{"id":188,"date":"2026-09-21T19:23:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T19:23:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/?p=188"},"modified":"2026-10-08T17:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T17:40:43","slug":"tape-backup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Tape Backup and Why Is It Still Used?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Quick answer:<\/b> <b>Tape backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means copying data onto magnetic tape cartridges, most often Linear Tape-Open (LTO). It is still used because tape is cheap to store at scale, lasts a long time, and can sit offline where ransomware can&#8217;t reach it. Most organisations use tape alongside disk and cloud, not instead of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key takeaways<\/b><\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style: disc !important;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape backup stores data on magnetic tape cartridges, usually LTO.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape is still in active use at large enterprises, broadcasters, hospitals and government bodies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A tape that isn&#8217;t plugged into the network can&#8217;t be encrypted by ransomware.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disk is best for fast recovery; tape for long-term archives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape works best as one layer in a backup plan, not the whole plan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Intro\" >Intro<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#What_Is_Tape_Backup\" >What Is Tape Backup?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#How_Tape_Backup_Hardware_Works\" >How Tape Backup Hardware Works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Why_Is_Tape_Backup_Still_Used_Alongside_Disk_and_Cloud_Storage\" >Why Is Tape Backup Still Used Alongside Disk and Cloud Storage?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Tape_vs_Disk_Backup_Where_Each_Fits\" >Tape vs Disk Backup: Where Each Fits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#The_3-2-1_Backup_Rule_and_Where_Tape_Fits_In\" >The 3-2-1 Backup Rule and Where Tape Fits In<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Tape_Backups_Real_Advantages\" >Tape Backup&#8217;s Real Advantages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Tape_Backups_Real_Limitations\" >Tape Backup&#8217;s Real Limitations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Who_Still_Uses_Tape_Backup_Today\" >Who Still Uses Tape Backup Today?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Tape_vs_Disk_vs_Cloud_Backup\" >Tape vs Disk vs Cloud Backup<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Common_Misconceptions_About_Tape_Backup\" >Common Misconceptions About Tape Backup<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/tape-backup\/#Ready_to_Build_a_Better_Backup_Plan\" >Ready to Build a Better Backup Plan?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intro\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intro<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask around, and plenty of people will tell you tape is a museum piece. It sounds like something from the 1980s, next to cassette players and floppy disks. That&#8217;s a fair guess, because we all store things on our phones, laptops, and cloud accounts now. But <\/span><b>why is tape backup still used<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by so many big organisations? Because it does a few jobs better and cheaper than anything else. And <\/span><b>what is tape backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> today? It&#8217;s a lot more modern than most people think.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Tape_Backup\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Is Tape Backup?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tape backup is a way of saving copies of your data onto magnetic tape.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The tape sits inside a small cartridge, a bit like a very advanced cassette. A tape drive reads and writes the data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main format today is <\/span><b>LTO<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, short for Linear Tape-Open. The <\/span><b>LTO tape backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> standard is managed by the LTO Consortium, made up of HPE, IBM, and Quantum. The current LTO-9 cartridge holds 18TB of data before compression. With compression, it can hold up to 45TB.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape uses <\/span><b>sequential data storage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Data is written in a line, one piece after another, and read back the same way. Disks work differently. They use random access, so they can jump straight to any file. That difference explains most of what follows.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Tape_Backup_Hardware_Works\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Tape Backup Hardware Works<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>A tape backup system has three parts: the tape cartridge, the tape drive, and something to house and manage them.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The drive writes to the cartridge. When you need the data back, the drive reads it again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smaller setups use a single drive. Bigger ones use a <\/span><b>tape library<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is a cabinet with several drives and a robotic arm that swaps cartridges automatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good example is<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/234327-001-hp-compaq-storageworks-rack-for-2xsdlt-4xdat\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the HP Compaq StorageWorks 234327-001 tape rack enclosure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It&#8217;s a <\/span><b>tape drive rack<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> built to hold up to four DAT drives or two SDLT drives in one unit that slots into a server rack. DAT and SDLT are older tape formats, and you&#8217;ll still find them in plenty of businesses that never stopped using them. Rack enclosures like this keep your drives tidy, powered, and easy to reach. If you are looking for a <\/span><b>tape backup drive rack enclosure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for an existing setup, this is the kind of hardware to know about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_251\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-251\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-251\" src=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/234327-001-1-300x197.webp\" alt=\"HP Compaq StorageWorks rack 234327-001 for SDLT and DAT tape drives\" width=\"468\" height=\"307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/234327-001-1-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/234327-001-1.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>HP Compaq StorageWorks 234327-001 rack for SDLT and DAT tape drives<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_Tape_Backup_Still_Used_Alongside_Disk_and_Cloud_Storage\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Is Tape Backup Still Used Alongside Disk and Cloud Storage?\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tape is still used because it does a different job from disk and cloud.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It isn&#8217;t a replacement for either. It&#8217;s a partner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of disk as your desk drawer and tape as the filing store in the basement. You want the drawer for things you need today. You want the basement for the huge pile of stuff you must keep but rarely touch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scale is the other reason. When you store hundreds of terabytes or more, the cost of keeping everything on spinning disks or in the cloud adds up fast. Cartridges cost little to keep on a shelf, need no power when idle, and take up very little space. That&#8217;s why tape still makes sense for big archives, even when other options exist.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tape_vs_Disk_Backup_Where_Each_Fits\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape vs Disk Backup: Where Each Fits<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Disk is better for fast recovery, and tape is better for long-term archives.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They suit different needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/st6000nm0095-seagate-enterprise-capacity-v-5-6tb-7200rpm-sas-12gbs-256mb-cache-3-5-inch-hard-drive\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Seagate ST6000NM0095 6TB enterprise disk drive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It&#8217;s a 7,200rpm SAS drive made for servers and storage arrays. If a file goes missing this morning, a disk like this can get it back in minutes, because it uses random access and can jump straight to the data.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_187\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-187\" style=\"width: 541px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-187\" src=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/st6000nm0095-hp-1-300x225.webp\" alt=\"Seagate ST6000NM0095-HP 6TB enterprise hard drive\" width=\"541\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/st6000nm0095-hp-1-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/st6000nm0095-hp-1-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/st6000nm0095-hp-1.webp 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seagate ST6000NM0095-HP 6TB enterprise hard drive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Tape can&#8217;t do that. It has to wind through the cartridge to find what you want.<\/strong> So most businesses use a plan called <\/span><b>disk to disk to tape backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or D2D2T. Here&#8217;s how it works:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data is copied from your main systems to a backup disk. This is the quick recovery copy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later, that data is copied from disk to tape.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tape goes into long-term storage or off-site.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You get speed from the disk and cheap, safe storage from the tape. Neither one has to do everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_3-2-1_Backup_Rule_and_Where_Tape_Fits_In\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 3-2-1 Backup Rule and Where Tape Fits In<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The 3-2-1 backup rule says you should keep three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea is that a single problem shouldn&#8217;t be able to wipe out everything. A fire, a flood, a failed drive, or a cyber attack can each cause damage, but they rarely hit all three copies at once.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape slots into this rule neatly. Your live data is copy one. A disk backup is copy two, on a different type of media. A tape cartridge kept off-site, or at least offline, is copy three. Some experts now use an extended version, 3-2-1-1-0, which adds one offline or unchangeable copy and zero errors after testing. Tape is a natural fit for that extra offline copy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tape_Backups_Real_Advantages\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape Backup&#8217;s Real Advantages<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tape&#8217;s biggest strengths are ransomware protection, low cost at scale, and a long storage life.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Air gap backup ransomware protection<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the big one. Ransomware spreads across networks and locks up everything it can reach, including backups. A tape sitting in a cabinet or a vault isn&#8217;t connected to anything, so there&#8217;s nothing for the ransomware to reach. This is called an air gap. To be clear, the protection comes from the tape being offline, not from any special magic in the tape itself. A tape left in a connected drive is just as exposed as a disk. Many tape systems also support <\/span><b>WORM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (write once, read many), which stops data from being changed after it&#8217;s saved. That gives you an unchangeable, or <\/span><b>immutable backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On <\/span><b>tape backup cost per TB<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, cartridges usually work out cheaper than disk for large archives, because unused tapes can sit on a shelf without power or cooling. The gap grows as your data grows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then there&#8217;s shelf life. LTO manufacturers state that cartridges can hold data for up to 30 years when stored properly, in a cool, dry place away from strong magnetic fields. That suits records you must keep for a very long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tape_Backups_Real_Limitations\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape Backup&#8217;s Real Limitations<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tape is slower to restore from and needs more hands-on management than disk.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It&#8217;s worth being honest about that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because tape uses sequential access, finding one small file can take a while, since the drive has to wind to the right spot. It&#8217;s great for restoring a whole archive, but less handy for grabbing a single document in a hurry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s also the admin. Someone has to label cartridges, rotate them, track where they are, and test them now and then. Many teams use a rotation scheme such as <\/span><b>grandfather-father-son<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where daily, weekly, and monthly tapes are cycled so you always have older copies to go back to. It works well, but it needs someone who keeps on top of it. And like any storage, tapes and drives need proper care to last.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Still_Uses_Tape_Backup_Today\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who Still Uses Tape Backup Today?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Large enterprises, broadcasters, healthcare providers, and government bodies all still use tape.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Here are some real-life examples.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style: disc !important;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Media and broadcast:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A production company may shoot years of raw video. Keeping it all on disk would cost a fortune, so it goes to tape.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Healthcare:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hospitals often must keep patient records for many years to meet <\/span><b>compliance retention requirements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Tape is a low-cost way to do that.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Government and research:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Public archives and scientific data sets can run to huge sizes and must last for decades.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Businesses after a scare:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some firms add a weekly offline tape after a ransomware incident, as extra insurance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re weighing up <\/span><b>tape backup for enterprise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> use, you can<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/storage-devices\/back-up-drives\/tape-libraries-autoloaders\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">browse our range of tape libraries and autoloaders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to see what&#8217;s available.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tape_vs_Disk_vs_Cloud_Backup\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tape vs Disk vs Cloud Backup<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Each type of backup has its own best use.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This table shows how they compare on <\/span><b>tape backup vs disk backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-23\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-23\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\"><strong>Metric \/ Feature<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"column-2\"><strong>Tape Backup<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"column-3\"><strong>Disk Backup<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"column-4\"><strong>Cloud Backup<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Cost at Large Scale<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Usually lowest<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Higher<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ongoing monthly fees that grow with data<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Restore Speed<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Slower<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Fast<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Depends on your internet speed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Offline (Air-Gap) Option<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Yes, when tapes are removed<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Only if disks are unplugged<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Not by default<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Longevity<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Long, when stored well<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Shorter, drives wear out<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Depends on the provider<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Best Role<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Long-term archive and offline copy<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Fast recovery of recent data<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Off-site copy and flexibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-23 from cache -->\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Misconceptions_About_Tape_Backup\"><\/span><b>Common Misconceptions About Tape Backup<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Tape is obsolete.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It isn&#8217;t. LTO keeps getting new generations with more capacity, and demand from data-heavy industries keeps it going.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Tape is only for old systems.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not true. Modern data centres use LTO libraries alongside current servers and storage. Older gear like DAT is still around, but it&#8217;s only one part of the story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cloud replaced the need for tape.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cloud is great, but it&#8217;s usually online all the time, and it comes with running costs. Many organisations use it alongside tape, not in place of it. The best plans use both.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FAQ<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Is tape backup obsolete?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No. Tape backup is still in active use at enterprises, broadcasters, hospitals and government bodies, mainly for cheap long-term archives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why is tape better for ransomware protection than disk or cloud backup?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tape backup is safer from ransomware when tapes are kept offline. Ransomware can only encrypt what it can reach over a network, and a tape on a shelf can&#8217;t be reached.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How long does data actually last on tape?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> LTO manufacturers say cartridges can keep data for up to 30 years when stored in the right conditions. Regular test restores are still a good idea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Is tape backup cheaper than cloud storage at scale?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For large archives that rarely change, tape usually costs less than cloud storage over time, because cloud storage has ongoing fees while tapes cost little to store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the 3-2-1 backup rule and where does tape fit in?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The 3-2-1 backup rule means three copies of your data, on two types of media, with one copy off-site. Tape is often used for the off-site or offline copy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do large companies still use tape backup today?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes. Many large companies use tape for archives, compliance records, and offline ransomware protection, alongside disk and cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ready_to_Build_a_Better_Backup_Plan\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to Build a Better Backup Plan?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you&#8217;re topping up an existing tape setup or just working out what your backup plan needs, it helps to talk to people who know the hardware. We stock a wide range of backup drives, tape hardware, and enterprise storage, so you can <\/span><b>buy tape backup hardware in the UK<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with fast, tracked delivery. Take a look around and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">see the full range at BulkDevices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick answer: Tape backup means copying data onto magnetic tape cartridges, most often Linear Tape-Open (LTO). It is still used because tape is cheap to store at scale, lasts a long time, and can sit offline where ransomware can&#8217;t reach it. Most organisations use tape alongside disk and cloud, not instead of them. Key takeaways [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-tape-drive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions\/252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkdevices.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}