Disk is fast becoming the primary storage target for archive and backup data but that does not mean the future of removable media is dead. If anything there are probably more use cases than ever for the use of removable media. It is for this reason that DCIG is today pleased to announce that it has joined the RDX Storage Alliance as a partner.
Prior to the introduction of RDX removable disk technology a few years ago, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) were facing some tough choices as they really only had three viable options for archive and backup.
- Use a dumb storage array with high capacity disk drives
- Use an intelligent disk storage system that included features such as deduplication, replication and WORM (Write Once Read Many)
- Continue to use tape
These options were not always the right ones for their environments or budgets. Storage arrays with high capacity disk drives were not portable so they offered no offsite option. Intelligent disk storage systems that did deduplication, replication and WORM may cost more than what their budget would allow plus they may not have an offsite location to which they could replicate data. Tape did not provide the backup and recovery speeds or success rates that they desired.
This is in part why DCIG sees such a bright future for RDX removable disk technology as it fills the gap that these other technologies leave.
Much like LTO did for tape media, RDX creates a standard for removable disk media so that any storage provider’s RDX disk cartridge can be used in any RDX docking station. Further, RDX docking cartridges are both forward and backwards compatible with any size RDX disk cartridge so users can buy the right size disk cartridge for their environment.
There are also other reasons why DCIG views RDX as such a compelling choice over competitive solutions in this space:
- RDX disk cartridges are the most rugged of the portable disk technologies available which makes it well suited for the rigors of the SMB environments into which it will be deployed.
- The RDX removable disk technology is backed by some of the biggest storage players in the SMB market including companies like Imation, Maxell, ProStor Systems and Tandberg Data
- RDX has multiple use cases. While archive and backup are its primary use cases right now, since RDX is a disk drive beneath the covers the possibilities are literally endless in terms of how this technology can be implemented. In fact, just this morning as I was posting this blog entry I was made aware of how a company that does post production video is leveraging RDX removable disk technology to transport and distribute files to different members of the post-production team for editing and animation.
It is for reasons like these that DCIG is today pleased to join the RDX Storage Alliance as a partner. DCIG views the RDX Storage Alliance as an unbiased source of RDX Storage technology information for storage and IT professionals that want to learn about effective solutions using RDX technology. RDX can simplify data storage requirements, significantly increases the disk storage capacities available for securely and safely transporting data and it lowers IT costs for SMBs. It is because RDX can help SMBs solve their pressing business and technical problems that DCIG is excited to join this education and outreach effort.