Fujifilm tape cartridges backup The University of Auckland

Fujifilm tape cartridges backup The University of Auckland

Auckland, 28th October 2016 – Fujifilm NZ announced today that The University of Auckland is using Fujifilm LTO Ultrium Data Cartridges exclusively for its tape storage needs, which amount to hundreds, if not thousands, of tapes each year.

Even in the digital age, tape remains the most cost-effective and reliable format for long-term data storage. Fujifilm is the leading global manufacturer of LTO data cartridges.

Containing a data explosion

Universities around the world are experiencing a data explosion. Among the many drivers of this trend are the rapid growth of video as a teaching tool; the mounting reliance on Big Data and data analytics for research; and the uplift in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) by staff and students alike. With this upsurge comes a rapidly increasing demand for data storage.

The University of Auckland is no exception. As Sanit Kumar, Acting Infrastructure Manager at the university, said: “Our data storage needs are rising exponentially, which raises a host of challenges. Most importantly, we have to look constantly for cost-efficiencies and solutions that don’t sacrifice service delivery to staff and students or the strategic goals of the organisation.”

Tape is the cheapest media per gigabyte of data stored, providing unmatched cost-effectiveness to the university, even as storage demand grows. “This is a key driver for us” he said, “and a chief reason why we use tape. This media provides many other important benefits though, such as high capacity, dependability, performance and portability. All of this makes it a compelling solution for backup compared with the alternatives.”

Fujifilm cartridges key to backup

Overall, there are currently 15 petabytes stored on the cartridges at the university. On an average night, 27 terabytes of change data are backed up onto them.

The university has two data centres, the capacities of which are steadily expanding with demand. Each data centre has two tape libraries to ensure stability, security and ready access to data.

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager is used to manage data backup and recovery and enable self-service by users. Sanit’s team only need to get involved in data recovery if special requests are made.

Once a tape is full, it is kept in the library as long as possible so that users can access the data.

The best safety net

Sanit’s team is responsible for all of the university’s data storage needs; from emails and research documents to the contents of the Chapman Archive, the university library's largest audiovisual collection. Data stored by his team must retain its integrity and security, and much of it needs to be readily accessible to authorised users.

According to Sanit, the university’s infrastructure has many redundancies in place and a failover prepared, but tape is the final tier. “Tape is the last safety net,” he said, “so it has to perform perfectly every time. And that’s a major reason why we choose to use Fujifilm cartridges: there are no issues, ever.

“In addition, Fujifilm tapes are top quality and deliver the best value in the market. We also get outstanding service from Fujifilm’s recording media team, who are without doubt the best equipped in the country to deliver the large volumes of cartridges we need.”

Tackling the challenges and opportunities ahead

Sanit and his team are always looking for smart ways to save space and money and keep data protected, while remaining responsive to users. Tape looks set to carry on playing an important role. For example, a big project underway is the progressive backup of archival loads onto tape for efficient, stable and secure long-term storage.

“The many technological, procedural and financial challenges of the data explosion now underway are not going away in the foreseeable future,” said Sanit. “Indeed, they will probably get more acute over time. I’m confident, however, that Fujifilm cartridges will keep on helping me and my team overcome them, and in doing so help the university further its mission.”

ENDS

About The University of Auckland

Founded in 1883, Auckland is New Zealand’s largest university with over 40,000 students, nearly 10,000 of whom graduate annually. It is also the highest-ranked university in the country, at 82nd worldwide in the 2015/16 QS World University Rankings. For more information, visit www.auckland.ac.nz.

About Fujifilm

Beginning in 1934 as Japan's pioneering photographic film maker, Fujifilm has leveraged its imaging and information technology to become a global presence known for innovation in healthcare, graphic arts, optical devices, highly functional materials and other high-tech areas.

© Scoop Media