How much data did you say?



Your organization maintains some large databases that require frequent backups. These databases are currently approaching 10 terabytes of data, and they’re growing in size constantly. The database backups usually occur every week, but sometimes a backup is required more frequently. For legal and compliance reasons, the backups must be stored for at least six months. Which of these media would be the best fit for your backup requirements?

A) Network attached storage (NAS) arrays

B) DVD-ROM

C) Tape

D) Solid state disk

E) If you used a smaller font in the database, maybe it wouldn’t be quite so large.


The answer: C) Tape

A tape backup is the best fit for this requirement because of the large amount of storage required and the length of time that all of this media must be archived. NAS would require a massive amount of storage, and you’d need to invest in a lot of disk drives to keep the archives for six months. DVD-ROMs and solid-state disks aren’t large enough to reasonably store this much information in a single backup.

Want to know more? Watch “Storage Devices.”

Storage technology has changed dramatically through the years, from floppy disks through solid state drives. In this video, you’ll learn about the technology behind floppy drives, hard drives, solid state technologies, and optical drives. You’ll also learn about removable storage technologies, tape drives, and external storage options.