Veritas-bu

Re: [Veritas-bu] Media Tape lifespan

2007-12-18 01:56:16
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] Media Tape lifespan
From: A Darren Dunham <ddunham AT taos DOT com>
To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:42:05 +0000
On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 11:59:44AM -0500, Justin Piszcz wrote:
> Poll:
> 
> What is the oldest tape you have restored from? 1 year? 3 years? 5+?

In anger, probably 4 years or so.  We had to recover some 2003 stuff
from AIT(-2?) not too long ago.

I made an 8mm archive of some data in my account back when I lived in
Houston, so that was necessarily before 1997.  The format is from an old
Mac program that I don't have access to, but I can load the tape and
read the blocks successfully.  The tape has been in my house all this
time, not in a data center or archive facility.

I've read some articles that suggest that the magnetic domains on unused
tapes actually become more difficult to change over time.  So the tape
often remains readable, but should not be used for new data.  Years ago
the worst problem with really old tapes was the media degrading to the
point that it would stick to itself (or the drive).  I've not heard if
this remains a problem with more modern stuff.

-- 
Darren Dunham                                           ddunham AT taos DOT com
Senior Technical Consultant         TAOS            http://www.taos.com/
Got some Dr Pepper?                           San Francisco, CA bay area
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