Two very different technologies…
Unlike other IT equipment, backup libraries usually have an operating life often exceeding ten years. The technological and strategic choices made at the time of an acquisition therefore have a very long-term impact and the financial consequences must be analysed with the utmost care over the entire operating life.
There are two main technologies for tape drives on the market today: the “Linear Tape Open” (LTO) technology with public specifications and managed by a consortium, and the proprietary IBM “enterprise tape” technology. These technologies evolve differently over the years with new generations of drives and cartridges. There are two strategies that can be adopted to cope with these developments: to remain at the same technological level as the initial acquisition, or to take advantage of these developments and make upgrades.
One of the major differences between the two technologies lies in the possible reuse of cartridges from a previous generation by a new generation drive. This has a major impact on the library evolution strategy and the related costs.
What is the best option for my wallet and data security?
In order to reduce your long-term purchasing costs while benefiting from the latest technologies for the security of your storage, we offer to carry out a careful audit of your archiving needs.
Our study analyses several scenarios combining the two technologies and includes:
- An analysis of the current situation;
- A discussion of the future needs;
- An analysis of the acquisition plan and the corresponding investments for each defined scenario;
- A recommendation for the best solution.
The objective of that study is to find out the weaknesses and strengths of your tape storage strategy, verifying that it is suitable for your business, defining what improvements can be made and at what cost.