Tape Backup Data Storage: Losing Ground To Online Backup Storage

For many years tape backup data storage was the only way that companies and individuals backed up their data. Of late however tape backup data storage is being replaced by newer type of storage devices including the CD and DVD though it has to be admitted that tapes still have a certain amount of use and so are continuing to be used by certain organizations and also by individuals.

Floppy Drives

The floppy drive was the forerunner to CD drives and it (floppy drive) is also a magnetic storage device though far removed from the tape backup data storage which could store far more information than the best floppies. Tape backup data storage is in fact an affordable means of backing up information and at the same time it ensures being able to save considerable volumes of information and it also aids in automation of backup functions.

In the beginning tape backup data storage involved using as many as sixty meters of tape that could store 1.3 Gigabytes of information and this capacity was later upgraded to two Gigabytes of information by adding another thirty meters of tape; though without changing the recording format.

Still later, early tape backup data storage was upgraded from two Gigabyte storage capacity to four Gigabytes and of course, this meant doubling the original sixty meters of tape to one hundred and twenty meters and the tape had to also be made of thinner material in order to accommodate the extra sixty meters.

However, even this tape backup data storage capacity was proving insufficient to meet the needs of big businesses and that led to further increase in storage capacity which now reached the twelve Gigabyte mark. Still later, the capacity was once more increased and it now reached twenty Gigabytes which again was increased to touch thirty-six Gigabytes. Later, sixth and seventh as well as eighth generations of tape backup data storage saw considerable improvement in storage capacity that then reached a staggering three hundred Gigabytes after the eight generation of tape backup data storage hit the market.

There are several methods being used for database backup and recovery including complete backup and selective backup. In regard to the efficacy of using tape backup data storage it has to be mentioned that now online data backup is giving tape backups stiff competition and because online backup is more convenient, reliable as well as simpler, it has become the preferred mode of backing up information and tapes are losing their appeal to a great extent.