InformationWeek SMB TechEncyclopedia

Using magnetic tape for storing duplicate copies of hard disk files. Users can add an internal or external tape drive to their desktop computers for backup purposes, and files are typically copied to the tapes using a backup utility that updates on a periodic schedule. Companies use magnetic tape in combination with additional magnetic disks and optical discs in a backup management program that automatically moves data from one storage medium to another (see HSM). See magnetic tape and storage virtualization.






Tape Comes Big and Small
From the popular Ditto tapes to StorageTek's massive Powderhorn library, there are tape archives for all requirements. The Ditto uses QIC-style cartridges that hold 400MB and up, while the Powderhorn can hold 6000 cartridges and 300 terabytes! (Images courtesy of Iomega Corporation and Storage Technology Corporation.)