With the introduction of Linear Tape Open (LTO) Ultrium 9 standard, many enterprises are considering (or actively planning for) migration.

LTO-9 boasts a 50% increase in capacity over LTO-8, with a compressed capacity of 45 terabytes (TB). It’s also substantially faster: Uncompressed data transfer rates can reach 400 megabytes per second (MBps). 

If you’re considering LTO-9 migration, there’s good news: Migrating from LTO-8 is straightforward, thanks to the LTO format’s backwards-compatibility. But every migration project requires thoughtful planning — and a qualified data partner can make a difference.

Below, we’ll discuss several general tips for LTO-9 migration. If you’re ready to discuss your migration project, send us a message to connect with an expert.

Determine which tapes will be part of the migration. 

Few data centers will need to perform a 1:1 tape migration; if you’re ready to upgrade, there’s a good chance that you’ll eliminate certain legacy tapes. That’s particularly true if your archives include cartridges in several different formats; part of the goal of the migration is to simplify your backup/archival infrastructure. 

To perform an accurate analysis, collect as much information as possible about current backups and archives. At the bare minimum, your notes should include:

• The total number of tape cartridges in each format.
• The names and versions of the backup applications.
• The age of the oldest data sets.

With the information in front of you, you’ll be able to make informed decisions. You may decide to let older data sets age out before the process starts, or you may elect to purchase additional legacy hardware to improve the efficiency of the migration.

Understand the limits of LTO’s backwards compatibility. 

Most generations of LTO are backwards-compatible for two generations. However, that changed with LTO-8. If you have LTO-7 tapes — or any older cartridges — you’ll need to make considerations for hardware when planning the migration. 

The bottom line: LTO-9 drives can read LTO-8 tapes, at LTO-8 speeds (no faster). LTO-9 hardware cannot read LTO-7 or earlier, for a simple reason: LTO-9 and LTO-8 drives use TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistive) read/write heads, which allow for a substantially higher areal density. 

Once again, it’s wise to ask a few quick questions:

• Will the tape migration project include older LTO formats? 
• If so, do I have sufficient hardware to migrate the older tapes with reasonable efficiency?
• What will be the approximate timeframe of the migration, given the performance limitations of backwards-compatible LTO-9 drives? 

At this point, you can begin making purchasing decisions about LTO-9 hardware. Remember, you’re not planning just for the migration — you’re making long-term decisions that affect your organization’s scalability. 

Choose hardware for the migration.

LTO-9 drives are available as Full Height and Half Height models. Apart from their physical dimensions, the only difference between the two is performance: 

• LTO-9 Full Height drives have a native conformance of up to 400MBps (1000 MBps compressed). When accessing LTO-8 cartridges, LTO-9 Full Height drives can reach speeds of 360 MBps (900 MBps compressed).
• LTO-9 Half Height drives have a native conformance of up to 300MBps (500 MBps compressed). They can read LTO-8 cartridges with approximately the same performance.

Of course, a major reason for migration is improved throughput — but half height drives may be a practical addition to your infrastructure, particularly if you’re handling a large migration from LTO-8 on your own. 

Don’t assign the migration to an overworked IT team.

Every tape migration project has unique challenges. In general, IT teams can handle those challenges, but handling those challenges efficiently is another story. 

By working with a data partner, you can remove many of the bottlenecks that impact major tape migration projects. That’s particularly true when moving to a current-generation format: Your partner can help you select datasets for migration, manage hardware, and maintain appropriate security controls throughout the process.

At Total Data Migration, we’re dedicated to providing our clients with best-practice guidance during major migration and catalog ingestion projects. Features of our services include:

• Options for onsite and remote migration.
• An extensive library of legacy hardware and backup software, which allows for reliable turnaround times.
• Dedicated experts with decades of experience in at-scale data management. 
• Resources for tape cartridge data recovery, data conversion, and secure data sanitization.

If your organization is considering an LTO-9 tape migration project, we’re ready to help. Contact us at (800) 460-7599 to schedule a free consultation or click here for email contact info.

Magnetic tapes have played an integral role in data storage for more than 70 years. Today, the tape data storage market continues to grow — while the market for hard drives has started to wane.

Below, we’ll provide an overview of the history of data storage. For guidance with a tape migration project, read: Planning Tape Data Migration: 5 Key Factors for Success or send us a message to connect with an expert.

1951: Magnetic Tape Becomes a Data Storage Standard

Prior to the 1950s, magnetic tape was widely used for audio storage. That changed with the UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer), the first American computer created for civilian administrative use. 

The UNIVAC 1 had a basic internal memory capable of storing 100 words with 12 characters each, but for many applications, this was insufficient. The UNIVAC 1 supported up to 10 UNISERVO tape drives, which stored data in fixed-size blocks of 60 words (again, with 12 characters each). 

1956: The First Hard Drives Enter the Market

The IBM Model 350 was the first commercially available hard drive, and it was immediately a viable alternative to magnetic tape. 

The Model 350 could store 3.75 megabytes on fifty 24-inch disks — an incredible achievement for the time. While it was relatively expensive (lease agreements cost $750 per month), its enormous capacity made it essential for many applications. 

Subsequent generations doubled the capacity of each previous generation of hard drive. That trend continued for decades, but tape storage remained critical. 

1961: IBM Introduces the IBM 7340

The IBM 7340 Hypertape was designed for scientific workloads, with major improvements to processing speed and storage capacity. It was notable for being one of the first dual-reel cassettes — a precursor to the tape cartridges that became commonplace in data centers several decades later. 

During the early age of computing, mass data storage devices were only attainable (and necessary) for specific uses. Colleges and government offices could afford to purchase tape drives and lease hard drives, but the home computer revolution brought much more significant changes to data storage technology.

1970s – 1980s: Compact Cassettes Become Standard for Home Computers

Technically, home computers were available in the 1970s, but these “microcomputers” were mostly popular with hobbyists. As microprocessors became more affordable, home computing became practically possible.

The Apple II series, introduced in 1977, supported floppy disks, hard drives, and Smartport storage. And in 1982, the Commodore 64 (C64) became a dominant player in the low-end home computing market. 

The Commodore Datasette 300 baud tape interface enabled users to install applications and store personal data. Since the tapes could “download” audio data, some radio and television stations would broadcast software for users to record and install on their C64s. 

1980s: The Growth of the Commercial Tape Backup Industry 

As computers became more affordable, commercial enterprises looked for ways to back up extensive amounts of data. The computing industry responded, introducing a number of high-density formats:

• Digital Linear Tape (DLT), introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1984.
• The IBM 3480 family, a one-half inch cartridge introduced in 1984.
• Data 8, an eight-millimeter helical scan magnetic cassette introduced by Sony in 1987. 
• Digital Data Storage (DDS), based on Digital Audio Tape (DAT) format and introduced in 1989.

These tape cartridges featured progressively faster read/write speeds, more storage, and improved longevity. However, the lack of a consistent standard introduced problems: Organizations would need to regularly migrate to new formats to take advantage of the improvements in the tech. 

2000: Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Provides an Open Standard for Data Storage

In the late 1990s, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Quantum established the LTO Consortium, which developed the LTO Ultrium format as an affordable alternative to proprietary tape cartridges. 

The refined “super tape” addressed many data storage challenges:

• All LTO formats are backwards-compatible with at least one previous generation.
• Each generation dramatically extends the capacity of the previous generation. LTO-9, the latest format at the time of publication, provides an 18-terabyte native capacity, and LTO-10 is expected to feature twice the capacity.
• From LTO-3 onwards, the format is WORM (Write Once, Read Many) capable.
• From LTO-4 onwards, LTO tapes are encryption capable. 
• The Linear Tape File System (LTFS), introduced with LTO-5, allows users to access data similarly to conventional storage devices like hard drives and flash drives, bypassing one of the major drawbacks of read-only magnetic storage.

Of course, hard drive technology continued to improve during the 1990s and 2000s, but tape storage remained essential for data archiving and enterprise backup. 

2020s: The Rise of Ransomware and Continued Growth

Today, many enterprises and data centers continue to rely on tape cartridges — for good reason.

Tapes can insulate organizations from the threat of ransomware by providing air-gapped storage, and the LTO Ultrium 9 format boasts a lower per-terabyte cost than commercial hard drives. Tapes allow for improved archival scalability, and they’re generally more secure than other storage solutions (depending on the design of the system). 

At Total Data Migration, we’ve sung the praises of tape storage for decades. Given that the market continues to outpace the market for hard drive storage, we’ve made some accurate predictions. 

If you’re considering a data project, we’re prepared to help. Our experts can help your organization form a tape migration strategy, securely sanitize legacy media, and limit exposure to ransomware and other malware.

To learn more, send us a message to schedule a consultation.

Migrating data from one database to another can be beneficial for a number of reasons. The new database might offer enhanced security, better performance, or more scalability — and if your current data ecosystem is heavily fragmented or outdated, migration can provide an immediate return on investment. 

 

However, database migration can be risky without an appropriate strategy. Data loss, data conversion, and unexpected downtime can easily extend the timeline.

 

Total Data Migration regularly handles enterprise DB migration projects, and by leveraging decades of expertise with an expansive set of hardware and software tools, we’re able to help our clients expedite their projects. Contact us to learn more or read on for tips for planning a successful database migration.

 

1. Identify the target for database migration — and establish clear goals.

 

As with any large-scale project, database migration requires a clear scope. You’ll need to outline your project carefully and document every process as you progress through each phase. The vast majority of database migration mistakes occur during this planning stage.

 

Some questions to consider:

 

• What data will be migrated? 
• What methodologies will be used to identify redundant data?
• What storage media is currently used for the target data (cloud storage, backup tapes, etc.)?
• Is the data standardized across all target media?
• Can archival data be converted to match the target format?
• What controls are in place to prevent data loss?
• Will database migration occur in one operation (“big bang” data migration) or in phases?

 

This last question is particularly important. “Big bang” data migration, while resource intensive, is sometimes necessary to limit downtime. However, phase-based migration (also called “trickle data migration”) carries lower risks.

 

If you’re operating on an established timeline, we strongly recommend working with an experienced database migration partner. Total Data Migration can help your organization plan effectively — and address unexpected challenges that occur during the execution. 

 

Related: Planning Tape Data Migration: 5 Key Factors for Success

 

2. Don’t roll database migration into another project.

 

If you’re migrating a large amount of data, there’s a good chance that you’re making other changes to your IT infrastructure or data governance policies. We often work with enterprises that migrate databases when switching to new archival software, for instance, or when upgrading software to improve performance and scalability.

 

It’s important to treat database migration as its own project, not as a subset of a larger change. The challenges of migration vary from company to company — no two projects are exactly the same, and your team will need flexibility to respond to bottlenecks and unexpected issues.

If migration is part of a larger project, that flexibility may not be available, and teams may have difficulty communicating. The cost of the project (and the potential for unexpected downtime) will grow. 

 

In other words, once you’ve established the scope of the project, stick to it. 

 

3. Don’t assign the entire project to your IT team.

 

Your IT team may be capable of executing database migration on its own — but they probably shouldn’t. Depending on your IT department’s capabilities, they may not be able to execute the operation within the expected timeline while handling other duties (not to mention the additional workloads of data validation, backup, and disaster recovery). 

 

Involving other departments will help to minimize errors and operational interruptions. However, even with an all-hands-on-deck approach, third-party experts can be a valuable resource. 

 

An experienced migration partner will provide an excellent return on investment regardless of the size or characteristics of the data. By anticipating bottlenecks and establishing clear data controls, your migration partner will keep your project on track and within budget. 

 

4. Have a testing strategy in place.

 

Needless to say, your enterprise should see better performance after migration than your baseline performance. If you’re not executing load and performance testing, however, you can’t determine whether the project was a success or whether future errors will impact data availability.

 

Your database migration partner can help you form a testing strategy that includes both high-level analysis and query-specific optimization. Depending on the type of data and the target storage infrastructure, free (or low-cost) monitoring tools can be enormously helpful, but without experienced analysis, you’ll have trouble separating the signal from the noise — particularly if you’re migrating a large amount of archival data. 

 

Total Data Migration provides onsite and remote resources for all types of database migration projects. Whether you’re upgrading to a new database format or reducing operational costs by moving data tapes to the cloud, our experts can help your team maintain the quality of migrated data while complying with all security and privacy requirements. Get started by scheduling a consultation.

In litigation, relevant communications are invaluable evidence, and emails frequently play key roles in court decisions and settlements. Many organizations are required by law to retain all emails for a specific period — and when litigation begins, email retention requirements must be executed immediately and thoroughly.

Today, most enterprises have established email retention policies for all (data regardless of specific compliance requirements) in order to ensure that archives will be available when litigation occurs. Modern data tape cartridges like LTO (and earlier formats like DLT, DDS, and AIT) offer numerous advantages for archiving, as they’re relatively easy to maintain securely while managing costs.

For attorneys, however, data tapes can present problems. Even if an organization executes a near-perfect archival strategy, accessing emails on data tapes can prove difficult — and expensive. An experienced tape partner can help attorneys address the challenges while reducing the cost and timeframe of email retrieval.

Most law firms don’t have appropriate onsite resources for data tape restoration.

Restoring email archives from data tapes requires specialized hardware, software, and expertise. While many law firms have capable IT departments that regularly work with certain backup tape formats, most don’t have significant experience with every single format — not to mention different email file formats and security controls.

Additionally, data migration requires a targeted approach during litigation. Finding relevant data from a large data set can be a time-consuming process, even for seasoned IT professionals. Emails are especially critical for e-discovery efforts, but a single data tape archive might hold hundreds of thousands of emails, most of which will be irrelevant to the case.

Your migration partner can make the process much less labor intensive. Total Data Migration maintains an onsite hardware library with a comprehensive set of legacy and current-generation tape drives. Because our team has decades of experience with various email formats and operating systems — and the unique challenges that accompany litigation — we’re able to return relevant data in ready-to-access formats. If your office is comfortable with Outlook PSTs, for instance, we can ensure that the restored files are accessible without compromising the privacy or security of the documents.

Improperly accessing retained emails on data tapes can create chain of custody concerns.

Law firms often attempt to handle email discovery in-house out of concern for the chain of custody. Ironically, this can have the opposite of the intended effect: The firm’s IT staff takes on the time-consuming work, but make key mistakes with the restored data due to unfamiliarity with the tape migration process.

When litigation requires large-scale access to data tapes, professional tape migration services are essential — but the tape migration partner needs to understand the importance of the chain of custody. Recovered evidence may be declared inadmissible without detailed documentation. This documentation shows that the electronic evidence is essentially unchanged; an experienced tape migration partner can help attorneys demonstrate that file format conversions and other essential activities have not substantially altered the condition of the emails.

Different email and backup software formats can lead to excessive migration timeframes.

Many enterprises update their systems regularly to improve security and efficiency. Unfortunately, this isn’t always followed by updates to archiving practices; we regularly work with clients that maintain archives in various formats for retention purposes. Migrating data to a single format can be expensive, particularly for larger archives, and enterprises often delay migration as long as possible.

During discovery requests, this can create significant challenges. To present retained data, the organization will need to convert older archives to a current format, which can take a tremendous amount of time. Some courts may recognize this as a hardship, but attorneys can’t rely on that argument — the court may also determine that since the organization cannot access the data in a reasonable timeframe, they’ve failed to comply with retention orders.

Once again, a knowledgeable tape partner can help attorneys address this problem. By drawing on experience with various email file formats, backup software implementations, and archival infrastructures, our team can help to reduce the tape migration timeframe. We work with clients to convert data into readable formats, identify key files, and provide access to relevant emails (or other files, depending on the requirements of the case).

Total Data Migration has an established reputation as the tape restoration partner of choice for government agencies, eDiscovery providers, legal firms, and litigation service providers. To discuss onsite and remote options for litigation-related email restoration, contact us today to set up a consultation.

On Sept. 7, 2021, Fujifilm Recording Media USA officially announced the launch — and crucially, the availability — of the Fujifilm LTO Ultrium 9 data cartridge.

The LTO-9 format is widely expected to supplant LTO-8 as the data tape cartridge of choice for enterprise archival storage. That process may take years; enterprise adoption of new tape formats can be slow due to the perceived (and real) costs of tape migration. Nevertheless, LTO-9 offers significant advantages over its predecessor:

• LTO-9 offers 45 terabytes (TB) of compressed storage capacity and an 18TB native capacity. That’s a 50% increase from LTO-8’s 30TB compressed / 12TB native capacity.
• LTO-9 offers data transfer speeds of 1,000 megabytes per second (MB/s) for compressed data (440 MB/sec native). For comparison, LTO-8 offered 750 MB/s compressed and 360 MB/sec native.
• Like LTO-8, LTO-9 supports the LTFS filesystem, which allows for access to individual files — a potentially crucial consideration when using data tapes to protect against ransomware and other threats.

While LTO-9 is a major step forward for air-gapped storage media, the new format breaks with the tradition of the Linear Tape Open format: Previous generations doubled the capacity of their predecessors and typically doubled data access speeds.

LTO-9 offers a comparatively modest increase in capacity and performance. However, it’s still a substantial improvement; 45-terabyte cartridges can conceivably cut the cost of archival storage significantly for enterprises with large archival infrastructures. The improved read speeds are expected to have a dramatic effect during disaster recovery, electronic discovery, and other instances that require access at scale.

Who Should Consider an Upgrade to LTO-9?

All Linear Tape Open formats are backwards-compatible for at least one generation. In other words, LTO-9 drives can read LTO-8 tapes, although they’re limited by the access speed of the format. That means that LTO-9 hardware can read compressed LTO-8 cartridges at speeds of up to 750 MB/s, but upgrading to the new format won’t increase access speeds past this point.

As data tape experts, we believe that all enterprises should consider migrating to current-generation formats, particularly when IT administrators encounter issues related to archival storage. If your archives have a large physical footprint or your backups routinely span numerous tapes, upgrading to LTO-9 makes sense.

Some factors to keep in mind when making your decision:

• The backwards compatibility of LTO-9 can limit many of the costs associated with tape migration.
• LTO-9 media is expected to have a significantly lower cost per terabyte than LTO-8. The format also reduces energy costs and CO2 emissions, per Fujifilm’s press release.
• While well-maintained LTO-8 hardware will be available for the conceivable future, the introduction of new formats can drive up the cost of legacy tape drives. For many organizations, upgrading at the beginning of the format lifecycle can reduce long-term expenses.
• LTO-9 tape libraries can improve archival scalability and reliability. While LTO-9 boasts a mere 50% capacity improvement over the previous generation, tape library implementation may enable an enterprise to implement more effective structural improvements in its archival strategy.
• Wherever possible, tape migration should not be assigned to your IT team. Migration requires thorough evaluation of each tape and set, along with thorough documentation. In other words, it’s a time consuming task that can create fatigue, even for seasoned IT administrators.

By working with an experienced migration partner, enterprises can reduce the resources allocated for this type of project — Total Data Migration maintains an extensive hardware library that includes all LTO formats (along with DLT, AIT, reel-to-reel, and other legacy tapes). Our team has the necessary experience to manage issues that occur during migration including data conversion, data tape repair, and security compliance considerations.

To discuss LTO-9 conversion or other tape migration services, contact us today to set up a consultation.

Maintaining a legacy archive can be expensive and inefficient, especially when legacy tapes use outdated backup software. Nevertheless, many enterprises retain their legacy systems for years — or even decades — after switching to a new software solution.

This can be costly; staff need to receive training for both the new and the legacy backup system, and enterprises must pay for software licenses to ensure data access. License fees can quickly add to overall maintenance costs.

There’s another important factor to consider: Legacy backup software might be functional, but it’s rarely efficient. Finding specific data can be difficult and costly if the system isn’t searchable or if it restores the target files to an undesirable format. On a file-by-file level, this is a minor issue, but if an enterprise needs to restore data from a set of tapes, the costs can quickly grow.

A better solution is to fully migrate your archives to ensure compatibility with your current backup solution. Converting data carries a one-time cost, and it’s far less expensive over time than maintaining two separate backup systems.

Backup tapes are commonly targeted during electronic discovery, but without proper methodology, tape restoration can be expensive and burdensome. Law firms have an obligation to limit costs, and an experienced tape restoration partner can be an important resource.

A backup set is likely to contain a large amount of redundant and irrelevant data. Combing through a large set of data tapes can cause an enormous increase in e-discovery expenses — and when legal teams attempt to perform ediscovery in-house, backup tapes often create operational bottlenecks.

Nevertheless, most legal teams will eventually need specific data from backup or archival tape cartridges. Enterprises rely on tape, as it offers low pricing and practical utility. Many tape formats can be stored for decades without data loss, and since tapes aren’t as susceptible to environmental factors as other magnetic media, they’re the standard technology for long-term data retention.

Are data tapes accessible, or do they create an undue burden?

Defendants may reasonably claim that tape restoration is too expensive or time-consuming, but those arguments are not always successful. Modern tape formats like LTO-8 can be accessed relatively quickly, and to make proportionality arguments, attorneys need to demonstrate why tape restoration is excessively burdensome.

Some key considerations:

● Legal teams may claim that data tape ediscovery creates undue costs and hardship. In Elkharwily v. Franciscan Health System, Case No. 3:15-cv-05579, the defendant successfully made that argument when citing the then-recently revised guidelines of the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(1) (FRCP) concerning proportionality.

● However, judges have broad discretion to determine whether proportionality applies. Certain tape formats cannot be reasonably described as creating an undue burden, particularly when specific data is needed from a small set of tapes.

● Courts can interpret FRCP guidance differently. Legal teams should operate under the assumption that ediscovery is not burdensome, even when arguing otherwise.

● Plaintiffs may voluntarily assume the costs of discovery. Courts may also compel them to undertake those expenses.

Ultimately, your legal team will require a tape restoration partner, even when making proportionality arguments. When a client is required to cover the expenses of ediscovery, attorneys have an interest in keeping costs low while providing the required data within a reasonable timeframe.

How should legal teams approach data tapes during e-discovery?

While data tape restoration can be expensive, costs — and time frame — can be managed, regardless of the exact format of the tapes or the nature of the data in question. As with other aspects of ediscovery, proper management requires an understanding of tape technology.

Avoid handling data tape restoration in-house.

Even in cases where an IT department has the necessary hardware to restore tape cartridges, they aren’t the most efficient resource. Tape restoration can take hundreds of man hours, particularly when working with legacy equipment. Older tape drives may malfunction, endangering tapes and data, and sourcing hardware for older formats can be costly.

Additionally, many IT employees have no experience with maintaining chain of custody reports, which can create issues during litigation. Operators will need to demonstrate clear, repeatable processes, and documentation can further expand the cost of data retrieval.

Professional tape migration firms can often restore tape in a fraction of the time of a well-equipped IT department. Your tape restoration partner can also convert data to newer formats, create indexes, and limit the time your team spends on discovery.

Collect information about the data tapes.

By providing accurate information about the data in question, your team can reduce the costs of e-discovery. Gather as much info as possible, including:

● Tape format (popular formats include LTO, DDS, DLT, AIT, and IBM 3592, but dozens of other formats are in common use.)

● The generation and size of the tapes.

● Information about the backup system, including operating system, data backup software name, and backup software version number.

● The organization’s backup frequency.

● The number of tape sets and total number of tapes.

● Where possible, the file format, names, and expected size of the necessary files.

You’ll also need to gather keys for encrypted media. Your tape restoration partner should be able to analyze this information and provide a detailed quote; make sure to explain that the restored data will be used in litigation, as tape restoration processes may need to be modified to ensure that the files are usable in a court of law.

Work with an experienced tape restoration partner.

An experienced tape migration firm can limit expenses substantially. At Total Data Migration, we maintain an extensive library of functional hardware for every tape generation, ensuring the fastest possible response with reasonable and predictable costs.

Our experts can assist with locating files, converting them (where necessary), and providing lists of relevant data. We perform data restoration in a secure, controlled setting, and our extensive experience can be vitally important when filing or responding to litigation.

To schedule a free consultation, send us an email or call (800) 460-7599 to speak with an expert.

 

Determining when to migrate to a new backup format isn’t always easy, particularly when you’re making that decision towards the end of a generation. This year, Linear Tape Open (LTO) 9 will launch with a greatly expanded capacity compared with LTO-8.

Of course, if your business is still using older formats like LTO-7, you’re not alone. Enterprises often skip a generation when upgrading their archives, since regularly migrating to the latest format can be expensive. Tape migration is especially costly for large archival data sets, and migration requires careful planning to ensure security.

LTO-9 is not yet available, though it’s expected to launch in September 2021. If your enterprise is considering data tape migration, you’ll need to determine whether upgrading to LTO-8 could provide significant advantages — or whether LTO-9 will provide a better return on investment.

What are the advantages of migrating to LTO-9?

LTO-9 offers several benefits over LTO-8. Some considerations to keep in mind:

● LTO-9 has an improved capacity of 18 terabytes (TB) native and 45 TB compressed (compared with LTO-8’s 12TB native, 30TB compressed).

● However, LTO-9 will not double capacity from the previous generation — some enterprises with limited data needs may not see enough of a benefit to justify an upgrade.

● LTO-9 drives have a compressed transfer rate of up to 1,000 megabytes per second (MB/s). LTO-8 drives have a maximum sustained data rate of 750 MB/s.

● Both LTO-8 and LTO-9 support Write Once, Read Many (WORM) and data encryption.

LTO-9 tapes are expected to maintain a similar cost-per-gigabyte as the previous generation, but enterprises will need to determine whether LTO-9’s improved speed and capacity justify the cost. For most archival applications, LTO-9 will be a better choice. With that said, enterprises that currently rely on older formats will see substantial improvements in efficiency and reliability by upgrading to LTO-8.

When Will LTO-8 tapes and hardware become obsolete?

All data storage media eventually become obsolete, but the LTO format is widely supported. Cartridges are backwards-compatible, and some enterprises “skip” a generation for that reason. While we can’t predict the future, LTO-8 drives and media should remain affordable for the foreseeable future.

The “skip a generation” can help to manage costs. However, it’s important to note that newer LTO formats are only backwards-compatible for a single generation. Earlier versions of LTO could be read back for two generations, but the recent generations have limited backwards compatibility due to changes in the media design and the introduction of new read/write head technologies.

In other words, LTO-9 drives will not be able to read LTO-7 cartridges. Additionally, the tape drive is limited by the specifications of the tape, so LTO-9 drives will read and write LTO-8 tapes at lower speeds than LTO-9 tapes. For these reasons, most enterprises will want to migrate to the latest available technology.

Migrating to LTO-9 will ensure that you can easily upgrade to LTO-10, which is expected to offer twice the capacity and faster sustained data rates. Even if you’re not planning on migrating your archives with every new tape generation, utilizing the latest available technology can reduce future migration costs significantly.

When should my enterprise migrate tapes to a new format like LTO-9?

Some enterprises may not see the practical value in migrating to a current-generation tape format. If your IT infrastructure has an established process for backing up critical systems and archiving data, you might not see improvements in read/write speeds or capacity as a major selling point.

However, staying up to date has other advantages:

● Legacy tape drives can be expensive. As manufacturers discontinue production of older drives, demand increases; Total Data Migration maintains an extensive library of legacy tape drives, and we’ve found that older drives are often much more expensive than their original retail prices.

● Legacy tape drives can be unreliable. All tape drives contain mechanical components, which break down over time. Upgrading to a modern format ensures that hardware will be available when a tape drive breaks down.

● Legacy media can be unreliable. While tapes have an excellent lifespan compared with other digital storage media, they need to be properly stored. Enterprises that use legacy systems may find themselves purchasing media from third-party suppliers, and those companies may not take proper precautions with media.

While the benefits of tape migration can be substantial, the process is often expensive. Enterprises that handle tape conversion in-house often run into major bottlenecks, and they need to dedicate significant resources to the project. An experienced tape migration partner can help your enterprise manage costs while limiting the trial and error that drives up the cost of in-house conversion.

Total Data Migration is a leader in data conversion, restoration, and catalog ingestion. Our team is ready to help your enterprise plan for an upgrade to LTO-9, LTO-8, or any other modern tape format. Our process ensures the reliability of every tape and data set, and by prioritizing security, we’re able to provide cost-effective solutions with exceptionally consistent results. Click here for a free consultation or call (800) 460-7599 to discuss your project.

Data tapes can significantly reduce security vulnerabilities, and many businesses are turning to tape for protection against ransomware attacks. It’s a strong strategy, as air-gapped backups can allow for quick disaster recovery in a disaster. However, all backup strategies need to be assessed carefully.

Modern ransomware targets backups by design. That includes all types of backups — and while data tapes are less vulnerable than a networked backup system, managers still need to take appropriate precautions to secure their cold storage.

How Ransomware Variants Can Compromise Backups

Prior to 2017, ransomware attacks were frequently scattershot operations. Bad actors created phishing campaigns to compromise outdated systems, but few variants were designed for specific targets. That changed quickly in May 2017, when the WannaCry ransomware variant began spreading. While WannaCry wasn’t the first variant to target backups, it was the most widespread — by targeting volume shadow copies, the malware was able to compromise full systems that used basic backup procedures.

Modern enterprises have sophisticated backup plans (at least, far more sophisticated than keeping backups as basic volume shadow copies), but newer variants have made adjustments to prevent backups from being viable. Some points to keep in mind:

● Most targeted ransomware attacks do not activate immediately after infection. Ransomware may be dormant on a system for months. That ensures that any backups made after infection will be effectively useless.

● Modern ransomware variants are designed to target backup systems. Attackers utilize APIs to discover and eliminate backups, either through deletion or encryption.

● Some ransomware variants will delete backups immediately, but others won’t take action until activation.

● Modern variants will also target data in the cloud, which is why isolated backups are essential for preventing system-wide infection.

Data tapes are designed to protect against accidental deletion, hardware failure, and other common causes of data loss, but they’re limited by the backup software used to write the data. Typically, these programs aren’t designed to prevent ransomware from being written to the backup.

This does not mean that tapes are a poor ransomware mitigation strategy — data tape archives are the most effective way to prevent a successful attack, as an air-gapped backup will allow an enterprise to successfully recover without paying a ransom. However, IT managers need to evaluate their disaster recovery protocols carefully and limit potential sources of exposure.

Protecting Data from Ransomware

Many security vulnerabilities can be addressed easily. To develop a robust and secure system, you’ll need to limit the potential for an attack and have a solid plan in place for when an attack occurs.

That starts with a few common-sense steps:

● Limit access to backup systems. Most ransomware is distributed via phishing campaigns, but that’s not always the case. Backup systems should be regularly updated to resolve vulnerabilities. Limit employee access to these systems and prevent employees from using unauthorized peripherals (such as USB drives or optical media) when performing their duties.

● Educate employees. The best way to recover from an attack is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Create clear practices, instructing employees not to open unexpected email attachments, even when working remotely.

● Keep multiple “golden copy” backups. Make sure your backups occur on a reasonable schedule. Maintain several recoverable copies of mission-critical data — “golden copies” — and check these backups for consistency.

● Upgrade your data tapes to modern formats. While older tape formats aren’t necessarily more vulnerable than modern formats, older backup software can have vulnerabilities, and newer formats like LTO-8 can greatly decrease downtime in a disaster.

Finally, recognize that no security policy can completely eliminate the possibility of a ransomware infection. At the enterprise level, bad actors have too many front-door options for infiltrating a system, so an appropriate disaster recovery strategy is absolutely essential.

When planning for an attack, work with an experienced tape migration partner. Total Data Migration’s experts can help your business get back up and running while ensuring that ransomware doesn’t infect the restored system. Our team can also help you migrate your library to newer formats while converting files, ensuring a faster response. Contact us or call (800) 460-7599 for a free consultation.

For large enterprises, media sanitization can be a difficult prospect — particularly when the target is terabytes or petabytes of data on magnetic tape media. The goal of media sanitization is to irrevocably render all data irrecoverable, and tape cartridges have unique characteristics that become more formidable at scale.

No two data tape destruction projects are identical, but the right approach can improve security and cost efficiency. Before beginning media sanitization, keep these considerations in mind.

Define the scope of your data sanitization project.

Enterprise-level data destruction projects can quickly grow beyond their allotted budgets. CIOs and other decision-makers need to identify potential bottlenecks and set goals early in the project, and while this isn’t always easy, it’s an essential first step.

Start by collecting information about the size, format, and number of target tapes. Resist the urge to handle data destruction in-house; as we’ll discuss momentarily, physically destroying tape cartridges can present challenges, and to reliably verify sanitization, personnel will need extensive experience with the type of media they’re handling.

Finally, keep a paper trail. Great recordkeeping is an essential component of any data security project — and needless to say, recordkeeping is frequently neglected. Your enterprise should be able to demonstrate the methods used to sanitize media and should be able to identify all media involved in the project. These records can be useful for planning future projects and establishing better IT security practices overall.

Choose a secure data sanitization method.

Many CIOs assume that sanitization requires physical destruction. That’s not necessarily the case; since physical media destruction can increase the budget for the project, it shouldn’t be the default method.

Nevertheless, one 2009 research report from Enterprise Strategy Group found that 53% of large enterprises used brute-force methods (in other words, physical destruction techniques) to sanitize storage data. In many cases, these physical methods aren’t designed for magnetic tape media, and as a result, they’re largely ineffective from a security standpoint.

Common sanitization techniques for data tapes include:

● Degaussing – For many tape formats, degaussing is effective, but the process must be handled (and verified) by experienced professionals. Improper degaussing techniques can leave usable data in place. Our blog “Why Degaussing Tape Backup Cartridges Isn’t Secure Sanitization” provides additional details.

● Cryptographic Erase – This logical process erases cryptographic keys, rendering the device inaccessible. While this is an acceptable means of partial sanitization, it can make verification (and documentation) much more difficult.

● Shredding – Tape is thin and flexible, and hardware shredders cannot reliably shred tape to eliminate usable data. While shredding is a common method of sanitization, it creates security hazards.

● Incineration – Incineration is secure, but has a serious environmental impact. As a result, some incineration service providers enforce daily limits for data cartridges, which can increase the scope of the project.

Degaussing is a superior option for sanitization, but the process must be performed in a controlled setting by experienced tape specialists. Commercial degaussers can leave small fragments of data intact — while the data will be difficult to restore, partial data recovery is not impossible, and malicious actors can cause a lot of damage with a limited amount of information.

Don’t send old tapes to a landfill (or give them away).

Many sanitization techniques eliminate data without ruining the media. If your enterprise is upgrading to a newer format — or if tapes are nearing the end of their expected storage lifespan — you might decide to recoup some of the costs of the data destruction project by selling the old cartridges.

However, even if you’ve verified erasure, selling or donating your used data tapes can deliver useful information to bad actors and open up data exfiltration vectors. LTO-8 tapes, for instance, have a 16-megabyte Cartridge Memory chip that stores the cartridge’s age, load frequency, error accumulation, and other basic information. Cyber criminals could potentially use that info when planning an attack.

Sending tapes to a landfill presents the same security concerns (along with brand-new environmental considerations). Of course, security issues can be mitigated with proper erasure verification procedures, and Total Data Migration provides environmentally friendly disposal alternatives.

By working with experts, your enterprise can allocate resources more effectively while securely eradicating sensitive data. As industry leaders in tape services, we’re ready to help. Contact us online to schedule a consultation or call (800) 460-7599.

Poor data security creates serious liabilities for any organization. Given the growing threats of ransomware, identity theft, and security-related litigation, many businesses have taken appropriate steps to safeguard their networks.

Unfortunately, many of these companies still rely on outdated data erasure techniques. Software-based data deletion needs to be handled carefully, which can mean hefty costs for larger tape libraries. Physical destruction is similarly expensive, and throwing data cartridges into a landfill can result in costly compliance violations (and that’s a best-case scenario).

To protect your business, consider whether you’re making any of these common mistakes when handling cartridges that have reached the end of their life cycle.

You don’t keep incomplete records of media sanitization procedures.

Poor recordkeeping can lead to costly compliance violations, particularly if the data in question contains personally identifiable information. Regardless of the size of your organization, you should diligently maintain records — including verification processes and third-party provider credentials — to demonstrate conformance with relevant standards.

Of course, recordkeeping requirements for data erasure vary substantially. At Total Data Migration, we maintain a complete chain of custody for all media containing sensitive data, and we have experience with safe (and compliant) handling procedures for medical, genetic, legal, and payroll data.

You assume that encryption key destruction (or shredding) is sufficient.

Cryptographic erase (or CE) greatly reduces the time allocated to sanitization. By erasing the cryptographic keys, this process renders the data on the device completely inaccessible, and it is generally considered a preferable method of partial sanitization.

The downside: With some types of data cartridges, verifying the erasure is difficult — and verification plays an important role in compliance. This isn’t to say that cryptographic erase techniques will expose sensitive data, but as we’ve discussed, documenting the erasure is as important as performing the actual process.

NIST Special Publication 800-88 lays out the most widely accepted standards for sanitization. The 2014 revision of the guidelines note:

“If verification cannot be performed, organizations should use alternative sanitization methods that can be verified, or use CE in combination with a sanitization technique that can be verified.”

The good news: Cryptographic erase can be properly verified, but the process needs to be handled carefully and correctly. When full sanitization is preferable, it’s important to understand the technique’s limitations and to take precautions.

You assume that all physical data tape destruction techniques provide the same results.

Tape cartridges are more durable than other forms of digital storage media, but physical destruction is certainly a possible — and reliable — method of disposal. With that said, some destruction techniques work more effectively (and cost less) than others.

Proper degaussing is typically the best option. Degaussing removes magnetism, preventing data recovery; however, degaussing still requires verification, and inexperienced personnel may make mistakes that leave a portion of the tape intact.

Other forms of physical destruction include incineration, shredding, and techniques that combine several processes (electronic shredders, for instance, might shred the tape while simultaneously degaussing the media). These methods may be unreliable or impractical at scale. Incineration, for instance, destroys the tape — but incinerating a large library of data cartridges isn’t efficient or environmentally responsible.

When retiring legacy systems, you handle tape erasure in-house.

All data erasure procedures need to be performed by properly trained operators. Most organizations develop extensive training processes and maintain appropriate oversight during partial data sanitization procedures — but when upgrading equipment, the risk of a mistake becomes much more significant.

Additionally, the standardized techniques used for everyday media sanitization may not scale effectively. By handling the job in-house, companies often spend unnecessary time and money, particularly when attempting to verify the erasure. Outsourcing data erasure to a qualified third party is typically the best (and most secure) course of action. The third-party should be able to provide a certificate of sanitization, along with chain-of-custody records and other appropriate documentation.

Total Data Migration can provide the expert services and guidance that your operation needs — regardless of whether you’re forming a sanitization plan, recovering from an image, migrating from a legacy system, or disposing of unusable cartridges. Contact us today to discuss options.