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Mass optical storage-tape (MOST)In today's large mainframe and supercomputer environment there exists a continuous demand for increased performance in digital storage systems. The user need for near-line storage capacity is currently doubling every four years. In addition to higher capacity, a desire exists for higher data transfer rates, and longer term database archivability, at lower, and lower cost. Each component of this quartet of demands appears to be insatiable. Magnetic tape technology presently dominates the digital mass storage markets, but the continuous growth of requirements is drawing attention to the limitations of the technology as an archival mass storage medium. The lowest cost option currently available for long term data storage is to use magnetic tape, although it is not well suited to meeting the need for many tens of years of reliable storage. Today, the majority of magnetic tape mass storage systems are based on the IBM 3480/3490 (or compatible) tape drives. These drives offer only moderate transfer rates and relatively small increments of storage, both of which create a logistics problem due to the large numbers of cartridges necessary in a typical system and the time taken to transfer data. Both higher cartridge capacity and data transfer rates are available in some helical scan magnetic tape systems; however, these command a substantially higher price, exacerbating the cost problem, and are not compatible with most installed systems or tape databases.
Document ID
19930021282
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Oakley, William S.
(LaserTape Systems, Inc. San Jose, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies, Volume 1,
Subject Category
Documentation And Information Science
Accession Number
93N30471
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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