VXA tape technology offers improved data reliability and increased output characteristics. Discreet data packets have been introduced in the VXA media technology that are more reliable and ensure increased output frequency than the linear track technology. The members of the VXA alliance share a common goal, which is to assist the enterprises and enable them to address their backup storage requirements in a more cost effective and intelligent manner. The increasing numbers of leading media manufacturing companies joining the VXA tape alliance indicates that the global data storage market is backing and supporting the highly reliable VXA data tape technology.

Due to the rigorous testing mechanism of VXA tape, the leading organization of the world have found the VXA media tape technology as one of the most economical and robust format in both automation & drive products. High capacity VXA data tapes are well renowned for their unmatched durability, long durable life, massive storage capacity, increased output level, fast transfer speed and breakthrough features. IDC conducted a survey on tape automation revenue & shipments. According to the results of the report, there has been a dramatic increased in the growth of the high capacity VXA data tape technology across the world. Exabyte VXA tape format has no doubt earned the position of a global market leader in the low-end tape automation. This market segment is classified by Exabyte as entry level automation that has been specifically engineered for the departmental and SMBs markets. Low end automation is defined by IDC as primarily autoloaders along with incorporation of one of these technologies: DLT VS, VXA, AIT 1-2, DDS/DAT and SLR.

The third generation of VXA tape format was launched worldwide by Exabyte on October, 2005. This third generation VXA data tape included VXA-320 packet loader and VXA-320 packet drive. It has the capability of recording data of 320GB on a single data tape at a rate of 24 Mbps. VXA 320 packet loader by Exabyte is a high quality 1-u autoloader offering slots of 10 tape cartridges with capacity of 3.2 TB. It also features an Ethernet port & bar code that are very useful in remote management. The parts of the Exabyte VXA cartridge are kept safe from bumps, shocks as the tape media is packed in a highly durable cartridge shell.

VXA-X tape is the latest version that has been specifically designed to be used in drives and autoloaders of VXA-320 and VXA-2. VXA-X backup storage tape is offered in 3 different capacities. The capacities of VXA-X tapes are 20, 40 & 80GB in native mode while their compressed recording abilities are 40, 80 & 160 GB. New innovative technologies are employed in the Exabyte VXA X tape format that improve its performance and increases the chances to recover information stored in VXA tape cartridge in case of damage caused by disaster or mishandling.

Substrate based upon PEN is used in VXA-X tape. The thickness of substrate is 4.7 micrometer and the lengths of are X23, X10 and X6 are 230-m, 124-m and 62-m respectively. VXA-X Tape is compatible with the VXA-320 & VXA2 autoloaders and tape drive but does not support the VXA-1 tape drives because of its thinner substrate. In order to use X-10 or X-6 tapes, firmware of 2105 or higher level is required. Advanced metal evaporated media is used in VXA-X which prolongs its useful life than the other tape formats. The users have more options and they can select the VXA tape cartridge whose recording capacity meets their requirements.

When the customers require more backup storage with increased capacity, they can just the VXA tape of higher capacity. The users can select the smaller capacity VXA-X tape cartridges for incremental backups and for full backups, they have the luxury to select larger capacity VXA-X tapes. The VXA-2 tape media can also be used in the VXA-320 tape drive which saves cost and provides more luxury and flexibly that the other tape formats are unable to offer.

VXA-V tape is the 1st version of VXA tape format which offer unparalleled performance in VXA-2 and VXA1 tape autoloaders and packet drives. VXA-V technology is very reliable and highly efficient. VXA-1 and VXA-2 are the two different forms of VXA-V tape technology. PET-based substrates are used in manufacturing VXA-1 tape whose thickness is 6.4 micrometer. Its length in V6 and V10 is 62m and 120m while in V-17 the length reaches 170m. All these are compatible with the VXA 2 and VXA 1 tape drives. 4.7 micrometer thick PEN-based substrate is used in VXA-2 tape format and its length in V-23 is 230 m. It is compatible with the VXA-2 and with the tape drives and autoloaders of future generation. Exabyte VXA products offer unmatched durability and outstanding data reliability.

Recording capacity, useful life and restore integrity of Exabyte VXA tape technology is far superior to other traditional media formats. VXA-X tape technology is the most economical choice for those customers who are looking forward to adopt new reliable, efficient backup tape standard for their SMBs. VXA tape’s increased sales & production efficiencies have led to enhancements to the overall media technology and reduced media pricing. The specifications of the VXA-X tape products are even tighter than the prior VXA tape generations. Therefore the variations from one data tape to another have been further reduced.

Exabyte has engineered the VXA-X tapes to provide compatibility with the VXA tape format’s next generation which results in protection of the client’s investment. The speed & capacity of VXA-3 tape format is twice as that of VXA-2 media tape. Exabyte has added new features to the VXA-X media format so that it can meet the growing demands of the departmental & SMB business segment who are seeking a cost efficient data restore and backup technology at lowest cost per GB. VXA X data tapes provide fast and efficient data backup and restoring solutions. Cost per GB offered by the highly efficient VXA media technology is also low in comparison to the other storage formats. Highly reliable VXA X data tape products offer increased capacity which enables them to support the backup needs of the enterprises at a fast speed. The leading enterprises now require faster speed and highly economical storage mediums so that they can have an efficiently compete in the market.

VXA X tape products have established new high quality and media reliability standards. Low error rate and exceptional data integrity in VXA-X tape has made it the foremost choice of the customers. The prices of VXA-X backup tapes are very economical and their long archival life and outstanding media robustness protects the recorded information in event of any disaster or mishandling.

VXA-X media technology provides a very smooth migration path for those customers who want to upgrade their backup storage system to a more reliable and efficient data backup medium. VXA X format is highly advantageous as it is available in 3 different capacities and all are compatible with the current and the advanced versions of the highly reliable VXA tape drives. Exabyte has introduced robust cartridge shells for all of its VXA backup tapes that help to protect the media tapes from damage and shocks during their transportation and daily operations.

VXA packet is a patented technology which has been developed and intelligently engineered by Exabyte keeping in view the demands of the business enterprises. Data packet is a new advanced technology used in VXA media tape for reading/recording. Data packet is more durable and ensures faster backups with lowest operational costs and increased performance level. Significant advancements have been made by Exabyte to make the VXA media format more advantageous and efficient. Superior media reliability, long archival life, massive storage space and faster backing up capability have been combined in the Exabyte’s latest VXA tape format. Cost per gigabyte of Exabyte VXA tapes is also far superior to other tape formats. VXA tape technology is more user friendly & cost efficient. Lesser floor space is required by the VXA data tapes which will help the I.T managers to control their operational and maintenance costs.

So far Exabyte has introduced 3 generations of the highly durable VXA tape format. Exabyte tests all these VXA backup tapes before shipping them into the market so that their high quality & increased output characteristics can be confirmed. Independent labs also conduct tests on the VXA media products that are based on highly vigorous experiments. The reliability and data recovery capability of the VXA tape cartridges are verified by different harsh experiments like using hot coffee, volcanic dust, aggressive shakes, boiling water, violent bumps and even freezing the cartridges. The accuracy of data recovery from the VXA tapes passed through these harsh experiments was 100% which proves its upstanding media robustness.

Exabyte has devised a new intelligent digital solution in its VXA tape format that has solved the long standing alignment problem of head to tape. The other traditional tape storage formats often fail to carry out their restore operations due to this alignment problem. The mechanism of data reading/writing in VXA format is different from other traditional formats. The information is recorded and read in the advanced VXA media technology in the form of data packets. These packets are assigned unique addresses. The traditional tape technologies sequentially trace all the tracks that are located on the media tape. The efficient VXA tape format uses a different approach; it sweeps all the data packets along the entire tape surface. The VXA buffer is specifically designed to gather the data packets and then it re-assembles them to bring it back into its original form. This process is very reliable and efficient that leads to increased data reliability at lowest cost per GB.

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VXA tape format is very economical and offers faster transfer rates and superior data reliability. VXA-X and VXA-V are the two versions of VXA tape format. Tape4backup is offering lifetime warranty on all IBM and Exabyte VXA tape cartridges.