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IBM has officially announced it’s proprietary General Parallel File System (GPFS) will soon easily write files to tape on cartridges through an enterprise edition of LTFS. It will be referred to as “Big Blue’s Linear Tape File System.”

As we’ve shared numerous times, LTFS allows for files to be stored in a defined location within a tape. This allows for data to be placed in folders and retrieved with ease. LTFS is currently available on LTO-5, LTO-6, and TS1140 tape.

IBM is currently developing an LTFS EE (Enterprise Edition) that offers a clear and defined link between GPFS and LTFS. There are numerous benefits to this, but the most important one is that when you put an LTFS tape in a tape library, it will be possible to import it with LTFS EE commands. The data will then show up within the GPFS filesystem.

This is possible because LTFS EE will utilize a hidden GPFS filesystem to map all data from LTFS to GPFS.

This finally offers a way for bulk GPFS data that is rarely accessed (but needs to be retained for years to come) to be stored in a cost-effective manner. In other words, storing this data offline on tape is much less expensive than utilizing disk space.

Storing Tier 2 and Tier 3 data on tape is especially ideal in today’s world, where data storage environments are growing faster than ever.

Want to learn more about LTO tape, LTFS, and other related topics? Drop us a call or an e-mail, and we’ll be happy to help!

We work with organizations of all shapes and sizes to help then create and maintain robust, cost-effective data storage environments.

This especially includes the use of tape, thanks to the advancements of the LTO consortium — which includes IBM.

We’ll keep you updated as more details within the industry emerge!

We buy excess new and used data tape media and sell new and certified data tape as well. Just give us a call!

Qualstar, a manufacturer of data storage solutions, has released its latest line of LTO tape libraries. This comes at a time in which organizations are increasingly turning to LTO technologies for longterm storage and regular backups.

The new Qualstar library is the Q24, which offers a smaller operator console and screen than the company’s previous versions. It also offers a Web-based remote library manager that allows for admins to configure, monitor, and upgrade any library over an intranet or the Internet.

It is expected that small and midsize organizations will adopt the Q24. While the Q24 is compact, it is quite powerful and allows for easy scaling and upgrading from LTO-5 to LTO-6.

Other key features of the Qualstar Q24 include:

- 24 cartridge slots
- 12-slot magazines
- An I/O port
- One full-height or two half-height LTO-5 or LTO-6 tape drives
- Up to 150 terabytes with LTO-6 compression at 2:5:1
- 2U height x 19-inch rack mount
- Barcode comes standard. This streamlines the inventory process.

Why Consider LTO Tape?

There are numerous reasons organizations should consider LTO tape. First and foremost, it is economical. Disk-only data storage infrastructures are must more expensive.

Secondly, tape is the eco-friendly way to go. Tape can be recycled and reused. This is very important as e-waste (much of which could be reused) is thrown into landfills and/or incinerated.

Thirdly, LTO-tape is getting more powerful and is expected to become even more so in the coming years. Thanks to LTFS and the massive amounts of data each tape can store, gobs of data can be quickly stored and easily retrieved after the fact.

Finally, tape is extremely stable. It has a shelf life of 30-plus years. You can be sure you data will be safe from harm and danger at all times with LTO-tape.

How to Get Started with Tape

Have questions about LTO tape libraries? We can help steer you in the right direction. Please contact us via e-mail or phone.

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

According to a recent report by TechRadar.com, energy consumption within a data center is becoming a prime concern. The reason for the concern surrounds rising energy costs, coupled with the massive amounts of data that are produced on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.

Additionally, years ago data center energy usage were usually lumped into general operations costs. This was until “greening your business” became a popular trend and the austerity movement became common. Organizations made every effort to track every expense and seek out ways to make cuts.

Soon IT departments were responsible for tracking each and every expense. A perfect example is eBay. The company’s IT department absorbs all data center costs, rather than having each department be responsible for their own data center expenses.

A large portion of data center costs for organizations (including eBay) center around disk storage. Even when archived data is stored on spinning disks, expenses can soar.

This is where LTO tape can make a major difference. Tape doesn’t draw power after data has been written to it — thus, storing archives offline is a huge benefit.

The beauty of tape in 2014 is that it’s bigger, more efficient, and green. Once data has been archived and stored on tape, organizations have the power to pack them away and not have to pay a dime for electricity.

Also, tape can be recycled and reused again. This is why organizations of all shapes and sizes take advantage of our tape buyback program. We pay top dollar for used tape and completely wipe them clean of data. Once the data is wiped, we resell the tapes. This is both beneficial for the environment and IT departments seeking to keep costs as low as possible.

Finally, the efficiency of LTO 5 and LTO 6 tape is quite impressive. Both versions feature the Linear Tape File System (LTFS), which allows for files to be easy accessed and easy interchange between applications.

In the end, disk uses an whopping 235 times more energy than tape. This was determined by the 2010 Clipper Group report. It is now four years later, and tape is exceeding expectations within the data storage industry.

Want to learn more about tape? We would love to answer all of your questions. Drop our team an e-mail or call, and we’ll help you find the best solutions for your specific needs.

In today’s world, it is becoming more and more common for organizations to overlap disk and tape usage for their data storage structure. There are a number of reasons for this including efficiency, cost effectiveness, reliability, and more.

As you build out your data infrastructure over time, you will increasingly find that how you archive your data matters much more than what you archive or why your are archiving. The truth of the matter is that when you decide to purge data it takes A LOT of time to figure out what should go and what should stay.

What seems to make more sense for most organizations is to archive absolutely everything. By doing this, they can be sure that nothing of value is ever lost. Thus, huge repositories of data and content must be cared for and stored for years to come.

This is exactly where the tape and disk overlap occurs. Disk is normally used for primary storage and can be quite expensive to maintain. Tape on the other hand is ideal for long-lasting archives. The secret to any organization’s data storage success is to find a perfect balance.

According to InformationWeek, cost savings is definitely a huge motivation for any decision that is made. Also, data durability is a must. And you can’t leave out ease-of-use. Data needs to be able to be easily accessed.

Another key factor is scalability. One of the worst things you can do is fail to see the big picture for the future. If you can’t scale your infrastructure out, you are stuck. To become unstuck, you will surely find yourself building an entire new solution by scratch or piecing together technologies that don’t really work well together.

And finally, the very best scenario is for you to develop an infrastructure that allows for non-disruptive technology migration. It is vital that your solution allows for you to migrate non-disruptively to new component technologies as they emerge and progress.

Overall the key is to develop an infrastructure that offers long-term benefits and cost savings.

Have questions regarding your current and future infrastructure? We would love to help steer you in the right direction.

Where tape and disk are concerned, our philosophy is that they both can play an important role in assuring your data is safe for years to come and your overall infrastructure affordable. Many of our clients rely on the strategic combination of LTO magnetic tape and disk.

The beauty of new and refurbished LTO tape is that you can store massive amounts of data for very little out of pocket expense. This makes it the ideal medium for daily data archives. Plus, their stable nature makes them last for 30 years or more.
Have questions? Give us a call!

Why sell used data tape media? We Provide Secure data erasure.

If you’re looking to sell lto tapes and/or recycle your new/used LTO-1, LTO-2, LTO-3, LTO-4, LTO-5, and/or LTO-6 data tape media, you’ve come to the right spot.

Each and every day of the week, we are asked why our tape buyback program is better than others out there in the marketplace. We’re also commonly asked why selling and recycling tape is beneficial. The following will answer both questions:

1. We offer top dollar. You can always be sure you’re getting the highest amount of cash possible for each tape we buy.

2. We’ll arrange pickup if needed. Our team can also help you with any major data center decommissioning projects you may face.

3. You can be sure all of your data will be completely destroyed. Major organizations turn to us because they know our tape erasure process is seamless and reliable. We always make sure our clients are adhering to all industry regulations and compliance for data destruction.

4. You will be provided a certificate of data destruction. Our certified process includes certificates to meet industry requirements for data destruction.

5. It’s eco-friendly. Our process will keep your tapes out of landfills and/or incineration. In today’s world, there is absolutely no reason for a single magnetic tape to be thrown into a dumpster. They should be recycled and certified for reuse.

6. We’re easy to work with. Our team is always a call or e-mail away. We offer best-in-class services at all times.

7. You’ll recoup some of your initial data storage investment. Beyond giving you top dollar for your new and used LTO tape, we buy servers, tape libraries, peripherals, and more. We work with our clients to help them recoup initial costs associated with their data centers.

Getting started with our buyback program is very easy. All you need to do is send us a list of what you want to sell (format, version, brand, and quantity), and we’ll offer you a quote.

Drop us an e-mail or call our offices, and we’ll work hand-in-hand with you to help you get the most out of your used tape.

We want to thank those who stopped by our booth at AFCOM Data Center World 2014 and spinning our prize wheel to enter our drawing for a 50" SMART TV and a Google Nexus 7 tablet.

The Drawing Winners are:
Gregg Brown of Choice Hotels International = 50" SMART TV
Dave Martin of PepsiCo = Google Nexus Tablet

Video below has a message from both of our grand prize winners:

Big Data Supply, Inc. is a premier data center recycling company, we purchase excess new and used data tape media and data center hardware for recycling. With that said... we also sell new and refurbished data center equipment.

All Brands and Formats, Cash or Credit.

For more information and a free value audit of the IT equipment you have for recycling, contact us via email or phone.

Sincerely,

Brian Musil
Sales & Acquisitions
Big Data Supply, Inc. | 949-679-6633 | 800-905-7329

Big Data Supply, Inc. in Irvine is looking for you if these traits apply:

• ATTENTIVE
• GOAL SETTER
• POSITIVE ENERGY
• CREATIVE THINKER
• GOOD COMMITMENT TO TASK

Big Data Supply, Inc. has an opening for a Web/Social Media Internship. We are a leading Eco-friendly data storage supplies company and we provide on the job training. Our company offers hard drive destruction services and data center decommissioning services. We provide a culture that values opportunity for growth, development and internal promotion. We are a company comprised of experienced industry professionals looking to grow the business with current and future employees.

We are looking for an attentive self-starter who brings a positive attitude is a creative thinker, reliable and who loves learning and is committed to seeing a job through.

Programs-Software-Websites we utilize; WordPress, Magento, Constant Contact, Salesforce, Google Webmaster Tools, Photoshop, iMovie, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more.

Candidates with knowledge of these programs will strengthen your chance to be selected.

Website Outline
• Take Product Photos
• Prepare Photos; Crop/Filter/Add Text
• Upload to Website
• Upload Images to Video editing program template
• Upload videos to YouTube
• Embed videos into websites
• Upload Blog Posts and send out to Social
• Retrieve and Analyze Analytics
• Google AdWords
• Research and Implement Best SEO Practices

Social Media / Marketing
• Seek out, interact with and gain relevant followers
• Post links, blog, images and company news
• Schedule and Send Email Advertisements to database via Email Client
• Follow up calling to database

During your internship you will document all practices and will have written an outline of the implemented strategy and results. Great for the resume!

Send applications to support@bigdatasupply.com

According to Forbes contributor Lisa Arthur, big data isn’t anything to be afraid of – rather it is something that must be embraced.

She defines big data as, “A collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis.”

We happen to like this definition for a handful of reasons. Firstly, it isn’t anything to be afraid of – rather, it is simply all of the information and files that help define the meaning and value of an organization. Secondly, each and every organization has different types of data that make them tick (some digital and some non-digital). And finally, big data is there to help you decipher meaning and pave the way for a successful future.

There are two basic types of data – Unstructured and multi-structured.

Unstructured data is normally unorganized and quite difficult to interpret. In today’s world this includes things like metadata, social media posts, and Tweets.

On the other hand, multi-structured data is created when people and machines interact. This includes everything from text, to photos and videos, to web applications, and online business transactions.

If you’re just beginning to take inventory of your organization’s data and developing a roadmap for data storage success, it is important you:

1. Define your goals and gain a deep understanding as to what role your data.
2. Classify our data and decide what will be accessed regularly and what (if any data) can be stored offline.
3. Consider your bottom line and invest in a data storage infrastructure that makes the most sense financially.
4. Make sure you select the right mix of data storage technologies. For example, a growing number of organizations are using a strategic combination of disk, magnetic tape, and cloud storage.
5. Don’t forget that e-waste recycling is a massive problem. Get an education on best practices and technologies that exist for recycling and reuse.

While the concept of big data can be overwhelming, it is vital that we all embrace it. Make data your friend and develop an infrastructure that leads to higher levels of success and freedom.

Have questions about big data? We’d be happy to help steer you the right direction. Send us an email or drop us a call!

According to InformationWeek and other resources, Big Data must rely on tape as data sets become on a daily basis. The truth of the matter is that data archives are becoming too massive for organizations to perform full backups.

And, disk-only storage is becoming way too expensive and is definitely not fail proof. To assure that data doesn’t get lost, organizations are increasingly embedding data protection into their storage infrastructures.

What this all means is that organizations must pay attention to:

1. Finding the most cost-effective, yet stable data storage infrastructure.
2. Developing systematic backup solutions that will safeguard data 24/7.
3. Getting creative as to how data is stored and accessed.

The key is to develop a system that allows for a particular piece of data (say a video or picture) to be accessed as quickly as possible, while making sure at all times data is constantly being backed up.

To accomplish this, we suggest finding the perfect mix of storage mediums for your organization. This can include a mix of magnetic tape, cloud storage, and disk. In order to choose the right mix, it is vitally important to take stock of the types of data that need to be stored.

In our opinion, tape should usually play a central role, especially where system backups are concerned. Experts at InformationWeek tend to agree – with LTO tape continually improving, there is absolutely no reason not to use it for backups and/or archive.

Additionally, its offline nature makes it quite cost-effective. Backups can be stored on tape and then placed in a vault or storage facility for 30 years and more.

Numerous companies have learned the hard way, the dangers of a disk-only in data storage infrastructure. Even Google has found itself thanking its lucky stars that tape was there to save the day – especially when hundreds of thousands of mail accounts were assumed lost. Thankfully, Google was able to use data stored on magnetic tape to restore all mail accounts.

Want to learn more about the value of tape? We would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

We Buy New and Used Servers - Send us a List!

If you’ve found yourself wondering what exactly you are going to do with one or more of your used servers, you aren’t alone. We at Big Data Supply are constantly in touch with customers who aren’t quite sure what they should do and help them to make the best decision.

The beauty of today is that there are more options than you may be aware of… but first thing is first. The number one concern of all organizations should be the security of the data within a used server. Before you go chucking a server in a dumpster or donating it to an organization, it is vital that you destroy all data.

Not only can your data get into the wrong hands, you can face huge fines and negative recourse if you aren’t carefully following industry standards for data destruction. This leaves you with the task of taking inventory of all the data that needs to be destroyed and making sure you have the means to destroy the data.

This is where we often come in for organizations…

Our team works to make sure that all data found on servers is completely eradicated. Beyond data destruction, we buy servers for top dollar. Rather than throwing away a server that you paid a small fortune for, you have the power to recoup some of your initial investment.

We recycle all reusable servers and then make them available to other organizations. This is good for a number of reasons including —

- Your servers won’t end up in landfills or be incinerated (sending horrid toxins into the environment).
- Perfectly good used electronics don’t go to waste.
- It’s simply the eco-friendly thing to do.
- You walk away with cash or credit!

The beauty of selling your used IT equipment like old CPU, used desktops, used laptops and used GPU to Big Data Supply is that you don’t have to worry — at all. Our recycling process is streamlined, and we do everything within our power to make the experience painless.

If for some reason you don’t choose to recycle your used servers and decide to throw them away, it all goes back to data security. It is essential that you find a way to completely eradicate all data.

Have questions about your servers or data storage infrastructure? We’d be happy to help. Please give us a call or shoot an e-mail our way.

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

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