Virtual Tape Library (VTL)

Virtual Tape Library (VTL) is an intelligent disk-based library that emulates traditional tape devices and tape formats (Virtualisation of existing tape formats e.g. Sony AIT, Ultrium LTO, and Quantum SDLT).

Acting like a tape library/drive with the performance of magnetic disk drives, data is copied (Backed-up, Snap-shotted, Incrementally, replicated, etc) onto magnetic disk drives just as it would onto a tape library/drive, only faster. Virtual Tape Backup solutions can be used as a secondary backup stage on the way to tape, or as a standalone Backup solution (This is not recommended - unless archiving is conducted in conjunction with remote offsite data collocation). A VTL generally consists of a Virtual Tape appliance or server, and software which emulates traditional tape devices and formats.

The Benefits of VTL:

• Faster restores
• Nearline / Online access
• Shorter backup windows
• Accelerated backup and archiving
• Economies of incremental backup
• Greater reliability
• Better Management

Different Types of VTL (VTL Appliance and VTL Software)
There are essentially two technical approaches that vendors are taking to delivering virtual tape library functionality for their customers. The first is an integrated VTL appliance, complete with all of the necessary hardware and software. The second approach is a software-only VTL offering which provides the desired functionality. Customer’s IT department and/or systems integrators can configure hardware and software for desired environment requirements.

VTL Vendors:

• Sepaton
• Alacritus
• Diligent
• FalconStor

Software-only VTL solutions offer the customer a wide array of technical configurations using any number of hardware and software combinations. Flexibility of configuration and the ability to build the solution with almost whatever hardware the customer desires is the primary value of these solutions.

Typical Backup Scenario	Backup Scenario with VTL

Typical Backup SAN Scenario	Backup Scenario SAN with VTL

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Thanks goes to: SearchStorage.com, howstuffworks.com, technologyinreview.com, usenix.net, supercomp.org, copansys.com, for providing the necessary information to publish this information