With the rapid growth of data, especially among small and medium-sized, the demand for backup solutions has increased significantly. Among various backup solutions, tape backup is a mature and reliable storage method, which remains the preferred choice for data that requires long-term storage, archiving, and compliance. Although cloud and disk backups have developed rapidly in recent years, tape backup continues to play a critical role in enterprise backup strategies due to its cost-effectiveness and long-term reliability.
In modern data centers and enterprise environments, NAS has become an essential part of storage solutions. NAS devices provide centralized file storage and sharing services for businesses, making file access more convenient. However, the data volume on NAS devices is usually vast, and to ensure the security and long-term availability of large-scale data, tape can be an excellent medium for backup storage.
What is tape backup?
Tape backup is a method of backing up data using tape storage media. Tape storage has been widely used for data archiving, long-term backup, and disaster recovery. Tape storage is highly durable and stable, with data that can be preserved for decades in an uninterrupted environment. Additionally, the unit storage cost of tape backups is much lower than that of disk storage, making it ideal for long-term backup and archiving of large amounts of data.
In tape backup, data is written to the tape cartridge using a tape drive. When data needs to be restored, the tape is read and transferred back to the computer or backup system for recovery.
Why backup NAS to tape?
The data volume on each NAS device in enterprises is typically tens or even hundreds of TBs, making tape an ideal storage medium for backing up such large-scale data.
Lower cost of tape: Compared to disks, cloud storage, and other storage media, tape is relatively low-cost. For example, backing up 50TB of data with hard disks might cost around $1500, while using cloud storage could cost about $1150 per month. However, for tape storage alone, the cost is only around $150, significantly reducing costs. Although disk backup solutions may involve slightly higher initial costs due to the purchase of tape drives (usually around $1500 or more), they are extremely cost-effective for long-term storage of large-scale data.
Ideal for long-term storage and archiving: Tape is especially suitable for storing data that is infrequently accessed but must be preserved. This makes tape an excellent choice for archiving backup copies of data that do not need to be accessed regularly but must be kept for compliance or long-term retention.
Data isolation with tape: Due to the nature of tape, once the data is written, the tape is stored separately, preventing the data from being affected by network attacks, which effectively guards against malicious software.
Compliance with industry standards: In some industries, tape is the mandated medium for data preservation. Therefore, using tape backups ensures that a business's data storage remains compliant with regulations, avoiding potential fines.
Advantages and limitations of different tape backup solutions
Although there are many commercial backup software and devices that support NAS-to-tape backup, some non-commercial solutions can also achieve similar functionality. These solutions typically use scripts or community-developed tools, such as PowerShell scripts, to back up NAS data to a tape library.
For businesses looking to back up NAS to tape, it is recommended to choose a commercial solution to ensure stable performance and timely technical support. Non-commercial solutions typically lack comprehensive functionality, system stability, and may be incompatible with certain hardware and backup systems.
How to easily backup NAS to tape using Vinchin?
For large-scale data on NAS, it is advisable to use professional software for data backup. Vinchin supports a variety of NAS brands, including popular ones like Synology, QNAP, Buffalo, etc., and can easily recognize them as long as they are connected via NFS or CIFS protocols. For tape hardware, Vinchin broadly supports all versions, including LTO 1-9.
Vinchin also utilizes unique technologies, such as file merging and "scan-while-transferring" methods, which allow it to back up data significantly faster than other solutions.
You can easily back up NAS data directly to tape, or create replication tasks to automatically copy backup data from other storage to tape. Here let’s take directly backing up NAS to tape as the example,
1. Select the NAS as the backup source. You can select the entire NAS or some files or folders here.
2. Select the storage
3. Select the backup strategies
4. Submit the job
Vinchin has helped thousands of companies protect data an you can also start a 60-day full-featured free trial here. Just click the button bellow to get the installation package and deploy it in minutes.
NAS to tape backup FAQs
1. Can a NAS device back up directly to tape?
Yes, you can directly connect a NAS and tape drive and back up NAS data to tape. However, this depends on the compatibility between the NAS model and the tape drive. Alternatively, you can use relevant backup software to directly back up NAS data to tape.
2. What is the restore speed of tape backups?
Compared to disk backups, tape restores are slower because the data must be read sequentially from the tape. However, the reliability and long-term storage benefits of tape backups often make them the better choice.
3. How is backup data encrypted?
This depends on the backup solution you are using. For example, Vinchin allows you to enable data encryption directly when creating a backup task.
Conclusion
Tape backup remains a cost-effective and reliable solution for long-term data storage, particularly for large-scale data on NAS devices. Despite the growth of cloud and disk backup solutions, tape continues to offer unmatched benefits in terms of durability, cost-efficiency, and security.
For companies, it is recommended to select a professional backup solution like Vinchin to easily backup NAS or copy NAS backup to tape. Don’t miss the free trial.
