We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Hardware

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is D2D?

By R. Kayne
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,385
References
Share

D2D, or disk-to-disk, is an effective and superior backup strategy that utilizes hard disks as the storage medium, rather than traditional tape media systems.

With the price of hard disks falling while capacity and speed continue to rise, using additional hard disks for D2D backup has become the proverbial no-brainer for individuals and companies interested in protecting their computer systems. The advent of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) has also contributed to D2D backup strategies. Motherboards that support advanced varieties of RAID utilize multiple disks in a variety of ways to increase speed, provide redundancy and offer error correction. In both RAID and non-RAID environments, D2D backup has several advantages over tape or optical storage.

There are two types of D2D: true D2D and virtual tape library or VTL D2D. The latter is not true D2D because it maintains a tape-like index of files. Though faster than tape, it still incorporates many of tape's limitations.

Tape storage, while serving a vital purpose, had many inconveniences and shortcomings. If a file needed to be restored, for example, the first task was to locate the appropriate archived tape cartridge. The tape then had to be read by the tape unit, a process that could take several minutes. When the file was finally located, it could be transferred, but even this process was often slow. Other problems included bad cartridges, tape wear and tear, and tape units malfunctioning.

Compounding these concerns, operating systems, programs, multimedia files and networks keep growing, making the idea of restoring a system even more foreboding. The slow process of backing/restoring with tape has become increasingly insufficient.

Thanks to affordable, high capacity hard disks, D2D is the perfect solution for backup. Whether using a RAID array for a large corporate network, or an extra hard disk as a shadow drive, D2D can outshine other backup strategies ten to one.

D2D provides "instant" backup and restore because the system recognizes the backup files as originals. There is no tape to tear, wear or scan, and no extra unit to malfunction. The files are always handy, restorable with a simple double-click, with no need to maintain external archives, as in the case of tape cartridges. D2D used with SATA (Serial ATA) RAID also provides for hot-swapping, when internal pre-emptive monitoring routines warn that a disk is 'going bad.' Furthermore, D2D has full scalability, with the capacity of a disk array reaching into the terabytes. In short, there is no viable drawback to using D2D, and several advantages.

There are software programs to automate D2D backup. Arctor, by byteplant GmbH, is one of the more popular and can accommodate RAID or non-RAID D2D strategies. This software can be downloaded for a free trial and is about US$40 to buy. If looking for network solutions, more robust software is also available. A search of your favorite software libraries or the Web will reveal many choices.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-d2d.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.