A tape drive is one of the crucial devices for computer data backup and archiving purposes. Just like a tape recorder, a tape drive also records content on a loop of celluloid like material. It can be read as well as erased. Let us explore the varieties available in the market.

A tape drive is one of the popular data storage devices that writes and reads data on magnetic tape. People generally use it for archival data storage purposes. It is a bit unlike the hard drive as it offers sequential access storage. In addition to that, a hard disk drive can move to any position on the disk in milliseconds, but in the case of the tape drive, it must physically wind tape between reels to read a particular data. When it attains the required position, it streams data swiftly. In early computers , these drives used to be prime storage medium as other drives were expensive. On this page, we will explore much more in detail so that you can pick the best. Towards the end, you will also find some tips to buy a tape drive online in the UAE.

Things you need to know about tape drives

The tapes were cheap in the past times, so they were the main storage medium in early computers. Some systems ran the operating system on drives like DECtape. These drives may even use advanced data integrity techniques, such as multilevel forward error correction, linear serpentine layout, etc., to write data to tape. They often couple with autoloaders and tape libraries so that multiple tapes can be loaded and uploaded. You can establish the connection between the computer and tape drive through USB, SATA, FireWire, and many other interfaces. Read on to explore more details on them.

LTO tape drive

Linear Tape-Open or LTO is a magnetic tape data storage technology that came into existence in the 1990s. It came as an open standards alternative to the proprietary magnetic tape formats in use at that time. The big names in computers are Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Quantum control the LTO Consortium. However, there are many manufacturers and vendors. However, a magnetic cartridge is the standard form factor that can take 2.5TB of data. Its lifecycle of 15-30 years ensures protected storage. Error detection and correction are two strong advantages the best LTO tape drives come with.

Pros & cons of tape drive storage

Almost all computer parts or accessories come with some advantages and shortcomings. Similar is the case with tape drives. Their benefit is that they have a large capacity for storing data. The next one is that they are economical, especially when you compare them with the cost of the hard disk. It also has a good storage life in comparison to other popular storage devices. However, as you know that the tape drives store data sequentially, so the user can access specific data only by starting at the beginning. It needs to be rolled through the tape till the required data is located.

HP tape drives, IBM TS2280, & other popular drives

Tape storage is pretty much in demand today due to the increasing risks of data loss. Popular computer drives have always been a scalable and economical storage method. The inexpensive and durable HPE tape storage solutions with LTO-8 technology deliver faster and offer long-term data availability. It will also save you money. You can choose from a wide range of options at IBM with a low cost of ownership. The IBM TS2280 Drive uses next-generation LTO Ultrium 8 cartridges to store up to 30 TB of compressed data per cartridge. It is twice the previous generations.

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