A VTL, or virtual tape library, is an archival backup solution that combines traditional tape backup methodology with low-cost disk technology to create an optimized backup and recovery solution. It is an intelligent disk-based library that emulates traditional tape devices and tape formats. Acting like a tape library with the performance of modern disk drives, data is deposited onto disk drives just as it would onto a tape library, only faster. Virtual tape backup solutions can be used as a secondary backup stage on the way to tape, or as their own standalone tape library solution. A VTL generally consists of a Virtual Tape appliance or server, and software which emulates traditional tape devices and formats.
