yes, for random IO tapes suck. but, when you are recovering files, its rarely a random io type deal. Even then, you generally just dump to the nearline/tape c

yes, for random IO tapes suck. but, when you are recovering files, its rarely a random io type deal. Even then, you generally just dump to the nearline/tape cache and fiddle with the data there. A decent 25 drive tape library will easily saturate a 100gig network link, and its perfectly possible to add more drives to get more IO. Tapes as part of tiered storage is something that is really powerful. Yes, flash is cheap, but not cheap enough to be used as long term backup (ie legal hold or general archive.) Keep your expensive fast storage near your clients, the cheaper less fast, but more voluminous a stage away, and then dump out to tape after n weeks with no access.