| t every possible shred of information is stored on | | | | The tape drive has matured and its functionality has |
| hard drives in these machines. This is a great enabler, | | | | increased dramatically. It offers quite fast data |
| since the data can be instantly modified, deleted, | | | | transfer speeds and a huge capacity. You can buy as |
| created or copied by the user and even transported | | | | many cartridges as you want to keep pace with |
| a long distance over network wires. | | | | your data backup needs and use autoloaders and |
| However, there is a major drawback too. The data | | | | tape libraries to do the job faster and with greater |
| stored digitally is much easier to lose and destroy | | | | efficiency. |
| than, say, the information contained in a paper file. | | | | Tape drives are also quite reliable because they |
| Data can be lost due to a variety of hardware or | | | | spread data over a long ream of magnetic tape. If |
| software errors. This has necessitated taking a | | | | some part of the tape develops a defect, you do |
| backup of data residing on computers onto other | | | | not lose the entire information. You can just cut out |
| storage media. | | | | the damaged portion, glue the ends together and go |
| A variety of computer backup media today exist, | | | | on to extract the rest of the data. |
| ranging from optical disks on one hand to portable | | | | Disadvantages |
| hard disks on the other. However, the most popular | | | | The biggest drawback of tape drives is their |
| data storage media with the corporates even today | | | | sequential data access. The hard disks that store |
| continues to be the tried and trusted tape drives. | | | | data on a series of vertically arranged platters have a |
| These cater to all needs and budgets, with their | | | | read / write head that can instantly extract any file |
| capacities ranging from 10 or even less gigabytes to | | | | from anywhere on the data recording surface. This |
| a whopping 800 gigabytes. The drive can connect to | | | | “random access” makes them a |
| a computer through a variety of interfaces, such as | | | | perfect candidate for use as primary storage devices |
| SCSI, USB, IDE and parallel port. | | | | inside computers. However, this is not the case with |
| How Tape Drives Work | | | | tape drives. |
| Tape drives work on the age-old principle of | | | | If you want to access a particular file, the tape |
| recording information on a magnetic tape, much like | | | | drive’s motor has to wind the entire length |
| the audio cassettes of yore. A tape drive system | | | | of tape back and forth until the desired location is |
| consists of two parts – the drive and the | | | | reached. This fact makes tape drives worthless for |
| cartridge. The latter is a rectangular case made of | | | | use as primary storage devices in computers, but is |
| tough plastic. It encloses a long and thin ream of tape | | | | not of much significance if their only purpose is |
| carrying a coat of magnetic paint that is wound | | | | long-term archival data storage. |
| around a couple of spools. The cartridge works when | | | | Another problem in storing data on tape regularly is |
| it is inserted in the tape drive. | | | | that it takes a lot of effort and human intervention. |
| The drive has a motor that begins to spin the tape | | | | Somebody has to be deputed every evening after |
| inside the cartridge at a great speed. The tape runs | | | | office hours who can manually insert tape cartridges |
| brushing past a stationary read-and-write head that is | | | | in the drive and take a backup. The entire process |
| made up of an electromagnet. This magnet emits a | | | | may consume an hour or even more. Worse, |
| magnetic field that writes and modifies data on the | | | | whenever the business premises is hit by a natural or |
| tape as instructed by the operating system. | | | | man-made disaster, the tapes carrying the backup |
| Advantages | | | | get destroyed too, unlike in the case of remote |
| Tape drives use a technology that has been around | | | | backup where the data is stored far away on |
| for at least half a century. It is a very reliable system | | | | servers of the service provider. |
| with few surprises. The drives offer a very stable | | | | Tape drives are also not exactly cheap. If your data |
| media for long-term archival storage of data. Over | | | | storage needs are huge, you will have to buy a |
| the years, the tape drive prices have hit rock | | | | dozen or even more tape cartridges, which may |
| bottom. These today offer one of the lowest costs | | | | come out to be an expensive proposition. Tapes also |
| per MB of data stored compared to any other media, | | | | have to be stored in a cool, dark and dry place away |
| which makes them the storage devices of choice for | | | | from heat and moisture, which is another hassle. |
| companies compared to other alternatives. | | | | |