Seven Common Myths About LTO Tape

Do you know how much data we generate every day? It is over gigantic 2.5 quintillion bytes. In case you are wondering, there are 30 zeros in a quintillion!. That is more than 1 MB of data for every person in the world in every second. In this data-driven world, there is no shortage of options for storing this massive scale data.  There is both free and paid service both offline and online for storing data.

However, there is a downside to using cloud storage or any other online data storage option for your business. The online world is very unprotected. Even if you have top-notch security, with worsening ransomware, declining cybersecurity, and data surveillance, you never know who has access to your online data. Considering all that, Linear Tape-Open (LTO) can be your best bet for business data backup. It is renowned in the market for its high storage capacity, scalability, and performance. Read on to learn more.

Linear Tape-Open (LTO)

Linear tape open or LTO Tape is the technology for data storage that uses magnetic tape. It was developed back in 1997 by the trio Hewlett-Packard, Certance, and IBM. Since its inception, it has undergone several different upgrades to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of technology. At present, there are eight generations of LTO tape available.

Common Myths about LTO Tape

LTO tapes have faced some unfair criticism over the years – outdated, archaic, and even worthless. The scale of this misconception is so big that it will scare away even the pro system technicians. If you are thinking of incorporating LTO backup for business, here we have cleared up the most circulated myths about LTO tapes.

Tape Is Old School – The Future Is Bleak For Tape

Many assume LTO tape will not compete with other latest data storage options, and it will die within years. Many have written off its name as dead or soon to be finished. With easier options like cloud storage,  competitors are trying to proclaim it obsolete. 

But LTOs are here to stay. You might even be surprised to learn that where cloud storage popularity has doubled over the years, so did the LTO tape’s popularity. However, the LTO consortium is planning on building tape that will store even more enormous data levels and ensure speedy data transfer.

Scalability Is Not Available 

If you have only used a single tape drive with an ancient tape library that only has a 5-8 tape slot, you might have missed all the opportunity to scale up a good tape library with multi tape drives. Most people are unaware of how they can execute maximum scalability with their LTO tape, and they think it is impossible to improve its storage space. A multi-drive tape with hundreds of tape slots can provide you the opportunity to host a diverse network. The software has been upgraded much within the decade, and tape drives are compatible with them to make them scalable.

Tape Capacity Is Low

No matter how large your storage space is, it will only be eventually filled up with data. This compels many of us to lean toward cloud storage or other remote storage for space availability. To break the myth that your LTO tape will not be going to cut it when it comes to storage space, we have to look at the numbers again. The current generation LTO 8 can store up to twelve terabytes of uncompressed data. 

And let’s not forget you can write at 350mb/s with that version. To add to that, twelve terabytes is the number for uncompressed data; if we are talking compressed data, you can stretch it up to twenty terabytes.

Tape Is Slow

Instead of being swayed by popular opinion, you should look at the numbers to judge for yourself whether LTO tape is slow or not. With every new generation, LTO tape has improved its speed to lightning-fast speeds. In 2010 with generation 5 LTO tape, you could backup at 140mb/s speed; fast forward eight years, you can back up at 360 mb/s speed with LTO tape 8.

Tape Is Not Worth The Cost

In our opinion, the cost might be the most inconvenient factor about LTO that makes it fall short against cloud storage. However, when you compare the LTO cost with cloud storage cost, LTO comes a lot cheaper. Cloud storage has egress and recurring charge that can sum up to a good amount. According to an ESG study, an LTO-8 system can lower the cost of ownership to 86% when you compare it with all disk solutions, and it is 34% of the cloud-based solution.

LTOs Are Difficult To Operate

Ease of operation and maintenance is what we crave in technology. Many assume tape requires more human intervention more than you can provide. However, the new linear tape file system(LTFS) has made LTO tapes more user friendly- you can use it just like you would use a removable disk. Besides, automated tape libraries require less human resources than a disk-based storage system.

Tapes Are Unreliable

Although tapes are designed to last for 15- 30 years, they are still condemned as unreliable. With decades of science and research backing up their formation, tapes are a full proof system for storing data. In terms of data security, with LTO tape, you don’t have to worry about ransomware or cyber attack. With SSD, you have to deal with this fear that if you keep them unpowered for a long time, they will not function well. 

And if you have ever dropped an HHD while writing data, you surely know how risky HHDs can be. It will damage both the hard drive and the data. You might argue that spinning media too can hold data for decades without any harm. But can you say the same about the hard drive head or the spindle? They are bound to crash after decades of use.

The Bottom Line

Understandably, you want the latest technology right at your hand. And with SSD and cloud storage luring you into a sense of security, you are right to skip over the magnetic tape technology. But nothing can match with LTOs when you need trusted offline backup. To add to that, LTOs are entirely recyclable. If you want static data storage that doesn’t require you to do an advanced online search, you can consider LTO tape for your business.