10 February 2020

Magnetic tapes advantages and disadvantages

Magnetic tape is most commonly used to record and to store computer and video data. Before the CD and DVD came along, the magnetic tap was widely used by consumers. Magnetic tape is most communally used y large companies and organizations that require massive data stores. Here this pose gives information about the advantages and disadvantages of magnetic tape to better understand this topic.

Advantages of magnetic tape:
  • Magnetic tape can e recorded over and reused repeatedly.
  • Magnetic tape is inexpensive and budget-friendly.
  • Can storage large amounts of data unto 1 terabyte per tape cartridge.
  • Data collection can go without interruption overnight or for an entire weekend.
  • It can be set up to do the back up overnight or over the weekend.
  • It is probably the cheapest form of storage per megabyte of storage.

Disadvantages of magnetic tape:

  • Magnetic tape has a lifespan of 15 years. Data quality erodes over time.
  • This tape is necessary to keep older tape equipment just to be able to read the stored data.
  • If the data is stored ear a strong magnetic field or large speaker, the tape can be damaged.
  • Magnetic tap is in physical contact with the recording heads, causing friction and wear. 
  • Special equipment must be purchased and set up to record and store data. The data can only be read on the special type of equipment.
  • It is slow compared to magnetic disks.
  • It is not flexible, and updating the records is difficult.
  • Away from corrosive gases ad chemicals, they can cause tape reading errors.
  • Use parity bits, hence if a minor error occurs it is difficult to recover the data.
  • It was sequential in nature, not suitable where data is accessed and requires a random order.
  • This tape is needed to be a special piece of equipment to record and read the data on the tape.
  • The tape can stretch or break or lose its magnetic data to age, heat, or the earth magnetic field.