{
  "slug": "tape",
  "term": "Magnetic tape storage",
  "aliases": [
    "tape drive",
    "cartridge tape"
  ],
  "definition": "Sequential storage on linear magnetic tape in removable cartridges, used mainly for backup and cold archive.",
  "note": "Magnetic tape records data on flexible oxide-coated ribbon in cartridges or reels, streamed past a helical or linear head assembly. Access is sequential: locating a file means winding to the right position, so latency is high relative to disk, but streaming bandwidth, removable media, and offline (“air gap”) custody suit backup and long-term archive. In modern enterprise practice, LTO Ultrium is the dominant open interchange format; proprietary enterprise libraries also exist historically. Tape complements always-online nearline HDD and object tiers rather than replacing random-access primary storage. Cost models emphasize media $/TB and energy when cartridges sit on shelves, not spindle power.",
  "status": "shipping",
  "advantages": [
    {
      "text": "Low cost per stored terabyte and offline portability for air-gapped copies.",
      "citationIds": [
        "c1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    {
      "text": "Random access is poor compared to disk or flash.",
      "citationIds": [
        "c1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "lto",
    "hot-warm-cold"
  ],
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [],
  "firstSeen": {
    "date": "1951",
    "citationIds": [
      "c2"
    ]
  },
  "lastSeen": null,
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "c1",
      "title": "Magnetic tape data storage",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_tape_data_storage",
      "accessed": "2026-03-26"
    },
    {
      "id": "c2",
      "title": "UNIVAC tape",
      "url": "https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/memory-storage/8/187/695",
      "accessed": "2026-03-26"
    },
    {
      "id": "n3",
      "title": "LTO Program — FAQs about LTO technology",
      "url": "https://www.lto.org/faqs-about-lto/",
      "accessed": "2026-10-07"
    },
    {
      "id": "n4",
      "title": "LTO Program — Trust LTO overview",
      "url": "https://www.lto.org/trustlto/",
      "accessed": "2026-10-07"
    },
    {
      "id": "n5",
      "title": "IBM — Linear Tape File System (LTFS) overview",
      "url": "https://www.ibm.com/products/linear-tape-file-system",
      "accessed": "2026-10-07"
    }
  ]
}