See, unlike a digital drive, these magnetic tapes that make up tape drives are physically storing the data on the tapes themselves. Simply put, these drives were built to last when they were first conceived and they’re still the same today.

While the technology might sound ancient or outdated to the average joe, the truth is that tape drives are still depended on by plenty of people both professionally and personally. Still, this phenomenon gives the impression that the tape backup has failed, and still needs to be resolved promptly in order to recover and restore that data. Then, naturally, there is the possibility that corrupt or improper data can be stored on a tape drive, making it seem like the drive itself has failed when in fact it’s the data itself to blame. Whether the device is unprepared or completely unfamiliar with the tape deck being inserted, this act of improper insertion can result in a tape backup failing. The same thing can happen if a tape backup is stored in an environment that isn’t suited for it, like a room that is too humid or a room that is too dry to safely store the drives.Īnother possible way for a tape backup to fail occurs when the tape drive is inserted or used incorrectly. If a person continues to reuse the same tape over and over without switching or alternating the tape drive, then it’s likely going to wear out and eventually fail. One of the most common and logical tape drive failures occurs when one single tape is used more than it should be. While tape backups are dependable in more ways than one, there’s also more than one way for them to fail. NDMP, or Network Data Management Protocol.DLT/SDLT, or Digital Linear Tape/Super Digital Linear Tape.LTO, or Linear Tape-Open, which originated as an open standards alternative.DAT, or Digital Audio Tape, which utilizes a smaller and more compact tape.DDS, or Digital Data Storage, which is an offshoot of the DAT drive.AIT, or Advanced Intelligent Tape, which is a high-speed and high-capacity tape.Here are just a few examples of the most-used varieties: Tape backups are also a big part of data storage well into the 21st century because of the wide variety of options to choose from. As you know, they’re still used today in a variety of capacities. But, that doesn’t mean they became obsolete. As modern storage methods like flash drives and the digital cloud became more readily (and cheaply) available, tape drives took the backseat. As time went on, tape continued to be the cheaper alternative to things like floppy discs and hard disk drives. To put it frankly, they initially came about because they were cheap, especially in comparison to the cost of those early drives. The coating is what protects that magnetic material and keeps it durable for long periods of time, preventing and prolonging the wear and tear that would happen without it.īelieve it or not, tape drives have been trusted to store data since at least the 1950s. The magnetic material is where the data is actually stored and read, thanks to tiny magnetized metal oxides that are smooth to the touch but rough on a microscopic level. The binder holds the magnetic material to the backing. Backing also gives the tape a level of security, forbidding signals in one section of the tape from interfering with the signals in another part during storage. The backing is the part that gives the tape the much-needed flexibility and strength that these drives are known for, allowing the magnetic material to wind in and out and around the rolls. Tape drives consist of a strip of magnetic tape - think a VHS or a cassette tape - with four unique layers: There’s backing, the binder, the actual magnetic material itself, and then a coating. Not all hope is lost, though - Thanks to the way tape backups are made and the proficiency of data recovery experts, it’s possible to recover or restore your most essential data even after the backup has failed. A tape drive is one such backup device that, despite being trusted by countless professionals in all sorts of different industries, is still capable of failing. (The number one reason for modern tape backup is typically for legal purposes and data retention compliance, but there are countless other reasons and uses for backups.) Of course, there’s always the possibility of a worst-case scenario: The backup itself can fail, too. It’s just an extra precaution on the off-chance that your personal drive or your company’s system happens to lose that important data for some reason or another. When you back up your important information, you do so with the hope that you’ll never have to be in a situation where you’ll need to use them.