Microsoft needs a tape backup from XP??? Lol

[CoolJosh3k]

I was looking for Microsofts help pages on how to open MDMP files (out of curiosity) and I found this:

For help with MDMP files on an XP system; "Use the NTBackup utility to back up your dump file to tape, and then mail the tape to the Support Professional"

I wonder, do Microsoft still have the hardware available to read the tape when I send it to them...? Lol

[Gaming Master2k]

Victorian Department of Education schools that have more than 150ish students backup all their admin stuff onto tape. This is fact.

Tape is still being used in the real world not just at Microsoft.

[Ice Matt]

I was looking for Microsofts help pages on how to open MDMP files (out of curiosity) and I found this:

For help with MDMP files on an XP system;

I wonder, do Microsoft still have the hardware available to read the tape when I send it to them...? Lol
See how old your OS is that you insist on using? Just joking.

[Itxi]

A lot of data centres still use magnetic tape for backups, it's not that different from the magnetic disk in your hard drive really. Unless you have a SSD.

[CoolJosh3k]

I hardly find that tape would still be used, as it if far less effiecint and too expensive per kB.

Also, I run Win7 and use an SSD.

[Yiffgurl]

See how old your OS is that you insist on using? Just joking.

Was going to make this joke

XP is nice though, I think I prefer 7 but I dunno both are cool

[Pies]

The High School I went to still used tapes for backup, a lot of places still do methinks.

[wkw427]

What advantage does tape have over flash memory?

[Itxi]

Well flash memory only has a certain number of read-write cycles that it can go through before wearing down.

A lot of places use data tapes still, mainly for backups and archives. And the technology is still being developed, though obviously it will be gone before long.

[CoolJosh3k]

Flash memory for backup... lol.

Backup is best done now on HDDs with a nice RAID.

It would simply be shelves or HDDs next to all the servers that are written to automatically on a set date.

[Grey Jinjo]

Paypal creates backups on hundreds of tapes every day, and they are a huge company.

[CoolJosh3k]

Since when? What is your source?

[Gaming Master2k]

I don't know where it's written they do that but it doesn't make financial sense to use HDDs.

You've got the initial cost of HDDs. Then if you use raid 5 and 2 HDDs die there goes your backup.

If you use Raid 6 and 3 HDDs die there goes your backup.

Anything with Raid 1 will require twice the number of HDDs and thus twice the cost.

Then of course if you rotate HDDs to keep daily/monthly/yearly backups separate rather than using the same HDDs (which a major company would do so that if a fire happens they've lost at most a days data) you have x number of HDDs plus y number of HDDs as redundancy for z number of days (also a months and b years).

There's also the wear of HDDs. If you leave a backup sit for a year or 5 and suddenly use it will the HDDs still function (yes if stored in ideal conditions, not a guarantee in the real world). If they don't there goes your backup.

Not to mention the power requirements of running all these HDDs during backup as opposed to tapes.

Finally according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_tape_data_storage) The highest capacity tapes can hold 1TB of data. Comparable to HDDs.

If you're only going to need a couple of HDDs I would (and do) use them (though my personal situation actually needs to be revised which I plan to do soon). For a large business/corporation tape is the best way to go.

[Guitar]

Tapes? As in casettes? Oh wow.

[CoolJosh3k]

I believe, sir, I shall eat my hat and cry in the corner.

According to that information it would seem logical for companies to still use tape storage.

It is also still worth pointing out, that support from M$ was for an XP system. Sure I could apply to big companies and thier clients, but would they really ned that support page (or even bother sending thier tape to M$)?