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Data can be stored in tape by sequential access

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Q: What is the biggest disadvantage of using tape drives?
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Which type of removable storage device can only access its data sequentially and not randomly?

lba. Tape Drives. The biggest disadvantage of using tape drives is that data is stored on tape by sequential access; to read data from anywhere on the tape, you must start at the beginning of the tape and read until you come to the sought-after data


How hard are tape drive to use?

Tape drives are very simple to use and take little time to become comfortable using.


What is the difference between ibm lto5 tape drives 3588 f5a and hp lto5 tape drives eh957b?

There is not a difference between IBM lto5 tape drives 3588 f5a and hp lto5 tape drives eh957b. They are both a software tape.


What is a tape drive?

A device, like a tape recorder, that reads data from and writes it onto a tape. Tape drives have data capacities of anywhere from a few hundred kilobytes to several gigabytes. Their transfer speeds also vary considerably. Fast tape drives can transfer as much as 20MB (megabytes) per second. The disadvantage of tape drives is that they are sequential-access devices, which means that to read any particular block of data, you need to read all the preceding blocks. This makes them much too slow for general-purpose storage operations. However, they are the least expensive media for making backups. A device, like a tape recorder, that reads data from and writes it onto a tape. Tape drives have data capacities of anywhere from a few hundred kilobytes to several gigabytes. Their transfer speeds also vary considerably. Fast tape drives can transfer as much as 20MB (megabytes) per second. The disadvantage of tape drives is that they are sequential-access devices, which means that to read any particular block of data, you need to read all the preceding blocks. This makes them much too slow for general-purpose storage operations. However, they are the least expensive media for making backups.


How big are most tape drives?

Generally speaking tape drives are 12 inches by 8 inches or smaller.


Are tape drives the best for a studio computer?

Tape drives are best for offsite backup to protect valuable information.


Are tape drives safer then hard drives?

Yes; tape drives have error correction technology built in, and since tape cartridges have no moving parts they will typically last over a decade once written to and stored.


Are all tape drives the same speed?

Based on capacity and rate of compression, tape drives work at different speeds.


Who are some of the manufacturers of tape backup drives?

IBM, Quantum, and Sony are examples of manufacturers who have produced tape backups. Today, most backups are done online, on external drives, or DVDs. Therefore, tape drives are not readily available as they were in the past.


Are tape drives better then DVD's?

Tape Drives and DVD's are different. DVD's are a more readily available form of media, meaning you won't be caught in a pinch and run out of space, but tape drives are not as succeptible to damage, making your data extremely secure.


What business makes best use of tape drives?

A company that focuses on data storage may use tape drives as a back up source.


What are two potential problems with using tape media to back up server data?

Data tapes are prone to failure and must be replaced often. Tape drives require regular cleaning to maintain reliability.