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DDS Data Tape Cartridges FAQ
4mm data tape cartridges are slightly larger than a credit card in width and height and contain a magnetic tape that can hold from 2 to 24 gigabytes of data.
What's the difference between DAT and DDS? DAT stands for Digital Audio Tape, an audio recording technology based on 3.81mm wide tape in a helical scan recorder. DDS - Digital Data Storage - was developed from DAT concepts to store computer data with high data density and high reliability. However, many people continued to call DDS drives "DAT drives," and the name is still with us today.
Can I use any 4mm data tape cartridge in my drive? No. It should be certified DDS-grade media compatible with your generation of DDS drive. Look for the DDS logo on the cartridge. Do not use uncertified DDS cartridges or DAT audio cassettes.
Do 4mm DDS tape drives support hardware data compression? Yes, DDS products currently sold employ DCLZ hardware data compression.
Why can't I use DDS-3 tapes in my DDS-2 drive? All DDS drives are backward compatible with the previous two generations of DDS technology. For example, the 4mm DDS-4 can read and write to DDS-4, DDS-3 and DDS-2 media, the 4mm DAT24 can read and write DDS-3, DDS-2, and DDS-1 media but not DDS-4, and the 4mm DAT can read and write DDS-2 and DDS-1. The Data Tape Store recommends that for maximum reliability the media specific to your DDS tape drive generation should always be used for standard backup operations, e.g., DDS-3 media in a DDS-3 drive such as the 4mm DAT24.
How long can I store the tapes and still recover the data when I need it? Tests have shown that if the tapes are stored correctly, the data retention life is at least 10 years. It seems likely that the actual data retention life is considerably longer.
Why is it recommended that I use my tapes no more than 50 times? The media reliability specification of 1000 passes over any single section of tape, this roughly relates to 50 full backups (assuming maximum tape repositions).
What does duty cycle mean? Duty cycle is the maximum amount of time in any given period that a drive should be operational in order to meet its reliability specification. For example, the 4mm DAT24 has a reliability specification of 300,000 Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) at 12% duty cycle. This duty cycle equates to 2.88 hours a day, roughly one full cartridge a day.
What's the difference between DAT and DDS? DAT stands for Digital Audio Tape, an audio recording technology based on 3.81mm wide tape in a helical scan recorder. DDS - Digital Data Storage - was developed from DAT concepts to store computer data with high data density and high reliability. However, many people continued to call DDS drives "DAT drives," and the name is still with us today.
Can I use any 4mm data tape cartridge in my drive? No. It should be certified DDS-grade media compatible with your generation of DDS drive. Look for the DDS logo on the cartridge. Do not use uncertified DDS cartridges or DAT audio cassettes.
Do 4mm DDS tape drives support hardware data compression? Yes, DDS products currently sold employ DCLZ hardware data compression.
Why can't I use DDS-3 tapes in my DDS-2 drive? All DDS drives are backward compatible with the previous two generations of DDS technology. For example, the 4mm DDS-4 can read and write to DDS-4, DDS-3 and DDS-2 media, the 4mm DAT24 can read and write DDS-3, DDS-2, and DDS-1 media but not DDS-4, and the 4mm DAT can read and write DDS-2 and DDS-1. The Data Tape Store recommends that for maximum reliability the media specific to your DDS tape drive generation should always be used for standard backup operations, e.g., DDS-3 media in a DDS-3 drive such as the 4mm DAT24.
How long can I store the tapes and still recover the data when I need it? Tests have shown that if the tapes are stored correctly, the data retention life is at least 10 years. It seems likely that the actual data retention life is considerably longer.
Why is it recommended that I use my tapes no more than 50 times? The media reliability specification of 1000 passes over any single section of tape, this roughly relates to 50 full backups (assuming maximum tape repositions).
What does duty cycle mean? Duty cycle is the maximum amount of time in any given period that a drive should be operational in order to meet its reliability specification. For example, the 4mm DAT24 has a reliability specification of 300,000 Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) at 12% duty cycle. This duty cycle equates to 2.88 hours a day, roughly one full cartridge a day.
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Standard shipping is a flat fee of only $5.95 per order.
Data Back Up
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