Digital Data Storage (DDS) is a format for storing computer data on a Digital Audio Tape (DAT).
DDS uses tape with a width of 3.8mm, with the exception of the latest formats, DAT 160 and DAT 320, which are 8mm wide. Initially, the tape was 60 meters (197 feet) or 90 meters (295 ft.) 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). If errors are present, the write heads rewrite the data.
Backward compatibility between newer drives and older tapes is not assured; for examples, see HP's DDS Media Compatibility Matrix. (Notice in HP's article that newer tape standards do not simply consist of longer tapes; with DDS2, for example, the track was narrower than with DDS1.)
The DDS format competes mainly against the LTO, AIT, VXA, and Travan formats.
Read more about Digital Data Storage: Generations, Official Standards
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