IDC analysts answer a number of critical data storage questions and shine a light on how tape is being utilized in a variety of data saving applications including AI, digital twins, total cost of ownership and lots more. In this BlogBytes article we will review highlights from this ‘Analyst Connection’ with IDCs Greg Macatee, Research Manager, and Phil Goodwin, Research Vice President, who give expert advice regarding pressing data storage issues.
TAPE DATA PROTECTION IS ESSENTIAL
IDCs Macatee and Goodwin answer a number of data storage questions. Let’s review a few of them. They explain why tape storage has made a resurgence in the marketplace and why storage managers prefer it. They give a number of reasons that include reliable backup, archiving, low cost and tapes ability to provide offline air-gapped data protection as the ultimate defense against cyber-attacks.
What is air-gapping? As described by IDC in an LTO BlogBytes article, “Air gap is a means of taking a data copy, usually a backup copy, offline so that it is physically disconnected from any network and therefore inaccessible to cybercriminals.” A tape cartridge removed from the drive provides this critical air gap protection. IDC also explains that using LTO encryption can protect data at rest and inflight. They also recommend using a 3-2-1-1 backup strategy which means “three copies of the data on two different types of media, with one copy onsite and offline and one copy offsite and offline.” Tape storage is ideal for providing onsite-offline and offsite-offline data protection.
.
AI – DIGITAL TWIN AND TAPE STORAGE
The IDC analysts were asked to comment about the AI connection, digital twins, and how tape storage is a player in this space. A digital twin is a model of an expected or tangible product or process to help monitor, test and simulate. They explain that “All these types of models have one thing in common: They need data to train and inform them as well as to improve their accuracy.” The analysts explain that tape plays an important supportive role because “… users of tape have created an extensive installed base of data in a variety of different forms (e.g. structured and unstructured content such as pictures, videos, and other media files). It stands to reason that by properly leveraging all this data, AI/ML models should show better outcomes and, as a result, lead to better business decision-making.”
OBJECT STORAGE, A UNIVERSAL TIER AND TAPE
What role can LTO solutions play in providing nearline access to data, specifically as it relates to object storage? The analysts provide a number of intriguing thoughts and recommendations on these subjects. They state that “LTO technologies … can support access to object storage through S3 APIs, which allows tape systems to be more easily integrated with other object storage and accessed as a universal storage tier.” Regarding the universal storage tier they describe that “In using LTO technologies and their S3 API integrations to create universal storage tiers, users can create larger, unified pools of data with storage types including flash, high-performance disk, and other object storage, which allows them to improve business decision-making and conduct enhanced analytics.”
The IDC experts discuss additional storage strategies and tape storage benefits and note that “From a business perspective, we see continuing adoption of LTO tape technologies given their very low total cost of ownership compared with other storage types.” Get all the answers in the Analyst Connection.
