Multimedia data storage and representation issues on tertiary storage subsystems

Abstract

Storage of multimedia data is a critical issue for the overall system's performance and functionality. Multimedia applications must be able to support a variety of data defined as multimedia objects. Multimedia data consist of various objects such as text, image, video and graphics, which need to be synchronized and meet certain timing requirements. The development and evolution of these new applications characterized by high storage needs resulted in strengthening the role and importance of Tertiary Storage Systems. Recent technological advances have resulted in wide availability of commercial products offering near-line, robot-based, tertiary storage libraries. Therefore, such libraries have become an important component of modern large-scale storage servers. The issue of optimal data placement strategies in tertiary storage is considered below. Different configurations of tape libraries and magnetic tape technologies as well as the special attributes of stored data have an impact on the optimal placement.