Data Backup Digest

When it comes to data backup and archival, consumers and professionals alike are always on the lookout for a storage medium that is faster, more efficient or more resilient. As the read and write speeds of Blu-Ray discs are already about as fast as they can be, manufacturers have to focus elsewhere; and that's exactly what Panasonic did.

A recent product, technically known as the LB-DH8 Series Blu-Ray Data Archiver, has recently entered the commercial market. According to Panasonic, the device is capable of extending the life of an average Blu-Ray by 40 additional years. This could prove to be a boon for modern day enterprises, many of which still depend on tape- or HDD-based backup architecture. Not only does the increased longevity lower the total cost of ownership associated with Blu-Ray drives and discs, but it ensures that your data will last longer than the alternatives.

Hideo Yonenaga, general manager of the Asia-Pac Storage Business Division with Panasonic, explained the need for such a device. He was quoted as saying: "The growing demands for active, and long-term, archival storage present a number of challenges that can strain existing archival systems. Panasonic’s Blu-Ray data archiver is uniquely positioned to address these challenges – from reliability, data integrity, cost and environmental footprint – as compared to existing solutions."

Blu-ray discs also have additional benefits in long-term data archival. The fact that they're based on a WORM (Write Once Read Many) format means they can't be overwritten or modified later on, which makes them an excellent choice for storing mission-critical or sensitive data. Moreover, they require less power to operate and run at cooler temperatures than their traditional counterparts.

Users who rely on RAID architecture to safeguard their data will be happy to know that this storage medium also supports RAID 5 and 6, so you can transition to the Blu-Ray platform without having to sacrifice the integrity or reliability of your data.

Already In Use Around the Globe

The team with Plan B, a popular provider of infrastructure and business continuity solutions in New Zealand, developed the world's first archive-as-a-service technology within a cloud infrastructure. The platform was developed in tandem with the Blu-Ray Data Archiver.

Ian Forrester, managing director with Plan B, spoke about the integration of the Blu-Ray Archiver and their new cloud system. He was quoted as saying: "Our new service makes blu-ray archival technology accessible to businesses of all sizes and allows them to securely access and manage their archive data in the cloud. Our as-a-service model eliminates capital expenditure while providing easy access, lower costs, scalability and reliable data storage now and into the future. This service model will not just be available in New Zealand but in Asia and Australia as well."

As you can see, the next generation of the Blu-Ray format is great for handling the big data needs of an enterprise or even the smaller datasets of a personal computer user. In either case, Panasonic's Blu-Ray discs, as well as the Blu-Ray Data Archiver, is set to revolutionize the data storage game.