As you grow your data storage infrastructure you may quickly find yourself coming up to a critical mass and asking yourself how to decipher between important data and less critical data. This is a common discussion we have with our clients as they decide how to continue to make sense of the data they’ve collected.

You begin to discover that there is some data that you want to keep readily available at all times on disk or the cloud, while other pieces of data can be stored on tape offline. Keeping your data organized is much like keeping your closet clean and functional. It’s value is only is as good as you allow it to be.

In order to help you classify your data and best maintain your data library, there are a handful of things you should consider:

1. Data Type
It is important that you create a classification system by which you indicate a piece of data’s value. One way to do this is to distinguish between file extensions/types. By assigning a context to a file based on its extension, you can easily tell the difference between the value of data.

2. Age
The age of data is often the most useful indicator because most data’s value tends to decline over time. Consider classifying data in relation to its age and setting policies that will help you determine when to pull data offline versus keeping it online indefinitely. Archiving old data to LTO tape can save a considerable amount of money over the long-term.

3. Location
Think carefully as to where exactly each piece or type of data should be stored. The path of a file can truly help indicate its value and make the management of data much easier. Be smart about where you house your data, rather than lumping it all together.

4. Name
There’s a lot of importance in a name. If you label your files with care, you can take a lot of guesswork out of the equation. A file’s name can provide indication of its contents, purpose, and relationship to other files. You can then search for data based on a specific keyword and sort accordingly.

When building out your data library, it’s very important to plan and institute policies that will make data management meaningful and valuable.

Have questions as to which technologies you should use? We’d be happy to help. Drop us an e-mail or call our offices, and we’ll get you pointed in the right direction!

Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633

When considering the benefits of data tape media, our clients often ask for the top handful of reasons they should make the investment. The top reasons we often give include:

1. LTO is reliable and stable.
2. It’s scalable.
3. Each tape can hold a massive amount of data.
4. It now comes with LTFS for easy file management.
5. Tape is cost-effective and has used resale value

Item number five is without a doubt one of the most compelling benefits for our customers. As you are probably already aware, the costs of a data storage system can grow by leaps and bounds in a matter of weeks. When this occurs, it is quite baffling to see how quickly disk-only data storage infrastructures can become amazingly expensive.

There are several reasons tape is a cost-effective and very reliable option for data backups. The following will provide you a good idea as to tape’s true value:

Tape Allows for You to Offload Old or Useless Data
Instead of utilizing a disk-only or cloud-based data storage solution for both old and new data, you can turn to tape to offload data that isn’t accessed anymore. Tape is stored offline, which means that you’ll use significantly less electricity and not have to house massive amounts of unneeded data for very little reason.

Tape Can Get You Out of Huge Jams
A growing number of organizations are realizing the hard way that they should have been more proactive about backing up their disks. Tape has saved major organizations (such as Google, Yahoo, etc.) from major lawsuits and customer frustrations.

Disk-only data storage environments are looking for major trouble. It isn't uncommon for a disk to be hacked, hit with a bug, and more. Google has had to turn to tape backups several times when data has been completely wiped out.

It is important to expect the very worse scenario possible. Tape backups can save the day and large sums of money.

Tape Can Be Sold in Used Condition and Bought in Refurbished Condition
Tape is recyclable and can be reused. This means that you can both purchase refurbished tape for far less money than when you buy new and you can sell used tape back and earn cash.

Want to learn more about tape? Drop us an e-mail or call our offices, and we’ll answer any questions you may have.

Barium Ferrite (BaFe) is one of the saviors of tape media. In fact, it is responsible for pushing tape capacity to entirely new, unprecedented levels.

Fujifilm is the very first media manufacturer that decided to invest in the particle, rather than sticking with the traditional metal particles that have been used for years.

BaFe is amazing for numerous reasons, including the following:

• It’s a naturally stable crystalline particle that never corrodes.
• It doesn’t change chemically over time.
• It consists of ultra-fine particles with higher magnetic properties than metal.
• It allows for high density recording.

This is why Fujifilm’s LTO-6 has been noted as stable, relatable, and robust.

When you compare a standard 3.5” HDD, with an areal density that is approaching 600 Gb/inch-squared, tape densities aren’t nearly as “crowded.” In other words, tape has plenty of room to grow, especially with the help of the BaFe particle.

Beyond capacity, there is another major reason Fujifilm decided to invest in BaFe technology. The company has long understood the limitations of Metal Particulate (MP). Because MP is primarily made of iron, over time oxidation and deterioration occurs.

While previous versions of LTO (LTO-1 to LTO-5) are very stable (and if stored in a stable environment will last for 30 years or more), the LTO-6 ups the ante big time.

Extensive testing has also found BeFe to significantly decrease noise and increase the tape signal. Thus, it can be said that BeFe is contributing to greater levels of efficiency.

It’s safe to say that Fujifilm’s breakthrough means a much greater future for LTO tape. It, along with other breakthroughs including LTFS, will lead to tape playing a much greater role in the storage of all types of data.

Stay tuned to learn more about BaFe and other technologies that are reshaping the way we understand data storage.

Wondering if tape is still a viable choice today’s modern data center? According to experts in the data storage industry, tape is expanding its role far beyond supporting active archives, compliance, and data preservation.

The following are six reasons why LTO tape is growing in popularity:

1. High Multi-TB Capacity
Tape continues to grow its capacity to new heights. For example, each LTO-6 tape offers a whopping 6.25 TB of storage space. This makes tape highly cost-efficient and the perfect choice for housing massive data sets.

2. High Speed Transfer Rates
Once upon a time, tape’s transfer rates were very slow. This limited tape primarily to long-term archives of data that wouldn’t be needed unless a data emergency arose. Currently, the LTO-6 offers up to 400 MB/second. Reading and writing data is quick, easy, and effortless.

3. Linear Tape File System (LTFS)
The new and improved LTO tape filing system, known as Linear Tape File System (LTFS), allows for data to be stored and retrieved in a similar fashion as a disk drive. Gone are the days in which data would be extremely hard to locate.

4. Superior Reliability with Lowest Error Rates
Tape is without a doubt one of the most reliable forms of data storage. While disk can be easily corrupted, hacked, and even fail, tape is more secure than ever. It’s offline nature assures organizations that their data will be safe and sound for 30 years and more.

5. Lowest Total Cost of Ownership
Tape is highly cost effective. Not only is disk storage expensive from an equipment standpoint, it is also extremely expensive to maintain. By offloading some data to tape (rather than only relying on disk), organizations are lowering their data storage costs and making them more efficient.

6. Portability and Scalability
The beauty of tape is that it can be easily moved from place to place and tape libraries are easy to scale out. Where disk can be quite fickle when it comes to portability, tape is amazingly easy. Once data is written to a tape, you can be quite certain the data will be safe and sound, even if a tape (or many tapes) are moved from one location to another.

7. Tape is Recyclable
Data tape media recycling when using a reputable vendor is safe, secure, highly auditable and helps you to recoup your initial expense. Most common form of payment is cash but many IT departments for accounting purposes don't like to show income so we offer credit for new IT products and services.

Big Data Supply, Inc. is always buying excess new and used data tape media tape cartridges. All brands and all formats. Turn your excess inventory of new and used data tapes and we’ll give you cash or credit. The old practice of paying to shred your out of archive data tape media are a thing of the past. Not only is it expensive to shred your unwanted tape it's terrible for the environment and it's not a very auditable process. We offer full chain-of-custody, VolSer and serial number reporting and certificates of data destruction.

Have questions about tape? We’d love to help you out. Please e-mail or call us, and we’ll make sure you find the very best data storage solution to fit your needs.

One the biggest challenges for organizations in the digital age is finding smart and creative ways for disposing of used technologies — especially with the never ending stream of data being created on a regular basis.

Wildly enough, a California Berkley Study found that 93 percent of all newly created information stored on planet earth is digital. Each year the amount of digital information across the globe is doubling. This translates to all sorts of disk drives and tape out there jam-packed with data, much of which is governed by various regulatory bodies.

Depending on the regulatory body (HIPPA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), etc.), there are rules surrounding the disposal of tape and disk media. It is important you pay close attention to data disposal regulations, while outlining a plan that will best suit your needs.

The following are some recommendations, we feel you should consider:

Recycling
First and foremost, we recommend looking into recycling. Sadly enough, a very small percentage of tape is recycled each year (less than 3%). This doesn't make sense on many levels. Having tape removed and physically destroyed can be costly and toxic to the environment.

It can cost between $2 and $5 per tape to have them destroyed, while recycling can be quite be lucrative and is completely secure.

For example, our new and used tape buyback program provides top dollar (up to $50 per used tape) for tape that can be reused by other organizations/individuals.

Data Eradication & Dumping Tape
If you plan to dump data-filled tapes, it is important you think deeply about how you will eradicate all data. In today’s world, one of the worst things you can do is throw used tape into dumpsters. You never know who will gain access to your data.

Also, before getting rid of old tape, you should definitely consider taking an inventory of what is on them. This can be quite time consuming, but you never know what you may be throwing away and how costly lost data can become.

One of the true benefits of our recycling program is that we must completely wipe all tapes clean before we make them available for resale. This translates to huge savings for organizations.

Use Tape Incineration as a Last Resort
We don’t recommend tape incineration for a number of reasons. Yes, it does eradicate all data, but it releases toxins into the environment. It’s often unfortunate because perfectly good tape is incinerated, when it could be reused again.

Want to learn more about tape recycling and data disposal? We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. Drop us an e-mail or a call, and we’ll get you pointed in the very best direction!

Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633

As we shared in our last post, there are numerous reasons why organizations around the world are relying on LTO tape cartridges for far more than just archived data — the kind that will sit in a storage facility collecting dust for decades to come.

Now, LTO is playing a much larger role — even with the ever-evolving cloud. StudioDaily points out how LTO fits perfectly into a data storage scenario that includes the cloud.

It is now possible to use LTO tape to quickly gather data from various sources and then upload the data directly into the cloud. With recent LTO advancements, the medium is both portable and very convenient to use.

In the recent past, the cloud was primarily seeded with hard drives, but XenData and other innovators in the data storage marketplace have predicted that LTO archives will soon be a mainstay in the cloud.

XenData has upped the ante by creating a private, LTO-based cloud solution. Their concept surrounds that idea of putting an LTO library in the cloud for two reasons: (1) It is price-competitive for organizations with huge amounts of data and (2) it is secure — Having data in two places (in the cloud and on LTO tape) safeguards against data emergencies.

Is the Cloud Any Good?

At Big Data Supply, we’ve shared our philosophy on the cloud before — there is definitely a place for the cloud and is great in many instances. However, we strongly urge companies to consider regular LTO backups.

Here’s why:

1. LTO backups are secure and durable.
2. LTO tape makes data storage centers more cost-effective.
3. You never want to solely rely on a hosted data storage scenario. It’s best to have hard-copies of ALL of your most important data in case of a system failure.
4. What happens if your cloud provider goes out of business? Your data may get lost in the process.
5. LTO tape can be expunged of data and used again.

The list could go on and on…

Have any LTO-related questions? We would love to help. Drop us an e-mail and we’ll respond quickly. Looking for new or used LTO tape cartridges, LTO libraries, or other equipment? We can help with that as well!

Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633

In the world of big data, media companies are growing to understand a single fact: In the coming years, they will need to store massive amounts of data over the longterm. And thanks to new LTO tape cartridge advancements, organizations are realizing it can easily be used throughout the production and post process.

Not only can LTO tape cartridges hold huge amounts of data, the newest couple of versions are equipped with LTFS. This feature allows for tape to be used in a very similar manner as disk. You can now easily write data to a tape and retrieve data quickly.

Another reason LTO tape is growing in popularity and not dying out (as many data experts once predicted), is because it is less expensive than disk. Storing large amounts of data online at all times can amount to a massive expense. On the other hand, tape can be stored offline for 30 years and more.

One of the most exciting moments for LTO occurred recently. XenData introduced the SXL-5000, a scalable LTO archive that begins at 210 TB and can scale to 1.2 PB. This is great news for media organizations that are continually needing to upgrade their data storage infrastructure.

It has been quite common for organizations to use USB-attached disks for maintaining their data. This can be very costly and even dangerous. If a disk fails or is hacked, then what happens? Using LTO to back up all disks makes perfect sense. But beyond archiving, LTO is increasingly being used to help organizational members meet deliverables. For example, a media organization might house large video files that need to be used during post-production.

Thus, it is safe to say LTFS has given LTO tape a whole new life.

The other amazing selling point for LTO tape is the fact that it can be recycled and reused. For the organization that burns through huge amounts of data quickly, this is a huge financial gain for them. After a tape is wiped clean, it can be reused by the organization. Rather than investing in all-new technologies on a constant basis, it is possible to make he most of equipment that has already been paid for.

Want to learn more about LTO tape and how it can pave the way for a better future? We’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Drop us and e-mail or give us a call.

Also, stay tuned for more information on LTO tape, data storage tips, and more!

Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633