Handbook

pages that have disappeared from the Web,leaving behind “This
Page Not Found”messages. These “lost”pages have enormous
potential value for academic and industry research – value protect-
ed by DLTtape technology.
Working in the Data Mines
Data mining is another good example of the kind of vertical appli-
cation we’re talking about. It usually involves taking huge blocks of
information that the organization has had for years – typically cus-
tomer account information – and finding new ways to look at it.
For example, a retail chain might gather all the sales data off its
scanner-driven checkout registers,including every SKU code down,
and every credit card and checking account number. The store
chain may then mine that data looking for trends based on every
parameter, including time of sale, store location, discounts used,
and so on. Data mining applications are characterized by very large
databases ranging from hundreds of gigabytes, to hundreds of ter-
abytes. They are usually used for marketing, new business prospect-
ing, and revenue and profit maximization. The requirements of
these tape backup applications include the need for very high
capacity (DLTtape system-based libraries used in these applications
often have many drives and hundreds of cartridges), high transfer
rate, and superior data integrity and reliability.
These applications tend to put a premium on fast access,7x24 ser-
vice, and virtually 100 percent availability – if the system is down,
you’re not open for business.All these characteristics point to the
need for a backup strategy that allows large files to be backed up in
a short time, fast system restoration in the event of a system-level
crash, fast file recovery, and absolutely reliable disaster recovery.
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK 10.7