Quote:
Originally Posted by TheReddestRock
That makes sense, it's kind of important to know where the end of the tape is.
I'm 26, tapes were before my time.  |
Tapes are still being used - no up to 3TB of storage (raw, 6TB compressed) for about $25 per tape. The transports are still a bit expensive at $6000+.
Combined with robotic handled libraries (up to around 10,000 tapes each) and you get a LOT of backup/archive capability for a low cost (still lower than hard disks...).
Ever notice those starting delays when watching remote videos? Usually between 10-20 seconds long? That is what happens when the remote starts retrieving the video from tape. It is less noticeable for frequently viewed files as it is more likely to already retrieved videos (usually replaced based on LRU algorithms).
Some of the storage architectures have changed - many of the tapes now have a directory added at the beginning (separate from the tape, a flash or some thing similar on the tape cartridge) that allows high speed seeks to the data (which itself may have its own archive directory included).
But it is still tapes being used.
