The new solution, which is physically air-gapped to protect against ransomware and other cyber threats, is said to offer increased data density in a smaller footprint

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IBM launches a high-density archival storage solution, Diamondback Tape. (Credit: IBM)

IBM has introduced a high-density archival storage solution called IBM Diamondback Tape Library in a move to expand its portfolio of data resilience solutions.

According to the company, the new solution provides physically air-gapped isolation to provide protection from cyber threats, including ransomware, in hybrid cloud environments.

The Diamondback Tape Library will help organisations in the secured storage of hundreds of petabytes of data with a lower total cost of ownership, claimed IBM.

IBM storage vice president and chief marketing officer Scott Baker said: “With data breaches and ransomware attacks now a constant threat, we are seeing hyperscale enterprises increasingly turning to the data resilience provided by IBM Tape solutions.

“The IBM Diamondback Tape Library provides critical protection against a variety of threats, helping minimise data centre floor space requirements and organisations’ carbon footprint. It’s part of the end-to-end data protection and security solution that IBM can deliver.”

The new archival storage solution from IBM is designed with an objective to reduce the requirements for both power and cooling for a lower carbon footprint, compared to spinning disk storage. The former’s long-term endurance is said to allow the storage of data for up to 30 years.

According to IBM, its new solution creates a significant advantage in costs as it is about one-quarter of the total cost of spinning disk storage and public cloud archival services.

The IBM Diamondback Tape Library will serve the vertical markets like cloud storage services, big data, analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare, and life sciences with cost-effective high-capacity archival storage.

International Data Corporation research vice president Phil Goodwin said: “Driven by an explosion in data volume, ransomware, and increased regulatory and sustainability requirements, hyperscale cloud providers are among the biggest consumers of tape storage, and are predicted to drive tape capacity shipments to new levels in 2023.

“IBM’s Diamondback Tape Library is the company’s latest solution for both traditional and cloud hyperscale enterprises. It is designed to deliver on customers’ needs for scalability, sustainability and security with simplicity and self-service.”