Virtual tape library

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A virtual tape library (VTL) is storage based on a disk array , which externally emulates a tape library . This makes it possible to integrate backup-to-disk concepts into existing data backup environments , which are usually based on tape drives .

For connected computers, a VTL is like one or more tape libraries. The number of libraries and the slots and tape drives they contain are freely configurable. Virtual tapes can usually be written directly to "real" tapes by the VTL without the backup software or a server being involved in this process.

There are particular advantages when backing up slow computers (especially those that are only connected to the network at 100 Mbit / s), since tape drives must work with the start-stop procedure in such a case, which puts a lot of strain on the tape material (see Shoeshine problem ).

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