


Additionally, some tape drive manufacturers avoid providing guaranteed life expectancies to provide accurate information, we used primary resources where possible, along with third-party research.įactors to Consider: For years, DLTs were the standard for archival storage, and with good reason: The tapes resist degradation, and both DLT media and tape drives remain relatively inexpensive. Here’s a look at the lifespans of some of the most popular tape formats.Īn important caveat: Many factors can affect storage lifespans and library management decisions, which we’ll discuss for each format. To make sure your data is safe, you’ll need to determine the storage lifespan of your data cartridges and plan appropriately. To prevent a disaster, businesses need to check backups regularly and duplicate older archives to newer formats (or simply create additional copies of mission-critical media).
LTO BACKUP SERVICE ARCHIVE
Without duplicate backups, an archive can become unusable over time. Most data tape formats can reliably store information for decades - but improper storage conditions can significantly limit their lifespan. There’s just one issue: For the backups to be useful, they need to be in readable condition. Archival backups can provide crucial protection from ransomware attacks and other disasters.
