It is not uncommon to see many different technologies in the data center including disk, tape, SSD and even optical. Each of these solutions provides unique benefits from a performance, reliability and availability perspective. However, the one element that frustrates me is when vendors (typically disk-centric ones) point to tape as a technology that is outdated and unreliable. It is clear that all technologies have their strengths and weaknesses, but reliability is not typically one associated with tape. In this blog post, I will walk through four reasons why tape is more reliable than disk.
1. Bit Error Rate
Bit error rate (BER) is a concept that sounds complex, but in reality isn't. It is simply a measure of the total of number of expected erroneous bits as compared to the total number of bits received. In the most simplistic terms, it quantifies the likelihood of a faulty bit as a percent of total number of bits written. The table below is taken from the LTO website and highlights how the BER of tape compares to that of disk storage.
As you can see tape has at least a 10x improvement in BER versus the most expensive enterprise disks. However, since LTO is normally used for backup and archiving, SATA has historically been the disk alternative of choice and in this case tape's BER is 100x better! In summary, the likelihood of tape writing an incorrect bit is between 10x and 100x better than an equivalent disk drive.
2. Read After Write
There is a risk with any medium that what you want to write does not actually get written. Why would this silent corruption occur? Well, it could be caused by a number of things, but is often related to an unexpected error in the storage hardware. LTO tape incorporates technology to directly address this risk. As described in this primer, LTO drives natively re-read data as soon as it is written to validate accuracy. This is powerful because this error checking occurs with every write without any need for user intervention. Furthermore, any errors experienced are addressed in real time. If you compare this to disk arrays, the situation gets murky; each disk vendor has a unique RAID algorithm which may or may not include verification. Some arrays may go back at a later time to scrub the disk for errors, but the delayed analysis misses the real time verification and correction that LTO provides. Simply put, when you write data to LTO you can be confident that the tape is accurately storing your information.
3. Data Storage is Abstracted from Data Access
A hard drive is a self-contained device that includes data storage (magnetic platters where information is physically stored) and access (drive heads that move to read/write information and motors to spin the platters and move the heads). A disk drive is presented to the world as a simple block device (through SATA, SAS or FC, typically), but this simplicity masks the complexity of the underlying technology and microscopic tolerances required when manufacturing these items. All of the components inside the hard drive must operate in perfect harmony to access stored information and if any of them fails then all the stored data on the medium is inaccessible. A corrupted drive can be fixed, but the process is extremely complex, time consuming and costly and so most users bypass drive recovery and instead rely on RAID technology to solve the problem.
Tape is different because it separates data storage from data access. In the tape world, data is stored on removable tape media such as LTO-6, but the information is only readable when inserted into a tape drive. Hence data access is separated from storage. This separation is noteworthy because it changes the reliability dynamics since a failed tape drive can easily be replaced while the underlying data remains intact. It also brings interesting compatibility benefits because you can upgrade the data access device (tape drives) separately from the underlying data (the tapes). LTO enables this use case by providing 3 generations of LTO format backwards compatibility (e.g. an LTO-5 drive can read data from LTO-5, LTO-4 and LTO-3 media.)
4. Bit Rot
Extended data retention is the norm in today's IT environments. Yet as retention extends, users need to be cognizant of the consistent readability of their storage medium. Bit rot refers to the gradual degradation of magnetic media that can happen over time and can result in data corruption. Noted industry Analyst W. Curtis Preston discusses this concept in a blog post entitled Tape more reliable than disk for long term storage. The long and short is that all magnetic media face the risk of bit rot, but disk faces a higher risk than tape due its smaller magnetic particles and higher operating temperature. Thus customers can be more confident of the long-term viability of data stored on tape versus disk. Additionally, this formula also helps explain why LTO tapes are stated to last 30 years while the average disk subsystem is replaced every five years.
In summary, disk and tape are complementary technologies that provide strong benefits. Disk excels when it comes to random read and write performance which is why most customers use it as a target for near-term backup and recovery operations. However, it is also clear that tape brings substantial benefits as well and is the optimal medium for longer-term data storage and preservation. As a user, I encourage you to think carefully about the technology you are using to ensure that you are using the right technology to solve your business challenges.
Chart source: LTO Website
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
27/04/2024
PORTLAND, Oregon Audinate Group Limited, the developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, announced significant new additions to Dante Connect, its cloud-based D...
27/04/2024
TORONTO Bell Media has launched 10 English and French-language FAST channels featuring entertainment, factual, news, and sports programming. The new free stream...
27/04/2024
An extensive new analysis of the news segments in the broadcast evening news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS has found that broadcasters devoted most of their...
27/04/2024
GERMANTOWN, Md. EchoStar's Hughes Network Systems has opened a new manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland....
27/04/2024
Harry Pappas, one of three brothers who founded Pappas Telecasting Companies in 1971, died April 24. He was 78 years old....
27/04/2024
ATLANTA and LONDON Mexican telecommunications and broadcast company Televisa has selected Synamedia for an overhaul of its broadcast distribution....
27/04/2024
Participate in the Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this surve...
27/04/2024
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 2024 NAB Show
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
SDVI, the leading platform provider for clo...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
27/04/2024
Charter Communications reported higher first-quarter profits despite continued cord-cutting and competition for broadband customers....
27/04/2024
Two environmentally-focused groups are partnering to engage the unscripted TV world in finding better ways to address climate change. Reality of Change is an ec...
27/04/2024
Sarah Garcia has been promoted to weekend anchor at KTLM McAllen, Texas, known as Telemundo 40. Starting April 27, she will anchor Noticias Telemundo 40 weekend...
27/04/2024
CBS Sports said it launched a new 24-hour free, ad supported streaming television (FAST) channel devoted to the UEFA Champions League....
27/04/2024
Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts received $35.4 million in compensation in 2023, up 11% from the previous year, according to a proxy statement filed by th...
27/04/2024
Art Happens Here With John Lithgow, which sees the actor study dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz with students in Los Angeles, debuts on PBS ...
27/04/2024
Remember Leave It to Beaver? Bewitched? Dragnet? When cable ratings were rising?...
27/04/2024
Next up for the weekend binge at Catchy Comedy is Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Every weekend, Catchy Comedy features The Catchy Binge, a marathon of a classic sitcom....
26/04/2024
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks-off today with screenings in 5 theaters in Mexico City and the opening-night film, FRIDA, directed by Carla Guti rrez...
26/04/2024
[Editor's Note: This interview is part of a larger feature about the women d...
26/04/2024
Once again this year, SGL Carbon opened its doors to interested children and young people. On the occasion of the German Girls and Boys Day, which took place on...
26/04/2024
Orders1 of $5.5 billion; book-to-bill of 1.06x
Revenue of $5.2 billion, up 17%,...
26/04/2024
Five Considerations For Communications Modernization In The 21st Century
In the digital-enabled battlespace, the Joint Force needs to shoot, move and communica...
26/04/2024
CBS Sports has launched Champions League as a new, 24-hour streaming channel that will serve as the year-round destination for nonstop highlights of the UEFA ...
26/04/2024
Despite tough competition in the streaming space, Roku reported solid results in Q1 2024, beating revenue expectations, with total net revenue up 19% YoY to $88...
26/04/2024
LONDON AND TORONTO Pinewood Toronto Studios has appointed Sarah Farrell as general manager of the Studios in downtown Toronto....
26/04/2024
Quantum to Offer Advanced Filesharing Technology and Performance in StorNext and...
26/04/2024
FilmLight Colour Awards welcomes 2024 entries and introduces new Emerging Talen...
26/04/2024
Picture Shop Announces Chris Evans as Head of Unscripted
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
Picture Shop announced Chris Evans will lead Unscripte...
26/04/2024
Participate in a Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this survey,...
26/04/2024
Toy maker Mattel said it is working with Samsung to launch its first free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels later this year....
26/04/2024
Trusted Media Brands (TMB) said it named Marty Moe as president....
26/04/2024
Ron Howard is the director on Jim Henson Idea Man, a documentary that premieres on Disney Plus May 31. Henson of course created Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big...
26/04/2024
The ice continues to melt under the regional sports network business as the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League have made a long-term deal to broadcast...
26/04/2024
Heading into the upfronts, Warner Bros. Discovery said it launched Olli, a first-party data platform advertiser can use for converged, targeted advertising camp...
26/04/2024
CBS has renewed the drama The Equalizer, which will see season five on in 2024-2025. Queen Latifah stars....
26/04/2024
The CW has entered into an exclusive multiyear broadcast partnership for the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Teen USA Pageant. The 73rd Miss USA Pageant will air ...
26/04/2024
Fuse Media isn't mincing words in a campaign urging its young viewers to register and participate in the 2024 elections....
26/04/2024
Dead Boy Detectives, a series from Neil Gaiman about a detective agency staffed by ghosts, debuts on Netflix April 25. George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri are in t...
26/04/2024
The Story Collective has gradually repurposed the former Mortlake Brewery to include production offices, workshops and sound stages
By Matthew Corrigan
Publi...
26/04/2024
Perkett joins the company following a 25 year career in product management, product marketing, engineering and user experience (UX) across multiple industries
...
26/04/2024
Teradek, the industry leader in wireless video transmitters and receivers, announced today the launch of new Bolt 6 LT 750 and Bolt 6 Monitor Module 750 RX with...
26/04/2024
NEW YORK Amagi has appointed Richard Perkett chief product officer (CPO)....
26/04/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced the results of the 2024 NAB Radio and Television Board of Directors elections. The...
26/04/2024
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & NEW YORK Mattel has announced a deal to launch its first three 24/7 free ad supported streaming (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung...
26/04/2024
PORTLAND, Maine Viewers here can now receive the NextGen TV signals of five local stations with the launch of ATSC 3.0 service from host station WPFO, which is ...
26/04/2024
TORONTO Rogers Communications has signed a 10-year agreement with Comcast to bring the latest Xfinity products and technology to Canadians....
It is not uncommon to see many different technologies in the data center including disk, tape, SSD and even optical. Each of these solutions provides unique benefits from a performance, reliability and availability perspective. However, the one element that frustrates me is when vendors (typically disk-centric ones) point to tape as a technology that is outdated and unreliable. It is clear that all technologies have their strengths and weaknesses, but reliability is not typically one associated with tape. In this blog post, I will walk through four reasons why tape is more reliable than disk.
