Tertiary Storage in Operating System

Data that is not commonly accessed and typically not required for daily use is stored in tertiary storage. Tertiary storage is often slower and less expensive than primary and secondary storage  is frequently used for data archiving and long-term storage. 

Tertiary storage units are widely employed for offsite storage or for the long-term retention of volumes of data that are rarely accessed. Tape libraries, optical jukeboxes, and cloud storage are a few examples of tertiary storage systems. Data is kept on magnetic tapes, which are affordable, and long-lasting, but slower to access than other forms of storage, in tape libraries. In general, optical jukeboxes are faster than tape libraries but have a shorter lifespan since they store data on optical discs like CDs or DVDs. 

Data storage on remote servers that are maintained by a third party and are accessible online is referred to as “cloud storage.” Because it is made for rarely accessed data and does not need to be as quick or dependable as main and secondary storage, tertiary storage is typically less expensive and slower than primary and secondary storage. Data archiving and long-term retention, as well as data backup and recovery, are frequently done using tertiary storage.

Features

There are several key features of tertiary storage:

• Low cost: Because tertiary storage is intended for rarely accessed data and does not have to be as quick or dependable, it is typically less expensive than primary and secondary storage.
• Large storage capacity: Tertiary storage devices are made to hold a lot of data, usually between terabytes and petabytes.
• Offsite storage: Tertiary storage systems are frequently used for offsite storage, which can add security and safeguard against data loss due to disasters or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Slow access: Tertiary storage is not designed for frequent use, hence it often accesses more slowly than main and secondary storage.
• Storage for the long term: Tertiary storage is frequently used to store data for the long term that is not in use but must be kept for regulatory or compliance reasons, or for data archiving.
• Data backup and recovery: Tertiary storage is frequently used for data backup and recovery because it offers an affordable and dependable way to store data that might be required in the event of data loss or corruption.
• Large storage capacity: Tertiary storage offers significantly larger storage capacity compared to primary and secondary storage, making it ideal for storing large amounts of data that may not fit in primary or secondary storage.
• Cost-effective: Tertiary storage is typically more cost-effective than primary and secondary storage, as it is designed for large-scale data storage and is available in high-capacity devices.
• Easy accessibility: With tertiary storage, data can be easily accessed and retrieved as needed, even if it is not currently being used. This is because tertiary storage operates at a slower speed than primary and secondary storage.
• Improved data backup and recovery: Tertiary storage provides a convenient backup solution for critical data and enables easy data recovery in case of a failure or data loss in primary or secondary storage.
• Long-term data preservation: Tertiary storage is designed for long-term data preservation, making it ideal for archiving data that is not frequently used but must be kept for regulatory or historical purposes.
• Scalability: Tertiary storage can be easily scaled up or down to meet changing storage requirements, making it a flexible and adaptable solution for organizations of any size.

Applications

• Backup and Recovery: Tertiary storage is commonly used to store backups of critical data to protect against data loss due to hardware failure or other forms of data corruption.
• Archiving: Tertiary storage can be used to store large amounts of historical data that is not frequently accessed but still needs to be preserved for regulatory, legal, or business reasons.
• Digital Preservation: Tertiary storage is used to store and preserve valuable digital content such as historical documents, audio and video recordings, and photographs.
• Big Data Analytics: Tertiary storage systems can store large amounts of raw data that can be processed and analyzed for insights and decision-making.
• Cloud Storage: Tertiary storage is a component of cloud storage solutions, where data is stored remotely and accessed over the internet.
• Data Warehouses: Tertiary storage is used to store large amounts of structured data for business intelligence and data analysis.
• Data Lakes: Tertiary storage is used to store raw and unstructured data for later processing and analysis.

Limitations

• Data saved on tertiary storage is not always accessible because retrieving data from tertiary storage takes longer than from primary or secondary storage.
• Tertiary storage is not designed for regular use, hence it often takes longer to access than main and secondary storage.
• Data kept on tertiary storage may be hard to access because it may be stored offsite and require specialist equipment, which can make it harder to recover data quickly.
• Since it often necessitates the use of off-site storage facilities and specialist technology, retrieving data from tertiary storage can be costly.
• Data loss due to physical deterioration or other problems may occur in tertiary storage devices like tape libraries because of their limited lifespan.
• Because tertiary storage is not designed for active users and may not have the same level of protection against data loss or corruption as primary and secondary storage, it may not offer the same level of data security as those two storage types.