OVHcloud will launch a Storage-as-a-Service offering using IBM's enterprise tape technology and the Atempo software stack.
The French cloud provider will initially roll the platform out at four dedicated data centers in its home country, aimed at meeting European data residency regulations.
Tape remains relevant into 2021 and beyond
The company will use IBM's 3592 proprietary format, the most recent generation of which has a capacity per tape of 20TB (60TB compressed). The data will be orchestrated by Atempo's technology platform, Miria, an enterprise data backup, archive and migration software suite.
OVHcloud will also use erasure coding 9+3 technology for data protection. Tape is significantly cheaper than hard disks and flash drives, does not consume power (other than during retrieval), and can last up to 30 years. Unlike disks and drives, however, retrieval can take time - with IBM's offering taking between 10 minutes and 12 hours.
“We are very pleased that the convergence of IBM, Atempo, and OVHcloud expertise results in a reliable and sovereign data preservation solution” Sylvain Rouri, chief sales officer at OVHcloud, said.
“Public and private organizations will benefit from a unified and highly secure storage experience with our high-performance solutions built in a trusted cloud.”
The tape will be located in four French data centers "each separated by several hundred kilometers," which OVH claims are fully brand new facilities, but DCD has asked for clarification if they are on existing campuses.
Update: "The data centers dedicated to this future tape storage solution will be new facilities in new locations," OVH co-founder and VP of Engineering Miroslaw Klaba told DCD. "They will only have a small footprint, less power requirements, and no watercooling.”
Article continues: The company has pitched the low-cost cold storage at European businesses looking for cheap disaster recovery, or to help follow data sovereignty laws.
“There is a deep yearning of professional organizations for a cloud of trust. At Atempo, we are excited to join forces with IBM, and OVHcloud as we pave the way for a new era, a new digital deal, which goes far beyond the borders of the European Union,” said Luc d’Urso, CEO of the Atempo.
