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

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
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

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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