T 2.10 Data media are not available when required

Correct use of data media is of particular importance to IT processes. Even minor faults - e.g. insufficient marking, unsuitable storage site, lack of input or output acknowledgements in the data media archive - can be the reason why a data medium cannot be located within the required time. The resultant delays can cause significant damage.

Examples:

• By mistake, backup tapes are stored in an external data backup archive. A required data recovery is delayed considerably as it is not possible to obtain the tapes immediately.

• By mistake, backup tapes with different contents are labelled identically. The archive keeper inadvertently releases the most recent tape for deletion. Consequently, only an outdated backup will be available