| Multiple tape cartridges are used in conjunction with | | | | be either enclosed in tissue or plastic. |
| automated media handling devices for data storage | | | | · A user must not holiday with the tape. |
| and transference. More than 80% of the world's | | | | Tossing and throwing from a height should be |
| digital data is stored on tape. Tape drives can be | | | | avoided. |
| described as the central technology in all disaster | | | | · The tape should not be exposed to too |
| protection architectures. The importance of tape in | | | | much light, heat and humidity. This could cause |
| disaster protection and recovery is growing. | | | | internal damage and lead to data loss. The user |
| Beginnings: The tape drive has been around for more | | | | should keep the tape in a cool area. |
| than five decades. It has been constantly evolving | | | | · The tape should be kept away from pets. |
| itself scaling new heights of technology. IBM invented | | | | · The tape should not be handled with |
| the tape in the 1960 as a multi-purpose, bulky | | | | greasy and oily fingers. |
| storage device. The early tape inventions can be | | | | · For the most part, the tape should be kept |
| classified into three periods: | | | | in a vertical position to avid scratches and jars. |
| · IBM 1360 Photostore period i.e. from 1960s | | | | Power Surges: Tapes are intricate data storage |
| · IBM 2321 Data Cell period from mid 1960s | | | | devices. A user has to ensure that all connections are |
| · Grumman Masstape period from late 1960s | | | | proper. The tape has to be kept in a compatible drive |
| early 1970s | | | | to avoid ESD. The user has to ensure that all |
| The diverse forms of tape included reels, chips, | | | | connections are tightly plugged in. |
| strips, cylinders and film sheets. These tape forms | | | | |
| were characterised by access times of less than 10 | | | | Natural and Man-made Disasters: Tapes are prone to |
| seconds and capacities of more than 100GB. | | | | corruption and data loss through natural disasters of |
| However, bulky size with unreliability and high | | | | floods, fires and earthquakes. At best, a user can |
| maintenance costs restricted the tape popularity in | | | | take advantage of the tape's large backup memory |
| the 1970s. This changed in 1988. SorageTek invented | | | | capacity. Tapes can be stored in a secondary site to |
| the ACS4400 tape library. This modified existent tape | | | | be kept far from natural disasters. |
| drives. Tapes became the apt media for data | | | | Man-made disasters of data theft and terrorism |
| storage and backup. It began to be widely used by | | | | plague the tape more than any other data storage |
| commercial enterprises and personal users. | | | | device. Tapes are often recycled lending them data |
| Characteristics: | | | | invasion. They are cheap but usually at the price of |
| · Tapes used include 8-millimetre Exabyte | | | | data. Tapes do not have any kind of internal security. |
| VXA, Sony AIT, DLT and Super DLT LTO Ultrium, | | | | This makes them easy targets for data hacking. |
| IBM-compatible half-inch 3490 cartridge, StorageTek | | | | Advantages |
| 9840/9940 and Sony SAIT. | | | | Capacity: Tapes boast of extremely large storage |
| · Tape uses a method of sequential access | | | | options. Tape drives can store more than 50GB of |
| to read the data or the information. | | | | data. They are also used as large apt backup media. |
| · Reliable and durable | | | | They provide off-line storage options. |
| · Physically robust with strong magnetic | | | | Cost: Tapes are inexpensive. A personal user has the |
| internal structure | | | | ability to engage in proper and reliable backups of |
| Data Loss: Modern tape technology exposes certain | | | | several gigabytes of data at a cheap rate. It has a |
| structural weaknesses. This makes them prone to | | | | low market price. Tapes allow the user cheap backup |
| data loss. | | | | option. |
| Magnetic Internal Cavity: Tapes may appear to be | | | | Reliability: Tape is reliable and durable. It continues to |
| sturdy physically. The interior disk cavity is sensitive | | | | operate for a short time after the tape interior heads |
| to magnetic fields. Thus, tapes require high | | | | have failed. This allows the user to save data before |
| maintenance. Improper care simply leads to | | | | the entire tape corrupts. It is structured to withstand |
| overwriting. Consequently, there is a massive loss of | | | | shocks and physical duress. With proper maintenance, |
| data. Hence, a user has to take certain physical | | | | the tape can function for a long time. |
| maintenance precautions: | | | | Simplicity and Universality: Tapes are convenient and |
| · Avoid travelling with the tape. Even if you | | | | simple to use. They do not require technical |
| do carry the tape, make sure it is protected. The | | | | knowledge. Tapes are portable. They are used to the |
| tape must be wrapped in a protective sheath. It can | | | | optimum in automated tape libraries. |