For a long time, LTO has been the gold standard for storing pieces of data for long periods of time. Especially if you need something like video files stored, many companies have kept this information on LTO tapes for decades at this point, assuming that it’s the easiest and cheapest way to keep that information. However, in recent years, the cloud has become a completely valid option for storing these kinds of information. Here are four ways that LTO replacement with cloud storage might be your company’s best bet.
-
Budgetary Savings
First off, you might end up saving a lot of money with cloud storage over LTO. This depends on how much data you have, how much you’re adding every year, and how much you back up every day, as well as how long you keep the data on the cloud. However, on average, cloud storage is cheaper for most companies than LTO tapes are.
-
Easier File Retrieval
LTO file retrieval is notoriously difficult. You have to order the right tape from the storage facility, pay fees to receive the tape, load the index, and retrieve the file. This can take days and can be expensive, depending on the fees that you need to pay. On the other hand, when you’re retrieving a file from the cloud, you just have to log into your account, locate the right file, and download it. It’s less expensive and much easier.
-
Durability for Decades
Because LTO tiles are physical items, they degrade over time. In general, you’ll have to replace LTO tiles at least every 10 years so you can avoid issues that may arise with degrading of the contents of the tape. This is expensive, and it’s a big part of the cost associated with LTO tiles. However, when you utilize cloud storage, you don’t have to worry about that. You can keep files in the cloud for as long as you need them.
-
Simplicity in Moving Large Amounts of Data
Lastly, it can be very easy for you to move a lot of data if you have your files on a cloud system; you can keep thousands of gigabytes attached to a single account. However, that information takes up physical space when you store it on an LTO tape. If you’re trying to keep and move a lot of data at once, it’s going to be easier if that data is already in the cloud as opposed to kept on an LTO tape.
Conclusion
Cloud storage has gone through a variety of renovations over the past years, and one of the most interesting is the fact that it’s become a viable alternative to LTO tapes for many organizations. If you’ve historically had your files on LTO tapes, it’s a good idea to look into cloud storage and see if it’s an option instead. You may find that these four things boost your database significantly.
