Experts in tape media deterioration recovery
When you read the warranty on magnetic tape media, you have to read carefully. Yes – they warrant that the tapes may last a life-time, but NO, they don’t “Guarantee” that they will last, and of course if the tape fails, they won’t replace your data.
It is essentially – “yes you lost your entire corporate collection of data that is critically important, so here is a $100 replacement tape free of charge”. Frankly it does not stand up to what the industry really needs.
Here is a sample warranty from a leading manufacturer:
“Tape Manufacturer (“Manufacturer”) warrants, subject to the limitations set forth below, that this media cartridge product (the “Product”) is free from defects in material and manufacture at the time of purchase.
If any defect in material or manufacture appears within the warranty period, the Manufacturers entire liability, and your exclusive remedy is, at the Manufacturers sole option, for the Manufacturer to: (a) repair the Product, (b) replace the Product or (c) refund to you the purchase price of the Product, provided that the Product is returned to the Manufacturer with proof of purchase such as a purchase order, invoice, or sales receipt.
This warranty does not apply to the failure of the Product resulting from misuse, abuse, accident, neglect or mishandling, improperly adjusted or maintained tape drives, incorrect environments, or wear from ordinary use.”
The warranty period? – “limited lifetime warranty for media cartridges”.
So – as long as you have the receipt from 40 years ago when you purchased the tape, a tape drive from 40 years ago, proof of how the tape was stored, and can prove the defect was from the manufacturing process, you are guaranteed to get back your $100 – but not your data.
Tape Ark knows all of the aspects that can affect data recovery from tapes suffering from deterioration, damage or other media degradations which occur due to age, poor storage or handling. From the oldest tapes ever made to modern media like LTO9 and 3592, we have capabilities to help when your data really matters.
Our experience initially was in an industry (the oil and gas sector) that has been confronted by the effects of deterioration in magnetic media probably more than any other. This issue started in the mid-1970s when there was a significant push by manufacturers to advance the storage capacity of media and essentially push the capacity of tape by making thinner tapes to put more data on essentially “less tape”.
After the release of a range of tape brands, it was found that a critical tape/head condition could occur in which the tape moving through a tape transport would physically stick to the tape head. The term applied to this condition was “stiction” derived from the terms (sticky and friction). Arguably, Tape Ark coined the term.
The binder of a tape is effectively the ‘glue’ that holds the magnetic oxide to the substrate of the tape. All binders are hydroscopic and absorb moisture over time, but some appear to do so more rapidly and in greater quantities than others. As this absorption occurs, chemical changes take place which softens the binder. Swelling also occurs and this aggravates the problem by increasing the internal pressure within a spool of tape. As pressures build up, the softened components within the binder act as an adhesive which has the tendency to ‘glue’ consecutive layers of the tape together (similar to the way in which a roll of adhesive tape is essentially stuck to the layers of tape below it until unraveled). The difference is that when you unravel a tape that has data, the data can simply peel off the substrate and is lost forever.
When a deteriorated tape is read, damage can occur in a number of ways:
· Peeling of the tape recording layer (the data) as it is unspooled from the spool where portions of the binder oxide layer are removed from one layer of tape and redeposited on the next.
· Gouging of the softened and expanded binder by the tape head, cleaning blades, or capstans in the drive.
· Destruction of the tape caused by the start stop motion (show shining) of the tape.
· Head adhesions (the binder melts and adheres to the tape head when it rests as speed and the head of heated from the friction).
When a deteriorated aged tape is read on a high speed drive or cleaned or exercised, damage to the tape will almost invariably ensue – in many cases this damage will be wide-spread destroying the data forever.
Deterioration Recovery
The best recovery methodology to preventing data loss is to not allow the tapes to age for more than 5 years. Some deterioration effects can be temporarily reversed for recovery purposes, but it is not a remedy for every type of deterioration.
Contact us to learn more.
Watch here to view the difference between good quality tape and one that is deteriorated:
L to R: Quality Tape vs Bad Tape
