Tape
Conversions
TCI
provides an extensive array of tape and data conversion services. If the
service type your require is not mentioned here, please feel free to
call us to discuss your needs. We will provide you with advice and a
free no obligation quotation if you require.
TCI provides an economical solution when you need cross-platform
transferal or that step up to an advanced format. We service just about
any format, operating system or media, including: DAT, DDS, 9 track,
DLT, Travan, 8mm, 3480, 3490, 3490E, 3570, 3590, 6250 and more!
Click
here for a complete list of supported media, or
contact us for more information.
What
is Tape Conversion?
Tape
conversion, also known as media conversion or sometimes referred to as
data conversion, is the transfer of data from one data storage medium to
another. If, for example, you receive a DLT tape containing data from a
client but you have only an LTO tape drive then you have the choice of
buying a new DLT drive or having the data transferred onto an LTO
Ultrium data cartridge.
The procedure of tape conversion is to make a block for block copy of
the data stored on one backup tape media type and transfer the identical
data to the target media. Transferring identical data in a block for
block copy from one tape format to another may be just what you require.
There may however be further issues that would prevent you from
accessing the information on the tape that we can help you with. Our
advisors are happy to assist with any questions you may have.
Things to Consider
To
allow tape to tape conversion to be performed the following need to be
considered:
The capacity of the target media must be larger than the data being
transferred. If the capacity of the data exceeds the capacity of the
target media the data will need to be split. The format of the data will
determine whether more complex data management is required.
Do you have the correct software? If you are looking to have data
transferred from one tape format to a tape format that you can read, you
also need to ensure that you have suitable software that will read and
understand the data on the tape. For example, a client may send you
graphics created on an Apple Mac and written to 4mm DAT using a backup
package called Retrospect. A straight DAT to DLT or LTO conversion would
not be suitable if you wish to read the data on a Windows system using
BackupExec or ARCserve.
Can your software cope? The software used to restore the data must be
able to cope with data on a different tape format. Some backup/restore
software handle different types of media in different ways or store
information regarding the media type within the backup data itself.
Scale. Standard tape conversion is generally suitable for relatively low
volumes of media e.g. less than 100 tapes. Although TCI can handle much
larger quantities, even thousands of tapes, a more refined approach may
be worth considering. Our advisors are available to discuss your
requirements and discuss solutions for your requirement.