Selecting a Data Protection Method

Disk-based protection only

• Speed of data recovery.
  
  
• Speed of data backup.
  
  
• Backups are less likely to have errors.
  
  
• Ability to have redundancy to handle failure using technologies such as RAID.
  
  
• Less manual intervention, such as changing tapes.
  
  

• Disks are not a simple solution for archive needs, because of the cost of disks and the inconvenience of storing offsite.
  
  

• When you have a limited data loss tolerance.
  
  
• When you need faster recovery times.
  
  

Tape-based protection only

• Can be stored offsite for security and as a contingency for disaster recovery.
  
  
• Easy to increase capacity by adding more tapes.
  
  

• Slower and more cumbersome recovery process.
  
  
• Prone to errors.
  
  

• When data loss tolerance is more generous.
  
  
• When recovery time objective is generous.
  
  
• For data that does not change frequently and does not require backup as frequently.
  
  
• For lengthy retention period.
  
  

Both disk-based and tape-based protection

• Combined advantages of above, while balancing out each method's disadvantages.
  
  
• A single point of management.