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

We couldn't help but share the wise words of journalist Bryan Betts, "Tape Never Died, It Was Just Resting." This is without a doubt a true tale.

Back in the day, tape drives were a staple in most organizations and in homes. Smaller formats included DAT and QIC for backups.

According to Betts, one of the major reasons tape began to fail was that it simply wasn't advancing quickly enough. Hard-disks were providing huge amounts of capacity and were pretty affordable. Plus, deduplication came to market, which resulted in organizations backing up largely to tape.

And then, the day came in which tape became quite expensive and data sizes grew by leaps and bounds. Plus, it was discovered that tape could be hacked and data wiped before one could blink an eye.

The answer to such issues has been to use tape alongside disk. Today, organizations realize that disk is excellent for quick storage and information retrieval, while tape is perfect for storing massive amounts of data for long periods of time.

For example, LTO-6 can hold 6TB or more of compressed data.

"Tape is highly performant and scalable," says Steve Mackey, vice-president of Spectra Logic. "I think everyone is used to the idea now that tape has its use cases."

Another reason tape isn't dead is that it has improved 700 percent in the last 10, plus years. This means that it is even more reliable than disk.

This doesn't mean that there isn't a distinct place for disk, rather it means that tape is the perfect partner for it. Where disk falls short, tape steps right in and makes a data security environment extra safe.

At Big Data Supply, we work each and every day with organizations that rely on tape. We are here to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about your data storage infrastructure.

Feel free to contact us and we'll get you sorted! We buy and sell new and used tape, disk array, and other equipment.

Drop us an e-mail or give us a call for more information!

Big Data Supply, Inc. offers secure data destruction on tape media and hard drives like used HP hard drives and used Toshiba hard drives.

Is the organization you are affiliated with seeking to destroy data that is no longer needed? Or have you recently upgraded to a newer data storage infrastructure and have data on older tape media that needs to be discarded?

In today’s world, it is essential that you understand the importance of completely expunging valuable data and/or complying with industry regulations.

For instance, in the world of healthcare, HIPAA states that that all sensitive data must be cleared or purged by “degaussing or exposing the media to a strong magnetic field in order to disrupt the recorded magnetic domains.” Media can also be destroyed through “pulverization, melting, incineration, or shredding.”

At Big Data Supply, we believe that tape should be degaussed/erased or overwritten, rather than tapes being pulverized or incinerated. The reason for such logic is quite simple:

1. Incinerating tape is toxic to the environment.
2. Pulverizing tape leads to unneeded waste.
3. Perfectly good tape is wasted -- when it could be reused again.

On the other hand, the degaussing and resurfacing of tape makes it possible to comply with FACTA, HIPAA, Gram-Leach-Bliley, SEC, DOD, SOX, Sarbanes-Oxley, and other regulatory bodies, while responsibly keeping perfectly good tape out of landfills…and toxins out of the air (when considering incineration).

The sad fact is that only 3 percent of tape is recycled. This is why we have developed a streamlined process for organizations to either recycle and reuse their tape media or sell their used tape to recoup their initial data center investment.

As you consider what to do with old tape, it is vital that you never dispose of data-filled cartridges into a dumpster. Doing so usually results in the violation of industry regulations. Using HIPAA as an example once again, the disposal of used tape media can only be done if each and every tape has been rendered unreadable.

And once again, why throw away perfectly good tape when you can have it recycled? And when you can make some cash in the process through our buy-back program?

To learn more, contact the Big Data Supply team at 800-905-7329 or support@bigdatasupply.com. We will walk you through the process, while providing you a full education on data eradication and tape recycling.