A VTL, or
virtual tape library, is an
archival backup solution that combines
traditional
tape backup methodology with low-cost
disk technology to create an optimized backup and recovery solution. It is an intelligent disk-based
library that
emulates traditional tape devices and tape formats. Acting like a
tape library with the performance of modern disk drives,
data is deposited onto
disk drives just as it would onto a tape library, only faster. Virtual tape backup
solutions can be used as a secondary backup stage on the way to tape, or as
their own standalone tape library solution. A VTL generally consists of a
Virtual Tape appliance or server, and software which emulates traditional tape
devices and formats.
