Preserving the World s Most Important Data. Yours. Backup Basics. Choosing the Right Tape Backup System

Transcription

1 Preserving the World s Most Important Data. Yours. Backup Basics Choosing the Right Tape Backup System

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS LOOK FOR COLOR CODED TABS BACKUP OR PERISH: A HARSH LESSON Page 5 DATA STORAGE VS. DATA BACKUP Page 6 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A BASIC DATA PROTECTION SYSTEM Page 7 WHY BACKUP ON TAPE? Page 8 SELECTING YOUR BACKUP SYSTEM Page 9 A PRIMER ON TAPE DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES Page 10 WHAT S AN AUTOLOADER OR A TAPE LIBRARY? Page 11 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATION? Page 12 2

3 WHICH AUTOLOADER OR LIBRARY IS RIGHT FOR ME? Pages BACKUP SOFTWARE: THE BRAINS BEHIND THE HARDWARE Pages WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING FOR A BACKUP SYSTEM SO... HOW DO I INSTALL THE SYSTEM? Pages Page 20 UP AND RUNNING. SO NOW WHAT? Page 21 THIS IS A TAPE STORY. SO LET S REWIND. Page 22 WHERE TO TURN IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS Page 23 GLOSSARY Pages

4 Are you responsible for making sure that the information on your company s computers is safe and secure? Then this booklet is for you! Data is often the most important non-human asset that a company has. It represents the thoughts and actions of the people who work for the company. If the data is lost or becomes unavailable, this can affect whether or not you stay in business. Some companies manually copy files to external hard drives, CDs or DVDs, which is time consuming, disruptive to day-to-day operations and error-prone. This booklet explores: Disasters that can happen to your data How you can protect your data Concepts behind data protection Technology hardware options Software options This common-sense guide will assist you in selecting products that fit your needs. It also explains the tools that you will need to automatically and reliably make sure your data is safe. 4

5 BACKUP OR PERISH: A HARSH LESSON BACKUP OR PERISH: A HARSH LESSON Faxes continued to pour in. The phones kept ringing. And the light switches still made the office either light or dark. Dark was just fine with Jane. The graphic design business she built from the ground up was gone. The previous night, burglars had stolen the company s ten desktop computers and its file server. Some of Jane s older projects were on CDs and Zip disks. And she had printed copies of previous years accounting and payroll data. But all her current projects, billing information, , and client and employee information were simply gone. Sure, her insurance would replace the computers. It would even cover the expensive software that was central to her business. But insurance wouldn t replace the information that was stored on the computers. Jane and her employees never felt they had the time to copy huge graphics files for safekeeping. And it never even occurred to them to back up something as common as . Although she relied on technology to drive her business, Jane felt that a formal business backup process and backup systems were too expensive, too techy, overkill. Jane was wrong on all counts. She found, as too many others before her, that the data on her computers actually was her business. Lose it and you may lose everything. Therefore the question isn t, How much does a backup system cost? It s really, Can I afford not to protect my data? 5

6 DATA STORAGE VS. DATA BACKUP DATA STORAGE VS. DATA BACKUP Data storage and backup, while related, are not the same thing. Data includes the spreadsheets that contain your revenue forecasts, the you sent to your best customer, the payroll files in finance, the new graphic designs for advertisements, and copies of the bills that have gone out to customers for payment. Data storage is the collection of such information that is saved on your computers or on external hard drives, such as a RAID box or NAS server. Backing up is the act of deliberately making regular copies of that data and periodically taking them to another location where the data is both safe and easily retrievable. 6

7 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A BASIC DATA PROTECTION SYSTEM ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A BASIC DATA PROTECTION SYSTEM When you start to look at creating a backup process, it is valuable to know that every backup system has six essential ingredients: Data Digital information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions, i.e., the content of your hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc. Hardware Device to Backup Data Backup is simply copying data from one device to another with the intention of protecting it against loss or damage. You can back up to additional hard drives, CDs, DVDs and tape devices. Software An essential part of a data protection system is backup software. These applications specifically aid in automating the collection, tracking, and writing of data to a backup device, as well as the restoration of data from the backup device to its place of origin. Backup Process (Internal Business Process) Scheduling backup operations in a way that adequately protects data while minimizing the impact of backup operations on networks is critical. Properly established, the backup process can liberate a company from the grueling chore of babysitting the backups (i.e., most backups can take place at night, while you sleep). Off-Site Location Storing backup tapes in the same facility where they are created exposes them to the same risk as the original data (e.g., fire and theft). By rotating backup tapes to and from a separate location, you can easily restore lost data if disaster strikes. Media It is important to have the correct number of media cartridges on hand to support the backup device and backup methodology you select. A solid media management plan promotes increased reliability and ensures media longevity. 7

8 WHY BACKUP ON TAPE? WHY BACKUP ON TAPE? Magnetic tape is the least expensive and one of the most portable media for high capacity needs. It is also immune to computer viruses, and data is typically stored in a compressed format, effectively doubling the capacity of each tape over native format. Tape cartridges easily fit in the palm of your hand, and the data transfer rate is so fast on some tape drives that they can back up multiple servers at once. In addition, tape is uniquely green since the drive motor only runs when a backup or restore operation is in progress. Archived tapes have a very long shelf life (20 years or more). Review the chart below for media comparisons. HINT BOX Tape is known for reliable backup at the lowest cost. Media Type How Much Will It Hold? (Capacity in GB - Native) How Many GB of Data is Copied per Hour? How Many GB Are Copied During 8 Hour Backup Window? Price per Unit (Avg Street Price*) Cost per GB (Native) CD-RW $1.00 $1.54 DVD-RW $1.50 $0.32 Removable Disk 160 to $80 to $250 $0.10 to 0.04** DAT $14 $0.39 DAT $36 $0.45 DLTtape VS $46 $0.29 DLTtape S $98 $0.12 Ultrium 3 (LTO-3) $30 $0.07 Ultrium 4 (LTO-4) $40 $0.05 Ultrium 5 (LTO-5) $120 $0.08 *July 2010 **With 20:1 data deduplication 8

9 SELECTING YOUR BACKUP SYSTEM SELECTING YOUR BACKUP SYSTEM Single Tape Drive or Automation Solution? Most small or mid-sized businesses will choose an autoloader/entry-level library solution or a single tape drive attached to a server. The largest businesses backing up massive amounts of data rely on tape libraries, with multiple drives and cartridges, or disk arrays, or a balanced approach utilizing both technologies, but that s another issue not addressed here. (For more information on Enterprise solutions, visit Whether a single tape drive or autoloader/entry-level library solution is best for your business depends on a number of factors, including your capacity needs and resources. Here are the main differences between standalone tape drives and autoloaders/entry-level libraries: STANDALONE TAPE DRIVE A single tape drive attached to or integrated into your server is a simple, cost-effective solution for less dataintensive environments. Tape cartridges are inserted and removed by hand. AUTOLOADER/ENTRY-LEVEL LIBRARY Automates much of the backup process across multiple tape cartridges. Human intervention is only necessary when inserting and removing tapes from the unit, such as for offsite storage purposes. An autoloader contains a single tape drive, while a library typically has more than one tape drive and has slots for a larger number of cartridges. Standalone tape drives can be mounted inside a server using one of the empty bays, run on a tabletop in an external configuration, or purchased in a standard rackmount configuration containing one or two tape drives. Autoloaders and entry-level libraries are usually mounted in a standard equipment rack, although they are sometimes placed on a tabletop. Available interfaces are SCSI, USB, SATA or SAS. Another option: Quantum RDX A non-tape backup solution for small businesses and branch offices is Quantum s RDX, which consists of a dock, which can be mounted inside a server or placed on a desktop, and removable data cartridges, each containing a 2.5 hard drive. These cartridges are ruggedized to withstand typical office handling, including a drop to a tiled floor, and come in native capacities up to one terabyte (1000GB). Like tapes, they can be taken off-site for storage, but backup and recovery are fast due to the hard drive speed. Quantum RDX includes special Windows backup software that deduplicates redundant data, so a single cartridge can last for months. For more product information, visit HINT BOX A backup device protects your business from human mistakes and lost data. 9

10 A PRIMER ON TAPE DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES A PRIMER ON TAPE DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES As you saw earlier from the media chart, CD and DVD technologies just are not big enough or fast enough to handle serious backup needs. Magnetic digital tape is a mature, field-proven medium for data storage, and tape drives can generally read and/or write to tapes from previous generations. Tape drives are rated for 250,000 hours mean time between failures (MTBF) or more, so they are extremely reliable. Several tape drive technologies are commonly used today. While all will do an adequate job of getting your data from your servers to a tape cartridge, there are differences between them and advantages you should be aware of. 10 LTO Drive Model Native Capacity (GB) Native Speed (GB/Hr) Media Type LTO Ultrium 2 LTO Ultrium 3 LTO Ultrium 4 LTO Ultrium 5 DLT Drive Model Native Capacity (GB) Native Speed (GB/Hr) Media Type Super Drives SDLT Super DLT I SDLT Super DLT II DLT-S DLT S4 Value Drives DLT VS DLT VS1 DLT-V DLT VS1 DAT Drive Brand Native Capacity (GB) Native Speed (GB/Hr) Media Type DAT DAT 72 DAT DAT 160 DAT DAT 320 Linear Tape Open, also known as LTO ( is known for its reliability, high performance and high capacities. LTO drives are an excellent choice for large capacity needs with small backup time windows. LTO maintains an exceptional reliability and forward growth path. LTO-4/LTO-5 enhances security by including hardware-based encryption. DLT (Digital Linear Tape) is a very robust technology that offers reliability, capacity and performance at an exceptional value. Over 100 million DLT cartridges and two million tape drives have been sold. DLT offers many options with different price/ performance characteristics. Digital Audio Tape, also known as DAT or DDS technology, is another popular choice for backup systems. Based on a cartridge smaller than an audio cassette, DAT provides a low-cost alternative to other formats. For lower capacity needs with longer backup time windows, DAT provides an excellent total cost of ownership due to the inexpensive media and low device costs.

11 WHAT S AN AUTOLOADER OR A TAPE LIBRARY? WHAT S AN AUTOLOADER OR A TAPE LIBRARY? The terms autoloader and library refer to an automated backup device that contains tape drive(s), slots for holding tape cartridges and a robotic mechanism for moving tapes between the slots and the tape drive(s). They are controlled by backup software, enabling specific backup routines to run automatically while simplifying restoration of data, and can usually be configured and monitored remotely via a web browser or other software. Both typically contain bar code readers to help with management of the tape cartridges. An autoloader contains a single tape drive, while a library has the capability of holding more than one tape drive. Typical Autoloader Components Picker moves tape between magazines and drives. Bar code scanner is common. LCD keypad (operator interface) Fits in computer rack. Removable cartridge magazines with a minimum of 8-cartridge slots recommended. Removable cartridge magazines with a minimum of 8 cartridge slots is recommended. 11

12 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATION? Lights Out Backups For best performance and efficiency, backups are typically run overnight, during the 8 hours or so when your staff isn t actively using the computer network. If the data to be backed up doesn t fit on a single tape, either because the size of the backup job wasn t scoped correctly or part of the tape was already used by a previous backup job, the backup software asks for another tape. In the case of a single tape drive, this means the backup job stops until a new tape is manually inserted and most likely, nobody will be there to do this. With an autoloader or a library, the robot handles this chore and the backup continues to completion. And if you dedicate one slot to a cleaning cartridge, no operator needs to be present when the drive commands a cleaning cycle. Tape Rotation The best way to protect your valuable business data is to perform a backup of new data every night, dedicating a separate tape to each week or day of the week. The tapes are rotated in sequence, one after another, so that new data doesn t overwrite older data in case you need to go back several days or weeks to find a particular version of a file someone has been working on. By loading tapes into multiple slots of an autoloader or a library, this rotation does not require manual intervention, unlike a tape drive that only holds one tape at a time. Eventually, tapes are removed from the rotation system and stored off-site for a period of time in order to maximize the disaster recovery ability; a new set of tapes (or recycled older ones) is then loaded into the system. Organization and Data Retrieval After a period of time, your company may have a large collection of tapes that contain valuable business data. Tape management and the ability to find particular files on one of them become a significant operational challenge. Virtually all autoloaders and libraries include bar code readers, allowing them to automatically read the bar code labels on individual tapes. Since these numbers are cataloged by the backup software, the system knows exactly which tape to read from. If the tape is already in the autoloader or library, the tape selection or file restore happens automatically. By combining the tape management advantages of automation with a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy, you can restore lost data in a fraction of the time vs. a standalone tape drive. Let s Face It If you re ready to buy a tape drive and your business is growing, the additional price for an autoloader or entry-level library can be minimal when compared to the administrative overhead associated with manual backups performed on standalone drives. 12

13 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATION? Six Cartridge Weekly Backup Cycle The Six Cartridge Weekly Backup is perfect for small businesses. This backup principle requires daily backups and a single weekly off-site backup copy to provide a data history of up to two weeks. Friday backups are full backups. Monday through Thursday backups are incremental. START OF CYCLE FULL BACKUP MONDAY DIFFERENTIAL TUESDAY DIFFERENTIAL WEDNESDAY DIFFERENTIAL THURSDAY DIFFERENTIAL FRIDAY FULL BACKUP STORE FRIDAY 1 OFF-SITE FRIDAY 2 BECOMES THE NEW FRIDAY 1 Thursday TOTAL DISK Wednesday Wednesday TOTAL DISK Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Monday Monday Monday Monday 13

14 WHICH AUTOLOADER OR LIBRARY IS RIGHT FOR ME? Selecting an autoloader or entry-level library is fairly straightforward. First, determine how much total data you need to back up now and how much excess capacity you want on hand to allow for data growth in the future. You certainly don t need to fill all the tape slots with cartridges unless you want to. Then decide what tape technology to use: this can be based on what tape technologies are already in use at your company along with the relative prices of the various technologies and media compared to your budget. Automating the backup process is easy and affordable with Quantum s entry automation solutions. Quantum s SuperLoader 3 autoloader and Scalar 50 libraries provide proven, highly reliable, and cost-effective solutions versus standalone drives to help small and medium-size businesses protect their data. For more information visit AUTOLOADER: SuperLoader 3 Contains a single tape drive 8 or 16 tape slots in removable magazines Compressed data capacities range from 3.5TB to 48TB* A variety of DLT and LTO tape drives are available, including LTO-5 with native encryption Available interfaces are SCSI and SAS Includes remote configuration and monitoring plus Symantec Backup Exec software *Assumes industry-standard 2:1 compression 14

15 WHICH AUTOLOADER OR LIBRARY IS RIGHT FOR ME? ENTRY-LEVEL LIBRARY Scalar i40/i80 Intelligent tape library that is ideal for entry-level and remote office environments Scalar i40 expands from 25 slots to 40 slots, holds up to 2 drives. Scalar i80 expands from 50 slots to 80 slots, holds up to 8 drives. ilayer intelligent management simplifies library management and increases reliability, reducing service calls by 50% Capacity-on-Demand (COD) growth for simple, non-disruptive expansion, providing market-leading investment protection AES-256 bit Encryption Standard for highest levels of security SAS and native FC interfaces HINT BOX You have many choices for hardware and your selection should be based upon your budget, amount of data and the backup time window. Be sure also to consider the stability of the manufacturer, experience in backup/recovery and breadth of product lines. 15

16 BACKUP SOFTWARE: THE BRAINS BEHIND THE HARDWARE Choosing a tape drive or an autoloader/library is only part of a backup solution. You must also decide which backup software you will use to control the device. Software can be simple, backing up just the files on a single server, or it can be complex, protecting multiple servers along with systems, databases, etc. Some tape drives and autoloaders come bundled with the basic software you need to backup one server, giving you a complete backup solution in a single package. Quantum, for instance, has configurations that include a copy of Symantec Backup Exec QuickStart with the tape drive or autoloader. Backup software collects data from various sources, such as PCs and file servers, and writes a copy of that data to the tape media in the backup device. Most companies employ two types of backup: full and incremental. Full backups, which copy and store all available data, are usually performed at the end of the week, since much more data needs to be collected. For an incremental backup, the software detects and collects only data that has changed since the previous incremental backup. Typically, incremental backups are performed nightly so the data transfer does not impact users on the network. outside of the autoloader, such as for off-site storage purposes. Backup routines and drive-cleaning regimens can be managed by the backup software, so data can be protected without hassles. Backup software products from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are highly refined and are often optimized to work with specific models of tape drives or autoloaders. ISVs and hardware manufacturers even offer certifications that ensure the software and autoloader will work together flawlessly. Their powerful features, flexibility and simplified management tools easily justify their cost. Autoloaders and libraries facilitate both types of backup by responding to commands from the backup software. Human intervention is only necessary when inserting and removing tapes 16

17 BACKUP SOFTWARE: THE BRAINS BEHIND THE HARDWARE The main things to look for when shopping for backup software are: Calendar-based scheduling to customize backup strategies Easy wizards to configure, backup and restore your files and applications Ability to backup and restore multiple servers and operating systems from a single console Rotation schemes to easily manage daily, weekly and monthly backup jobs without user intervention Easy install with the ability to start doing backups right after installation The primary Independent Software Vendors in the backup market are: Symantec with Backup Exec and NetBackup products EMC with NetWorker Computer Associates (CA) with ARCserve 17

18 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING FOR A BACKUP SYSTEM 1. What is your backup window when and how long will it take you to do your backup? Since the backup process is touching the data while it is making a copy, it is recommended that you backup your data after your employees have gone home. That way, work is not affected by the load on the file server or the network. So, if your company is like most, you can start your backup at 8pm. If you want it to finish by 6am the next morning, you have a 10-hour backup window. 2. How much data do you need to backup? Typically, you will only need to backup your live data, not everything on your computer such as program files and the operating system. To see how much data you have, you can look in your application data folders and the My Documents folders. Most computer operators know how to see how much data is on the hard drives. Most days, you will only need to backup the data that has changed since the previous backup. There is no need to backup data that has not changed when you already have a copy of it in your full backup. In a medium-sized business example, where 10% of the data changes each day (actually, this is a large amount): HINT BOX A good rule of thumb is that the amount of data in a company doubles every months. Friday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: full backup: 300GB back up only what is new, i.e., 10% change: 30GB same change rate as Monday: 30GB same change rate as Tuesday: 30GB same change rate as Wednesday: 30GB same change rate as Thursday (30GB) plus a weekly full backup: 300GB + 30GB = 330GB Total storage space required to keep two full backups and one week of incrementals is 750GB. Given a typical 2:1 data compression, that means about 375GB of tape used. This would normally fit on a single LTO-3 cartridge, for example. 18

19 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE SHOPPING FOR A BACKUP SYSTEM 3. How fast is your data growing? While backing up the data that has changed will determine how much total storage you need now, estimating how much your data will grow can show what you will need a year from now. A good rule of thumb is that the amount of data in a company doubles every months. In our example, let s say the data will grow 50% in 12 months, to 450GB. After a year, the total storage requirement per week will be: Friday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: full backup: 450GB back up only what is new, i.e., 10% change: 45GB same change rate as Monday: 45GB same change rate as Tuesday: 45GB same change rate as Wednesday: 45GB same change rate as Thursday (45GB) plus a weekly full backup: 450GB + 45GB = 495GB 4. How often do you want to physically move tapes off-site? Remember that you will want to have tapes stored off-site to prepare for a worst-case scenario in which all of your computer data is lost, such as a fire. If you move tapes off-site every week, your data would be at most one week old. During normal backup operations, you can recycle these tapes in a rotation scheme, overwriting them after a sufficient number of more recent tapes has been made, unless you have a regulatory requirement to keep all the data. Example Summary Backup Window: Amount of Data: Amount of Storage Required: Rate Data is Growing: Total Data in 1 Year: Moves Tapes Off-site: 10 hours 300GB 750GB 50% a year 450GB Weekly 19

20 SO... HOW DO I INSTALL THE SYSTEM? SO... HOW DO I INSTALL THE SYSTEM? HINT BOX Some people are not comfortable installing and configuring unfamiliar hardware and software. Make sure the manufacturer or reseller you purchase from offers installation services and adequate support. When you purchase a tape drive, an autoloader or entry-level library, you will receive full installation instructions or some type of Getting Started guide. Luckily, one of the central missions of manufacturers is to make their products easy to install and use. Typically, installation guides are simple documents that contain graphically detailed instructions in easy order. Special skills or knowledge of computers is not absolutely necessary, but it may help. What you can expect for installation steps are as follows: Connecting the device to a server: If your server doesn t have the proper connection port, you may need to install an interface card, also called a host bus adapter (HBA), to connect the cable from the drive, autoloader or entry-level library. Contact your computer professional for assistance if necessary. Installing software: At a minimum, this may mean the driver software that enables communication between the computer operating system and the device, although many tape drives are natively supported by Windows. You will also need to install backup software, either provided with the backup device or purchased separately. Both of these installations are generally straightforward. Powering up: In the case of an autoloader, entry-level library or external tape drive, you will need to plug it in and turn it on. There may be a simple configuration routine to perform with the user interface (screen and buttons) on the front of the unit. Rack-mounting: This one s optional, but most autoloaders and entry-level libraries (as well as some tape drives) are installed in a standard 19-inch equipment rack, using a rackmount kit. This might be handy if you want to put your backup system in the same rack as your servers. 20

21 UP AND RUNNING. SO NOW WHAT? UP AND RUNNING. SO NOW WHAT? Setting proper backup procedures is critical for maximizing the value of your backup solution. Most backup software will contain recommended procedures based on your needs. However there are a few simple guidelines, as mentioned earlier in this guide. How often? Most companies find that a daily incremental backup, with a full backup on the weekend, provides the right balance between data protection and impact on network systems. HINT BOX Planning your backup process is the most important step in protecting your data. How do I know if it worked? Backup software provides a verify function. It takes a little longer for the software to check the data on each tape, but you ll know it s there when you need it. Disaster recovery strategies All companies of all sizes need to store their backed up data off-site. That way, if there s an earthquake, flood, fire, theft, virus or other disaster, tapes from the remote location can be returned to restore downed systems. Otherwise, anything bad that happens to your PCs and servers will most likely also affect your backup tapes if housed in the same facility. A backup for your backup process Make sure that a second person is trained in the backup process in case the primary person is out of the office. It s also a good idea to periodically check backup tapes to make sure that proper processes are being followed. When data is missing, it s usually not the tape drive or the backup software that s at fault! 21

22 THIS IS A TAPE STORY. SO LET S REWIND. THIS IS A TAPE STORY. SO LET S REWIND. Backup products like tape drives, autoloaders and entry-level libraries help ensure happy endings to stories of near-tragedy. So let s visit Jane again, this time a month before the burglary. Having read a copy of Backup Basics, Jane called her local reseller whom she s trusted for years. She discussed her requirements and preferences with a salesperson and ordered an autoloader and backup software. Installation was easy. She scheduled daily incremental backups, with a full backup running during the weekend. Each Monday, she took home the tape that contained the full backup. This, she decided, was adequate disaster protection for her company. Disaster struck. Burglars made off with all her office equipment, including her new autoloader. But panic did not set in. Insurance claims were filed, equipment was replaced and, most notably, Jane s business did not fail. After pulling the tape cartridge containing the previous weekend s backup from her fireproof safe, Jane started to rebuild her systems, including data from client projects, contact databases, graphics archives and . She and her employees settled in and picked up where they left off. Even if the burglars had never struck, the automated tape backup system streamlined her day-today operations by safely and routinely backing up data without human intervention. That way, even common but still troublesome events, such as a hard drive failure, corruption from a virus, or mistakenly deleted files, can be managed without serious disruption to the business day. 22

23 WHERE TO TURN IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS WHERE TO TURN IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS While Backup Basics is intended to answer many of the questions faced by businesses with backup challenges, it is not a replacement for individual contact with a knowledgeable storage professional. Personalized help can be found at Quantum Corporation. Quantum offers DLT, LTO and DAT tape drives, as well as autoloaders and libraries, and with more than 30 years of experience, is a useful resource for more detailed storage information. For more product information and a list of Where to Buy, please visit In North America, call the Quantum Call Center toll free at or

24 GLOSSARY GLOSSARY Autoloader: a data storage device containing one tape drive, tape cartridge slots and a mechanical device that automatically loads and removes tapes from the drive(s), usually used for backup/restore. Automation: the techniques and equipment used to achieve automatic operation or control, i.e., replacing human activity with a mechanical solution. Backup: the act of deliberately collecting data, creating a viable copy of it, and storing it where it is both safe and easily retrieved. Backup process: the guidelines or schedules by which backup operations occur. Backup software: a software application that specifically aids in automating the collection and writing of data to a backup device, as well as the restoration of data from the backup device to its place of origin. Backup window: the time during which a backup is scheduled to take place, usually during non-working or off-peak hours when impact to network users will be minimal. Capacity: the measure of data that can be stored on a device. Compression (compressed): encoding data to take up less storage space on magnetic tape. Compression is carried out in the server (software compression) or in the drive itself (hardware compression). Software compression speed is dependent on computer processor power, whereas hardware compression gives optimum performance and is transparent to the user. Data transfer speed and total tape capacity are affected by the data compression achieved. 24

25 GLOSSARY Data: digital information Data protection: the act of reducing risk to data loss or corruption. DDS/DAT (Digital Audio Tape): A magnetic tape technology for backing up data using helical scan recording. DAT uses 4mm or 8mm cartridges that look like small audiocassettes and conform to the DDS (Digital Data Storage) standard. With capacity points of 72, 160, or 320GB per tape (compressed), DAT is popular in the workstation, PC and small server environments. Disaster recovery: a plan by which backed-up data can be restored after a catastrophic event. DLT (Digital Linear Tape): a linear tape technology designed specifically to store for backup/restore and archival applications. Full backup: a backup operation that copies all available data from network-attached sources (servers, PCs, drives and drive arrays). GB: gigabyte; a unit of computer memory or data storage capacity equal to one billion bytes (1000 megabytes). Host Bus Adapter (HBA): a hardware device, typically a plug-in card, used for the interface between a server and network or other device (such as an autoloader). Incremental backup: a backup operation that detects and collects only data that has been created or changed since the previous backup. 25

26 GLOSSARY Independent Software Vendor (ISV): software companies that create products to be used with hardware devices from various manufacturers. (e.g., Symantec, Computer Associates) LTO (Linear Tape Open): a linear tape technology designed for data storage applications such as backup/restore and archive. Magazine: removable container with multiple slots for holding tape cartridges for easy transportability or off-site storage. Mail Slot: opening in the autoloader where tape cartridges can be removed and inserted into the autoloader without turning it off or interrupting operation. Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF): a statistical reliability measurement expressing the expected life of a device before service or replacement is required. Off-site: a term used to describe the removal of backup tapes from the premises where they were created to provide a geographical safeguard against loss or damage. Picker: robotic mechanism for capturing a tape and moving it within the autoloader. Restore, restoration: to replace lost or damaged data with a copy found on a backup tape or tapes. SAS: Serial Attached SCSI, the most advanced and highest-performance version of the SCSI interface. 26

27 GLOSSARY SCSI: Small Computer System Interface; used for connecting peripheral devices, such as autoloaders, to computers or servers. Standalone tape drive: a single tape drive that is not part of an automated solution. Storage: a place where data resides; example: server or computer hard drive, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic tape. Tape drive: the device that writes and reads data to and from a magnetic tape. Tape cartridge: the container housing tape, spindle(s), and sometimes-embedded computer chips, such as with LTO. Transfer rate (data transfer rate): a measurement of tape drive performance that quantifies how quickly data can be read or written by a tape drive. Verify: an operation performed by backup software that ensures a viable copy of specified data has been recorded by the backup device. 27

28 Preserving the World s Most Important Data. Yours Quantum Corporation. All rights reserved. Quantum, the Quantum logo, and all other logos are registered trademarks of Quantum Corporation or of their respective owners. Quantum s deduplication technology is protected by Pending and Issued U.S. and Foreign Patent No. 5,990,810. Product specs subject to change without prior notification. Americas Headquarters 1650 Technology Drive Suite 700 San Jose, CA Tel: EMEA Headquarters 8 rue des Graviers Neuilly-Sur-Seine France Tel: APAC Headquarters 229 Mountbatten Road, #02-20/22 Mountbatten Square Singapore Tel: ST00331-v05 Oct 2010