With LTO-5, tape storage just keeps getting better

When it comes to data, the more you have, the more you’re at risk. This concern applies to companies of all sizes, from small and midsize businesses to large enterprises. Data growth is outpacing storage capacity, and there is a need for more cost-effective ways to manage this growth.

Tape plays a critical role in the storage strategy for resource-constrained businesses. Combined with disk storage in a multi-tier protection strategy, tape offers a storage solution with low total cost of ownership. Tape is also portable, making it ideal for secure offsite and offline backup, disaster recovery, data compliance and long-term archiving.

Tape continues to improve. New LTO-5 tape drives, tape media and automated tape libraries offer significant efficiency gains over previous generations. LTO-5 is the fifth generation of the LTO Ultrium standard. Companies using older LTO generations will find some compelling reasons to upgrade.

Better performance more capacity
One of the biggest advantages of tape is its cost-effectiveness. It’s a low-cost option for long-term storage, so it can help keep spending in check.

LTO-5 tape solutions can trim costs even further, without compromising results. LTO-5 offers improved performance over previous generations and provides better transfer rates for the price. Even with hardware-based encryption, it can store up to 3 TB of data on a single cartridge in less than three hours. This assumes a data compression rate of 2:1.

LTO-5 tape drives also provide more capacity than earlier generations, reducing cost per gigabyte by 52 percent over LTO-3. That means fewer cartridges to buy and less time changing tape, which is an important benefit for data centers with limited IT staff.

Solve problems before they occurr
Earlier generations of LTO had helpful management features that made backups run smoothly. For example, if an overnight backup failed, an administrator would receive a notification in the morning. That information was useful, but it put people in reactive mode, correcting problems after they had occurred.

The HP StorageWorks LTO-5 Ultrium Tape Drive lets businesses proactively address issues before problems occur. HP Tape Assure software monitors the tape solution, tracking its performance and any problems that may have occurred. The software features a real-time dashboard with proactive alerts, helping organizations to balance workloads across drives and media. As a result, there’s less risk of backup failures that could lead to data loss.

Rise to the Occassion
Most IT decision makers already operate with lean resources. That’s why, when times get tough, many feel as though there’s nowhere left to make improvements.

The latest generation of LTO tape drives, tape media and automated tape libraries illustrates how technology can fill the void. With proactive management, lower cost per gigabyte, faster performance and data encryption, HP LTO-5 solutions can help companies do more with less.