Tape Remains a Critical Part of Enterprise Storage

Huge amounts of data are already out there in the digital universe. And IDC believes that the total amount of data created and stored will reach about 175 zettaRead more: Explore emerging trends in tape storage.

Nearline Storage Meets Most Deep Storage Needs

No more sending an email to Iron Mountain to request a tape from a vault, having it mailed to IT, and then loading the data. The latest systems can be nearline – data on tape is available in a couple of minutes. Automated tape libraries from a number of vendors house tape cartridges that are offline yet quickly available. IT doesn’t have to go into some obscure application to be able to access tape data. Instead, the tape information is represented as another drive within the overall system. Files can be searched for and retrieved. And the big plus is that no electricity, power, or cooling energy is consumed by offline tapes. As a bonus, an air gap exists which cybercriminals can’t penetrate as the cartridges are retained offline.  

Another bonus is compliance. Enterprise Strategy Group stated that 86% of organizations using tape believe the technology is critical or important in meeting compliance requirements. More than likely, compliance requirements will evolve beyond those covered in existing legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, and the many directives covering personal information. Within a few years, it is likely that environmental compliance guidelines will become part of the IT landscape. Data centers and server rooms will be required to reduce energy consumption and adopt various measures to increase efficiency. Expect tape archiving to be made part of such requirements.