Lets talk about tape drives and the problems associated with not only the hardware, but the software too.
 Tape backup drives have been in use since the very first computers were introduced to the public. I remember using a cassette tape recorder to backup my data on a TRS80 Model 3! Things as you know, have come a long way since then, but the method remains pretty much the same.
 All tape drives backup your data sequentially which means (sorry for the redundancy) that the data is stored in a straight line on the tape, from one end to the other. Depending on the type of tape unit you have, this line may go back and forth on the tape media several times (the heads move up and down to do this). QIC or Travan are the most common formats used to write tapes today. These industry standards are what the manufacturers must adhere to in order to make a 'compatible' unit.
 DAT tapes actually record and read the tape at an angle enabling us to get much more on a single tape than ever before. The technology behind a DAT drive is identical to that of a handheld 8mm or 4mm camcorder. The mechanism inside a DAT drive is one and the same!

The following is an idea of what can possibly go wrong when using a tape drive taken from what we know as experienced technicians, and what we have seen pass our way over the years.
 We have witnessed many a computer come through our doors for data recovery with a tape drive installed. We have always wondered , "Why didn't they do a backup?". The usual answer is, "It takes too long", or "I never have been able to get it to work right", or "I did one about 6 months ago". With drives getting larger not smaller, a backup is one of the most important things one can do to safeguard their data. Several years ago, most people had a 'Jumbo 120 or 250' tape drive. These were painfully slow. They also quit working when the unit got a little dust in it, or would spool the tape when the sensors would get dirty. Nowadays, the tape drives are much faster, and hold more data than ever before.
 Some of the problems we see besides not performing a backup, include:

Dirty heads- Standard tape media (not DAT) is usually oxide coated plastic, and after a period of time this oxide wears off and onto the read / recording heads of the tape drive itself. Be sure to keep the heads cleaned either using a head cleaning kit, having a professional do it, or if you feel comfortable, using a Q-tip with some denatured alcohol. Doing this will keep the tapes in better health and keep the signal strong between the tape and the head. For DAT drives, use a professional cleaning kit, or see an expert. DAT drive heads get dirty too just like your VCR.

Using the same tape over and over- All too often, we see an otherwise perfect tape backup ruined by the fact that the user continues to use the same tape day after day. As I said before, tapes wear out after a period of time, and must be replaced. When the tape drive is used often with the same tape inserted, the heads physically rub the actual media right off the plastic, and result in 'bad blocks' which consequently results in a bad backup. Always keep a good rotation of tapes. You should have 1 tape for each day of the week. Take last nights backup home with you that day.

Leaving the tape in the drive at all times- Again, many people just leave the one tape that came with the unit inserted in the drive which not only results in wear, but can be of particular danger when it comes to fire! Never leave the tape in even the same vicinity as the computer. If you ever have a fire, flood, or other catastrophe, you lose the only backup you have, and you lose the computer too. Keep your media in either another office, take it home with you, or put it in a fireproof safe.

Do a verify on each backup- So many times we hear from clients that the drive failed, they go to do their restore, and oops...there are bad blocks on the tape! This is only caused by not doing a verify on each backup. When the tape drive backs up the data, it goes on just as if all is ok weather it is or not. If you do a verify on each backup, the data backed up onto the tape is checked with the data on the drive and if there are any differences, you will get an error message indicating so. If you set your backups up to perform its' duty while you are asleep, the verify and the backup (which does take twice as long) will be done by morning. If there is an error, replace the tape! Verifying is a heck of an insurance policy. To be doubly sure about your tape backup system, you may want to do a test restore to be sure it works. When it comes to mission critical data, you can never be too safe!

Set up your backup software properly- Another common problem especially with larger organizations is that the tape backup software is not set up correctly. There are several options available to the user such as: verify or compare after backup, backup selected data, backup all data, and automatic backup. Another thing we hear quite often is "The backup software was setup 5 years ago, and we have created new subdirectories since then which were not included in the backup". I suggest you either get a newer version of backup software, and set it to backup the entire drive, or periodically review the selected files and make sure that the data you use is actually being backed up. Set the software to backup while you are asleep. Above all, read the error log!! This is a tell all as to what was backed up, and what errors occured during the backup. Errors occur, and if you never look at the log, you will never know.

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