diff --git a/docs/tape-backup.rst b/docs/tape-backup.rst index 4ccf92aa..7bfece72 100644 --- a/docs/tape-backup.rst +++ b/docs/tape-backup.rst @@ -2,15 +2,24 @@ Tape Backup =========== Our tape backup solution provides a easy way to store datastore -contents on a tape. This increases data safety because you get: +contents to a tape. This increases data safety because you get: - an additional copy of the data - to a different media type (tape) - to an additional location (you can move tape offsite) -Tape backups do not provide random access to the stored -data. Instead, you need to restore the data to disk before you can -access it again. +Statistics show that 95% of all restore jobs restores the last +backup. Restore requests further declines the older the data gets. +Considering that, tape backup may also help to reduce disk usage, +because you can safely remove data from disk once archived on tape. +This is especially true if you need to keep data for several years. + +Tape backups do not provide random access to the stored data. Instead, +you need to restore the data to disk before you can access it +again. Also, if you store your tapes offsite (using some kind of tape +vaulting service), you need to bring them onsite before you can do any +restore. So please consider that restores from tapes can take much +longer than restores from disk. Tape Technology Primer @@ -20,7 +29,16 @@ Tape Technology Primer As of 2021, the only broadly available tape technology standard is `Linear Tape Open`_, and different vendors offers LTO Ultrium tape -drives and autoloaders. +drives, autoloaders and LTO tape cartridges. + +Of cause, there are a few vendor offering proprietary drives with +slight advantages in performance and capacity, but they have +significat disadvantages: + +- proprietary (single vendor) +- a much higher purchase cost + +So we currently do no test such drives. In general, LTO tapes offer the following advantages: @@ -31,6 +49,10 @@ In general, LTO tapes offer the following advantages: - Movable (storable inside vault) - Multiple vendors (for both media and drives) +Please note that `Proxmox Backup Server`_ already stores compressed +data, so we do not need/use the tape compression feature. Same applies +to encryption. + Supported Hardware ------------------