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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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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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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Answer
29 Apr 2014
How to estimate the lifespan of backup tape media
Brien Posey offers advice on how to estimate the useful lifespan of backup tape media based on how it is used, in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Feb 2014
Backup targets: Tape libraries and VTLs
Tape drives, tape libraries and virtual tape libraries are among the popular backup target options available today. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Apr 2013
Pros and cons of backup tape encryption
Independent backup expert Brien Posey outlines what's good and what's bad about backup tape encryption in this tip. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Apr 2013
Solving SQL VSS writer problems during backup
Backup expert Brien Posey explains how to solve common SQL VSS writer problems users can face during SQL database backups. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jan 2013
The king of all backup jobs: Backing up the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the ultimate backup job, preserving petabytes of Internet data and created from turning physical files into digital ones. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Jun 2012
Protecting petabytes: Best practices for big data backup
How do you protect the massive data sets? Learn the best practices and products used for big data backup disaster recovery. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2012
SAN backup and recovery
Moving data can complicate your backup efforts. In this tip, you’ll learn backup goals for SAN environments and backup methods to achieve those goals. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2010
Data archiving techniques: Choosing the best archive media
Read this tip about data archiving techniques and to discover what's the best archive media for your organization: tape, disk, optical or the cloud. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
09 Aug 2010
An off-site tape storage tutorial: Tape backup and recovery best practices
Tape still fills the role of media for choice for off-site vaulting, but organizations have other options such as the cloud and replication for securing data for disaster recovery. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2010
As the WORM turns: The pros and cons of WORM disk vs. tape
Learn about how WORM disk is still an important option for data retention, and about the pros and cons of using WORM disk vs. tape. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2010
Buying your first backup tape library: What you need to know
In this tip, find out what you need to know when buying your first tape library, including when to consider a library, the cost of libraries and which format best fits your needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 May 2010
Data archiving best practices: The difference between backups and archives
In this collection of data archiving tips, learn data archiving best practices and the differences between backups and archives. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Apr 2010
Best practices for reusing data backup tapes
W. Curtis Preston answers common questions about reusing backup tapes in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Apr 2010
Buying the best backup tape library: Tape libraries vs. tape autoloaders
Learn about how to buy the best backup tape library and the key differences between tape libraries and tape autoloaders in this tip. Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2010
Choosing a data archiving strategy: Disk archiving vs. tape archiving
Data archiving is vital for most companies, but which is best for you, archiving to disk, tape or both? Continue Reading
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Answer
11 Mar 2010
Are LTO-4 tapes compatible with other versions of LTO tape technology?
Dave Ellis explains what LTO-4 is and its compatibility with other versions of LTO in this expert response. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2010
LTO tape technology continues to evolve with LTO 5
W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, outlines how LTO tape differs from other tape media, discusses the various generations of LTO tape, and the pros and cons of LTO in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jan 2010
Archiving storage vs. data backup storage: The dos and don'ts of using backups and data archives
Learn the differences between data backup software and data archiving tools and the dos and don'ts associated with each in this FAQ with Curtis Preston. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2009
An introduction to data backup tape rotation schemes
Learn about the different types of data backup tape rotation schemes to determine which one is best for your environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jun 2009
Symantec Backup Exec troubleshooting performance tips
If you're using Backup Exec and your performance isn't what it should be, some troubleshooting may be in order. Here's a list of potential things to look out for. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jun 2009
Troubleshooting data backup error log messages
Knowing what how to read your data backup error log messages can help you save time fixing common backup problems. Learn about the most common backup error messages in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Feb 2009
How to optimize your backup tape rotation strategy
Backup tape rotation is an essential part of any good data backup plan. Here's a look at some of the more common tape rotation strategies and the pros and cons of each. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2008
Ten things you should ask a vendor before buying a tape library
Purchasing the right tape library can make or break your backup system. Here are 10 things you should ask any potential vendor before you purchase a new tape library. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Apr 2008
The cost of tape vs. disk data backup
Here's how to determine the cost of disk vs. tape in your data backup environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2007
How to destroy data on backup tapes
This tip offers guidelines for destroying data on backup tapes, with information about degaussing, tape cartridge destruction, tape reuse and record keeping. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 May 2007
How to estimate the lifespan of LTO tapes
This tip outlines what you need to consider when estimating the lifespan of LTO tape. It's not as black and white as LTO tape manufacturers would like you to believe. Continue Reading