Dat 72

Digital Data Storage ( DDS ) is a format for storing and backing up computer data on magnetic tape that evolved from Digital Audio Tape (DAT) technology, which was originally created for CD-quality audio recording. In 1989, Sony and Hewlett Packard defined the DDS format for data storage using DAT tape cartridges. Tapes conforming to the initial DDS format can be read by either DAT or DDS tape machines. However, most DDS tape drives cannot retrieve the audio stored on a DAT cartridge.

DDS uses tape with a width of 3.8mm, with the exception of the latest format, DAT 160, which is 8mm wide. Initially, the tape was 60 or 90 meters long, although advancements in materials technology have allowed the length to be increased significantly in successive versions. A DDS tape drive uses helical scanning for recording, the same process used by a video cassette recorder (VCR). There are two read heads and two write heads. The read heads verify the data that has been written (recorded). If errors are present, the write heads rewrite the data.

A DDS cartridge needs to be retired after 2,000 passes or 100 full backups. Tape drives should be cleaned regularly to be kept in good working order. DDS tapes have an expected life of at least 10 years.

Backward compatibility between newer drives and older tapes is not assured. See HP's compatibility matrix: Compatibility Matrix

Notice in HP's article that newer tape standards do not simply consist of longer tapes. For example, the track is narrower in DDS2 than in DDS1.

The DDS format competes mainly against the LTO, AIT, VXA, and Travan formats.

Generations

DDS-1

Stores up to 1.3 GB uncompressed (2.6 GB compressed) on a 60 m cartridge, 2 GB uncompressed (4 GB compressed) on a 90 m cartridge.

The DDS-1 Cartridge often does not have the -1 designation. It can often be recognized by having 4 vertical bars separated from DDS by the words "Digital Data Storage".

DDS-2

Stores up to 4 GB uncompressed (8 GB compressed) on a 120 m cartridge.

DDS-3

Stores up to 12 GB uncompressed (24 GB compressed) on a 125 m cartridge. DDS-3 uses PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood). PRML minimizes electronic noise for a cleaner data recording.

DDS-4

DDS-4 stores up to 20 GB uncompressed (40 GB compressed) on a 150 m cartridge. This format is also called DAT 40.

DAT 72

DAT 72 stores up to 36 GB uncompressed (72 GB compressed) on a 170 m cartridge. The DAT 72 standard was developed by HP and Certance. It has the same form-factor and is backwards compatible with DDS-3 and -4.

DAT 160

DAT 160 was launched in June 2007 by HP, stores up to 80 GB uncompressed (160 GB compressed). A major change from the previous generations is the width of the tape. DAT 160 uses 8 mm wide tape while all prior versions use 3.81 mm wide tape. Despite the difference in tape widths, DAT 160 drives are backwards compatible with DAT 72 and DAT 40 (DDS-4). Native capacity is 80 GB and native transfer rate 6.9 MB/s. Launch interfaces are SCSI and USB, with SAS interface now released.

DAT 320

In November 2009 HP launched the new DAT 320 which stores up to 160 GB uncompressed (marketed as 320 GB assuming 2:1 compression).

Future

About two years after DAT 320 the next format is planned to be launched, storing approximately 300 GB uncompressed.

Official standards

• ECMA-139 ISO/IEC 10777:1991 , Specification of DDS .
• ECMA-146 ISO/IEC 11321:1992 , Specification of DATA/DAT .
• ECMA-150 ISO/IEC 11557:1992 , Specification of DDS-DC (DDS w/ compression).
• ECMA-151 ISO/IEC 11558:1992 , Specification of DCLZ (compression algorithm).
• ECMA-170 ISO/IEC 12447:1993 , Specification of DDS (for 60m and 90m tapes).
• ECMA-171 ISO/IEC 12448:1993 , Specification of DATA/DAT-DC (for 60m and 90m tapes).
• ECMA-198 ISO/IEC 13923 , Specification of DDS-2 .
• ECMA-236 ISO/IEC 15521 , Specification of DDS-3 .
• ECMA-288 ISO/IEC 17462 , Specification of DDS-4 .

References

1. ^ "DAT Roadmap". DAT Manufacturers Group . http://www.datmgm.com/datroadmap.htm . Retrieved 2008-10-31 .  

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