Active Archiving Connects the Storage Community to Drive Innovation

Big Data. What’s implied by that term can be dependent on whom you ask. From the proliferation of rich detail captured by businesses, to the amount of metadata that supports information gathered, Big Data always means Bigger Storage. IT managers may find this data explosion sparking a challenge for data storage, capacity need expanding far faster than budgetary allotments. Especially with longer retention requirements and more stringent regulatory compliance standards, the volumes of fixed content that needs to be securely maintained is skyrocketing. The widespread digitization of files in sectors such as media and entertainment, healthcare and legal also drive the need for scalable, cost-effective storage. Traditionally tape has been employed for bulk storage, but an offline tape library doesn’t enable rapid data access for efficient workflows. More than ever, the concept of data tiering with an active archive is becoming standard for enterprise organizations that have mountains of data to maintain.

With real-time business needs in dynamic enterprise environments, data access is crucial for operations to run smoothly. That’s why the purpose of an active archive is to centralize data from heterogeneous systems into archive environment that enables uncompromised data access. An active archive environment is composed of several parts, or data tiers, of differing media types. To effectively tier data, different data should be matched with the appropriate level of high or low performance media. For example, an active project may be stored on high-performance disk, while data with long-term, low-access requirements may be stored on tape. To bring these mediums together, an HSM or archiving application is often used.

Leaders in the storage industry are recognizing the market need for active archiving solutions. During the Tape State of the Union conference call in May, leaders from the storage industry met to discuss the emerging importance of tape and Linear Tape File System (LTFS) technology as it applies to the data storage industry. Several Active Archive Alliance members were in attendance, including:  Molly Rector (Spectra Logic – tape libraries), Peter Faulhaber (Fujifilm Recording Media – LTO5), David Cerf (Crossroads Systems – StrongBox LTFS NAS Archive),  and more. The consensus was clear – innovations in active archiving include the use of LTFS tape to be used as NAS storage. Listen to the full discussion or read the memo.

Previously, tape may have been thought of as anything but “active.” Thanks to LTFS technology and innovative archiving appliances, tape empowers high-capacity, cost-effective active archive environments. This is just one example of innovation driven by market needs. As data volumes continue to grow, we can expect to see active archiving become standard in enterprise data centers.

Attend the Creative Storage Conference next week in Culver City, California to see several Alliance members speak on the opportunities active archiving can bring to media and entertainment industry workflows. Click here to register today!