This makes accessing data slow so tape is mainly used for system backups and regular archiving of files and records. Travan drives record data as a series of parallel tracks along the tape. More tracks mean more storage capacity. The higher the capacity of the drive the faster the data transfer rate. However, tape drives are still the slowest form of storage, taking up to hours to backup a system.
Time is less of an issue for unattended backups.
Higher capacity drives are also capable of reading lower capacity cartridges and some older QIC tapes. This format is best known for digital audio recording although DAT drives can't play DAT audio. These drives differ from Travan drives because they use a recording technique called helical scanning which is used in VCRs. These overlapping tracks allow for high data density and faster data transfer speeds. Higher capacity drives are backwards compatible with smaller capacity tape cartridges.