The Future of Data Storage Starts Now by Jennifer Burl

The future of data storage promises to be bright. From helium drive technology to DNA and holographic storage, to SMR (shingled magnetic recording) drives, multi-cloud storage and datastickies, there's a whole world of possibility opening up for those searching for secure, efficient data storage. But, let's not forget about how far we've come.

Tape is growing stronger than ever with LTFS and LTO generations 9 and 10 soon to come. Disk is evolving due to its new solid state technology. Cloud storage, for its part, is expanding and becoming more secure, in addition to adding more functionality and speed. In short, all forms of data storage are seeing improvements and evolutions.

Though the oldest storage method of the three, tape remains a solid, dependable and ever-improving method of storing one's data. Today's tape technology continues to evolve, despite the fact that its opposition continues to pin it as dated, unreliable, costly and inflexible. Tape was first introduced over sixty years ago by IBM, and it was expected to disappear into oblivion with the introduction of disk, and now, cloud. But it's still around, proving it has the chops to compete with other forms of data storage.

In general, tape offers the most long term, energy efficient and cost-effective storage method. Due to this fact, we see tape as the #1 technology for secondary backups. When managed by a competent provider, tape is also legacy-proof, which is why it's also a perfect solution for storing your archive.

Interestingly enough, media giant Sony predicts that data technology will come full circle with the return of cassette tape technology, as a new magnetic cassette tape that can hold 148 GB per square inch of tape was recently developed.

Disk is, of course, giving tape a run for its money. Disk offers faster data transfer rates, versatility, and flexibility for remote backups. Disk-based storage, unlike tape storage, is not designed to be linear-meaning it's easier to access data quickly. Tape backup, for its part, is better for longer-term storage, especially in the case of offsite tape vaulting solutions.

Backup-to-disk storage has come a long way, and it offers some impressive benefits in terms of its compression storage techniques. But it can be costly when used in large amounts which is why it's important to develop a holistic, hybrid data storage approach including a dedicated archive strategy.

Finally, there's cloud storage, which ranges from personal storage for individuals to big data storage for Fortune 500s. Believe it or not, cloud storage traces its roots all the way back to its inventor, Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider, who developed it in the 1960s.

Cloud backup storage today provides several advantages, including: ease of use, efficiency, predictive pricing model, , application-specific protection and more. There's no need to stress out about migrations, upgrades or outdated technology-everything's in one, quickly- and easily-accessible place. However, there are also some disadvantages to relying on cloud storage, including speed limitations when utilizing it for large amounts of data, in which every organization will have a threshold. Recent cloud security hacks have also put everyone on edge about the technology. However, cloud storage is still young when compared to other forms of data storage, and improvements continue to be made. I suspect we have yet to see all of the benefits the cloud will offer.

Unsure of which data storage solution you should seek? You don't have to be; the best solution is a hybrid approach that uses the best qualities of tape, disk and cloud to reach your storage objectives. For more information on how to keep your data safe, secure and easily accessible, contact the experts at Iron Mountain, today.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/data-backup-and-recov...
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