what we do
You upload files to our storage using our web site or your s3 compatiable storage tool. We write them to tape and put the tape on a shelf. When you need your data back, we read the tape and send it to you.
We use LTO tape, the same format used by film studios, research labs, and anyone else who needs to store a lot of data for a long time. Each tape holds 12TB (LTO-8) or 18TB (LTO-9). They are designed to last 15-30 years. We store them properly.
why tape
- cheaper
- Tape storage costs a fraction of cloud storage. About 6x cheaper than Backblaze, 20x cheaper than AWS S3. See the numbers.
- offline
- A tape on a shelf is not connected to the internet. It can't be hacked, ransomwared, or accidentally deleted by a misconfigured script.
- durable
- Tape doesn't need electricity to retain data. No spinning platters, no wear from read operations. Properly stored, it just sits there being data for decades.
- redundant
- Copies in two buildings, at extra cost.
how it works
- Create a bucket S3-compatible, use any tool you already know
- Upload your files Web UI, CLI, or any S3 client
- Click create tape Choose number of copies, storage locations
- Done We write the tape and put it on a shelf
When you need your data back, request a restore through the web interface. Takes days depending on queue depth. Tape is not fast. That's kind of the point.
questions
Days, depending on the queue and where your tape is stored. You get an estimate when you request it.
We're a backup archive solution designed to be one of your backups. If you're not saving the data anywhere else, you really should store it on at least 2 tapes. That said, tapes rarely fail if stored correctly. We store them correctly.
Glacier is online. Tape is on a shelf. Different threat models. We cost less than Glacier.
Everything on tape is chunked, compressed and encrypted. Staging is encrypted at rest, and transfers are encrypted in transit. You can also encrypt data yourself before upload.
Film studios, research institutions, financial firms, healthcare organizations: anyone keeping data for a long time. Tape has been the archival default since the 1950s.
we do it on tape.