Tapeopslag

Tapeopslag, or tape storage, is a method of storing digital data on magnetic tape cartridges. It is widely used for backups, archives, and disaster recovery due to high stored capacity, durability, and a favorable total cost of ownership for large-scale retention of infrequently accessed data.

Data on magnetic tape is written in sequential tracks inside a cartridge that is managed by automated tape libraries and robotic handling systems. Although access is sequential rather than random, modern tape drives provide high throughput, and the system can retrieve blocks of data efficiently by skipping to the necessary location. Tape is typically kept offline or in air-gapped configurations for security and long-term preservation.

Most contemporary tape storage uses the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) format, with generations that increase capacity and speed and add features such as encryption and write-once read-many (WORM) capabilities. Tape libraries can manage hundreds or thousands of cartridges, enabling scalable storage pools and automated backup routines. The media life is generally long if kept in controlled environments (low humidity and stable temperature).

Advantages include high capacity per cartridge, excellent archival durability, low energy use, and lower long-term cost compared with disk for cold storage. Limitations include slower random access, longer data retrieval times, and the need for specialized hardware and management software. Regular rotation, integrity checks, and offsite replication are common practices.

Applications include enterprise backups, regulatory archives, media asset management, and disaster recovery. In recent years tape has seen renewed interest as air-gapped backups and cold storage complement cloud and disk-based approaches.