DLT/DDS4 Tape Life Cycle?
Question:
How long should DLT/DDS4 tapes last on 2 – 4 weekly cycle (ie. used either once or twice a month)? 
Answer:
Comparatively, DLT tapes are fairly reliable. We would replace tapes with new media about once a year (on a rotating basis like Mr.-Madcowz) when we were using a DLT7000 for in-house backups. We regularly replace the DLT media we use for testing DLT drives.
In my experience, DDS drives are highly unreliable. For every 3 to 4 DDS drives we test, we end up scrapping one new tape that is damaged in the testing process. If you replace them with used DLT drives, it will be worth it when it comes down to actually restoring your data.
March 16, 2009 at 9:51 AM
