Learn why IT professionals may want to consider reintroducing tape backup into their data centers. Continue Reading
- 07 May 2020
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News
30 Apr 2020
Igneous Systems enhances DataDiscover with global search
Igneous Systems' upgrades to DataDiscover and DataFlow address unstructured data growth by allowing customers with massive data sets to see everything they have and move it anywhere. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2020
How to keep physical backup media storage safe
Data is your organization's most important digital asset. Here are some tips on how to ensure physical data backups are stored at a safe and secure location. Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
New FalconStor StorSafe uses containers to archive backups
FalconStor's new StorSafe product combines container, erasure coding and data reduction to archive backups and make them portable across cloud sites. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Igneous brings SaaS data management to Dell EMC appliances
Igneous rocks on-premises backup, data management with ability to use Dell NAS appliances as targets for its SaaS platform that was designed for public clouds. Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2020
Veritas Enterprise Vault adds cloud-based supervision
Veritas added Advanced Supervision to its cloud archiving platform and said even customers outside of heavily regulated industries demand communications monitoring tools. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Assureon archive is fast, but shouldn't replace backup
Nexsan Assureon 8.3 ramped up retrieval speeds, making it suitable for backup and DR. However, relying on the archive appliance for multiple use cases carries its own risks. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Jan 2020
Why is a data archive plan important?
A data archiving plan might not be simply important for your organization -- it could be necessary, given legal and compliance requirements. Make sure you're ahead of the game. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
Quantum tape gets repackaged into turnkey ransomware defense
Quantum says tape's main perk is as an air-gapped defense against ransomware. Its new Ransomware Protection Packs combine tape libraries with a built-in, off-network vault. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
Nakivo update supports tape, physical servers
Nakivo now supports tape and physical servers, a departure from its initial focus on cloud and VMs. Demand and expert opinion suggest there will always be need for physical backup. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
XenData launches plug-and-play archive appliance
XenData's X1 appliance makes archiving by tape, Sony Optical Disc Archive and cloud object storage simpler and more network-friendly. It connects archives for multiple users. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Nov 2019
In your data archive strategy, how long is long enough?
Hoarding large amounts of data increases costs and management time. Here's how to painlessly separate the wheat from the chaff for your data archive strategy. Continue Reading
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Podcast
31 Oct 2019
Talking magnetic tape for storage with Quantum
Mark Pastor of Quantum speaks in this Q&A about tape's advancements and uses, as well as challenges in the market, including 'old perceptions' of tape. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2019
Archive vs. backup and why you need to know the differences
Archiving and data backup are both key pieces of data protection. They can complement each other, but both provide distinct and important capabilities. Continue Reading
