Data retention strategies for SMEs
Published: 22 Mar 2007
Backup technology comparisons
The cost per gigabyte (GB), maximum capacity and typical transfer rates for tape, optical (CD/DVD) and hard disk backup are compared in the charts on the following three pages. These charts are based on currently representative values. Prices vary from vendor to vendor and tend to fall for newer technologies — and eventually may even rise for technologies at the end of their life cycle. Capacities for hard disks, in particular, are likely to rise in the near future, so the cost per GB should fall. Transfer rates are useful for a comparison of different backup technologies, but in practice backup times will vary and backup rates are generally lower than the maximum specified transfer rates.
Our analysis shows that, at present, bulk-bought DVD-Rs are the most cost-efficient method of storing data, although they do need a suitable storage container, which adds to the cost. DVD drives and recording software are also very competitively priced and most backup software for the SME market supports writing to DVD.
Although CD-R discs are cheap on an individual basis, their moderate storage capacity makes for a relatively high cost per GB stored.
High-capacity Digital Linear Tapes (DLT) provide a low cost per GB stored, but require a heavy up-front investment in expensive tape drives. Bizarrely, DLT 3 appears to be one the most expensive ways to store data, while SDLT II one of the cheapest.
Although, like magnetic tape, hard disks are based on mature technology, regular innovation means that hard disks continue to provide ever higher capacities and faster transfer rates at lower cost.
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