Tape's Not Dead! Always Buying and Selling Data Tape Media. New and Used.

Tape's Not Dead! Always Buying and Selling Data Tape Media. New and Used.

Because of the advent of the Cloud and the popularity of disk for data storage, LTO tape has at times been overlooked and underestimated.

The following some leading LTO tape myths:

1. Tape Is Dead

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Tape is alive and thriving. This has much to do with the fact that tape a tape-only data structure infrastructure is very expensive and can be unstable. Also, the Cloud is still new territory that comes with some risk.

Tape isn’t dead for several reasons, but mainly because it provides a very stable medium for daily data backups. A growing number of organizations have realized the hard way what happens when disks fail them.

2. You Can’t Use LTO Tape Like a Hard Drive

The newest versions of LTO, the LTO-5 and LTO-6 have LTFS. This makes tape look like and work like a hard drive, which speeds up the process of saving, finding, and retrieving data.

It is true, however, that earlier versions of LTO tape don’t have this capability. This doesn’t make earlier tape cartridges ineffective. They still are amazingly stable and can be stored for 30 years and more.

3. Tape Is Going to Die Off in the Near Future

This is a big myth. The LTO Consortium actually has big plans, as it seeks to develop tapes with massive amounts of storage space. As energy prices continue to rise and organization’s data sets rise exponentially, the consortium intends to create new generations of tapes that will hold gargantuan amounts of data and boast of lightening-fast data transfer speeds.

Beyond the above three myths, it is important to reveal a handful of other truths:

- LTO holds even more value because it can be recycled.
- Plus, organizations can sell used tape and regain some of their initial investment.
- Stability makes it ideal for assuring that industry regulations for data storage are met.

Looking to buy new or used tape? We can help! Please either call or email our team, and we’ll help you gain access to the best pricing on the market.

We can also answer any questions you may have about tape.

support@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 714-647-9000

As you develop and maintain your data storage environment, there are a handful of steps that we recommend every organization take:

1. Get and Stay Organized

We see it time and time again -- organizations fail to carefully develop organization strategies and structures so that data can be easily retrieved. It is quite common (and definitely not recommended) that there is no rhyme or reason to the technologies that are being used and the way tapes, disks, disk drives, etc. are kept.

Take time to carefully plan how you will store data, what types of technologies will be used throughout the entire organization, how you will catalog tapes and disks, and what the protocol will be for the use and distribution of all data storage mediums.

2. Schedule Regular Backups

Make sure you have a plan of action where data backups are concerned. We recommend using LTO tape for archiving large amounts of data stored on disk. Tape is very stable, energy saving and can be stored for 30 years and more. Plus, because it is stored offline, it isn't susceptible to hacking or viruses that could wreak major havoc.

3. Don’t Take Risks

Never take any risks whatsoever with your data. Continually monitor your data storage setup and make necessary changes in structure, methodology, or policy if you feel your data is at risk. We've seen organizations learn this lesson the hard way and always recommend outlining each and everything that could possibly go wrong. It is then possible to outline steps for avoiding problems.

4. Get a Recycling Program in Place

When tapes, disk, and other technologies have reached their end, it is an excellent idea to consider recycling them all. We can help you in this department via our buyback program. Not only can you benefit financially by recycling data storage equipment, you can pave the way for a healthier environment.

5. Test Your Data Storage Solution

One of the best things you can do for your organization is to test current and future data storage environments. Never assume your proposed setup will work flawlessly. Constantly be on the lookout for ways to improve your setup.

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

Fuji Manufactures 100 Millionth LTO Data Tape!

Fuji Manufactures 100 Millionth LTO Data Tape!

Fujifilm Corporation has announced that it has officially manufactured more than 100 million LTO tape cartridges since its release of the LTO-1 in the year 2000.

To put this accomplishment into perspective, this means that the company has produced more than 41 million miles of tape or more than enough to wrap around the planet 1,653 times. It also equates to more than 53,000 petabytes of storage space.

Data storage experts continue to be amazed by the growing demand for tape, as media companies, government agencies, and quickly expanding organizations continue to create massive amounts of data. This means they must seek out cost-effective data storage technologies if they are to stay competitive in today’s challenging economy.

It just so happens that LTO tape is highly cost-effective. This is because a single tape can house huge amounts of data, its scalable, and is very reliable. Plus, tape can be stored for more than 30 years -- making it an excellent option for long-term storage.

The newest version of LTO tapes (the LTO-6) works amazingly well and can hold up to 6.25TB of compressed data and boasts of a transfer rate of up to 400 MB/second. Each tape makes use of Barium Ferrite magnetic particles that inspires better coercivity and frequency than previous LTO tape versions.

What does this all mean for tape? The answer is quiet simple. Fujifilm, IBM, HP, Sony, Quantum, and other major players are serious about its future. Tape is nowhere near dead!

Beyond the fact that tape offers an excellent medium for long-term storage, it can be recycled and reused. This not only makes tape economical, it is also environmentally friendly.

Want to buy used tape or recycle tape? At Big Data Supply, we pay top dollar for used tape and other technologies including data libraries, disk array, peripherals, and more.

Drop us a line, and we’ll get the process started as soon as possible!

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

George Crump of Information Week reports that tape isn’t dying off anytime soon -- in fact, he predicts it will gain importance in data centers in the coming years.

“Thanks to the increased importance of economics, as well as the popularization of three tape technologies, 2013 was a very successful year for tape technology,” says Crump.

In our assessment he couldn’t be more correct. The economic factor comes down to the fact that storing massive amount so of data on tape (offline) is far less expensive than storing it on disk (online).

Even with the Cloud becoming more and more prominent in the data storage world, there is a place for tape. Earlier in 2013, Crump outlined the three roles for tape with regard to the cloud:

1. Cloud seeding.
2. Cloud recovery.
3. Cloud deep archive.

The truth of the matter is that the cloud can be susceptible to error and even failure. Backing up all data to tape assures any organization full data recovery if there are problems with the cloud.

Crump also cites “standardization” as a reason for tape’s present and future success. He points to LTO media’s importance in the majority of data centers that use tape. “The first technology that made tape more attractive in 2013 was the linear tape file system,” says Crump.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with the linear tape file system (LTFS), it allows for you to easily save and recover data -- just as you would with a hard drive. Prior to the institution of LTFS, information retrieval was time consuming -- not to mention frustrating.

In our minds, one of the most important things about tape is that it can be recycled and reused. Not only does recycling keep e-waste out of landfills, it provides a great opportunity for growing organizations to purchase tape and other equipment for far less money.

Recycling also helps organizations recoup a portion of technology investments. Big Data Supply’s tape buyback program is a perfect example. We buy used tape, completely eradicate all data on all tapes, and make them available for purchase.

Want to learn more about tape? We would be happy to answer your questions and help point you in the right direction. Give us a call or drops us an e-mail!

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

LTFS LTO Ultrium Tape Technology

LTFS - Linear Tape File System in LTO Ultrium generations 5 and above.

LTO tape media was created to offer media professionals an expansive, cost-effective, and stable storage solution for their ever-growing data collection.

With data needs growing exponentially, organizations are quickly finding out that disk-only storage is very expensive -- not to mention it isn’t the most secure method for long-term storage. Data Storage experts, including StorageDNA, have discovered that the cost of LTO is 3-4 times less expensive than disk drive storage and 20 times less than SAN.

LTO-5 and LTO-6 drives with LTFS are manufactured by HP, IBM, and Quantum and tape developed by Fuji, Imation, and Maxell.

The following are the true benefits of LTO and LTFS for long-term archiving:

1. LTO is the most reliable medium on the market. Tape can last for 30 years and more if stored in a stable environment. This assures organizations large and small that their data will be accessible at any moment.

2. LTFS allows for tape to work like disk. Gone are the days in which LTO was hard to navigate through to find a specific piece of data. Now it allows for data to be stored in manner that looks a lot more like disk storage.

3. LTO is recyclable and reusable. One of the major pluses associated with tape is its sustainability. If for any reason you want to purge data stored on a tape, it is possible to completely erase it, have a tape resurfaced, and reuse it again.

At Big Data Supply, Inc., we even offer top dollar for used tape, recycle it, and then sell it. We believe in taking care of Planet Earth and inspiring organizations to make responsible decisions surrounding the technologies they use.

Curious if LTO is the right choice for your data storage needs? We invite you to call our offices or e-mail us your questions and we’ll help you make the right choice.

Have new and/or used tape you’d like to sell? We can also help you recoup some of your initial investment and get cash into your hands.

Thankfully, as we move into 2014, there are a growing number of data storage solutions. We’ll keep you updated!

Curious of all this LTO LTFS talk and want to see how LTO-5 and LTFS are being utilized by a real-world organization?
The following video is a case study presented by IBM. Learn how one of their customers in Athens, Greece has simplified their archival process and cut costs significantly:

We buyback LTO cartridges in new and used condition, if you would like a free value audit on what you have please send us a list of what you have.

We buy New and Used LTO6 Data Tape Media. All Brands.

We buy New and Used LTO6 Data Tape Media. All Brands.

As you may already be aware, the Linear Tape Open Consortium made LTO-6 tape technology available to the market in the latter part of 2012. Defying the ridiculous claims by data storage experts that tape would be dead by now, the LTO community was thrilled at what they had accomplished with the LTO-6.

To give you an idea of their accomplishments, we will outline a handful of facts you should know about the impressive technology:

• LTO-6 holds up to 6.25TB of compressed data. Wildly enough, the medium’s capacity has more than doubled and its throughput boosted by more than 40 percent. This is excellent news for organizations wanting to keep their tape storage costs down, while accommodating massive amounts of data.

• LTO-6 Drives Offer 400MBps Performance. This means that it uses a 2.5:1 compression ratio and allows for up to 1.4TB of data transferred per hour. Now data management is much easier and time effective.

• Industry leading brands now ship LTO-6. Organizations with major data storage systems can rely on HP, IBM, Quantum, Fujifilm, Hitachi, Maxell, Imation, Sony, and TDK for their LTO-6 products. These brands understand the true value of tape and are committed to making it readily available to the world.

• LTO-6 includes encryption and WORM. These features were also offered in LTO-3, LTO-4, and LTO-5. Encryption helps secure important data, while WORM allows for organizations to store data in a non-rewritable format. They both help organizations meet compliance regulations as set forth by the SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, SOX, and more.

• LTO-6 Includes Partitioning Functionality, also known as LTFS. The Linear Tape File System is much of the reason data storage experts are eating their previous words that went something like “tape is dead.” Now it is possible to drag and drop files, which makes tape work in a very similar manner as a removable disk drive.

On a daily basis our team is asked by organizations to help them make cost-effective choices for their data storage infrastructures. We can’t be more thrilled with the LTO Consortium and the technologies they have made available in the recent months and years. Not only is LTO-6 impressive from a technical standpoint, it is very durable and can last for 30 or more years.

It has been said time and time again that “the steady horse wins the race.” In our minds, tape is the steady and reliable horse for safely storing data for decades to come.

BDSI_Big Data Relies on LTO
The secret is out – LTO backup tape has made a humungous comeback, as one of the most reliable means of data storage for companies of all shapes and sizes.

Big data (the phrased used to describe when artificial intelligence is amassed in huge blogs within databases) is a huge deal in today’s world. It consists of never-ending Internet histories, social conversations, pictures, videos, and the list goes on.

The growing debate is exactly how the rapidly accumulating masses of data can efficiently be maintained, stored, and secured by companies.
According to a 2011 study, the world collectively created more than 1.8 zettabytes of data. It’s utterly impossible to put into context much data this is, but believe us when we say…it’s a ton!

Each company plays its own role in creating and amassing large amounts of data, which is likely to grow faster and faster as the time progresses.
For a handful of years, disk was thought to be THE technology when it came to all backup needs. When the amount of data grew by leaps and bounds, organizations quickly learned disk is quite expensive. Plus, vicious bugs, worms and hackers quickly proved to be disk’s worst nightmare – leaving organizations vulnerable to attack.

Fast forward to 2013 – now, the majority of leading companies have invested heavily in hybrid systems that consist of both disk and tape. For example, Google and other huge operations utilize disk for daily operations and rely on tape for data backups.
There have been moments (in very recent history) that have seen Google restore lost information with data stored on tape. Not only is tape amazingly reliable in the short-term, its durability makes data available for decades to come.

The majority of data storage experts agree that LTO tape is the past, present, and future of long-term data storage. In fact, the LTO 6 is now available, featuring a massive 35 TB of capacity. This is more than 10 times the amount of the LTO 5.
According to InformationWeek’s Mark Peters, “Despite a constant flow of ‘Tape is dead’ jibes and assertions from non-tape vendors, the technology has refused to die.”

And you can count bet your bottom dollar it will be around for years to come.

Stay tune for more blog postings each and every Tuesday and Thursday!

cross