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LTO Drives - Frequently Asked Questions
What is LTO Technology?
Linear Tape-Open (referred to as LTO technology) is the name applied by HP, IBM and Seagate to the best-of-available-tape technologies that they brought together to form the Ultrium tape format. Refer to the LTO program web site at http://www.ltotechnology.com for more information.
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What is the Ultrium format?
The Ultrium tape format specification is the implementation of LTO Technology optimized for high capacity and performance with outstanding reliability, in either a stand-alone or automated environment. Using a single-reel tape cartridge to maximize capacity, the Ultrium tape format is ideally suited for backup, restore and archive applications. It is our thought that the Ultrium tape format will meet the needs of the enterprise through single server user on a roadmap, or migration path, which extends well into the next decade. The Ultrium tape format establishes a new benchmark for large volume backup and archive.
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What are the benefits of the Ultrium format?
- High Native Capacity - 100GB in a single cartridge
- High Native Data Rate - 15-20 MB/s
- Wide Ranges of Applications - Ultrium is available in four different cartridge capacities, (10, 30, 50, and 100GB), which allows the technology to be matched to capacity, performance and cost requirements of the application.
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Are products based on the Ultrium format compatible with any other storage products that exist today?
The Ultrium tape format specification has been designed to incorporate the best-of-breed strengths of several existing technologies. Compatibility with existing formats was not a primary consideration but is not prohibited by the Ultrium tape format.
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What are the key feature differences between Ultirum format Generation 1 and Generation 2?
As stated in the LTO Technology four-generation roadmap, speed and capacity is expected to double with each generation of the Ultrium format. The Ultrium format Generation 1 allows for up to 100GB capacity (uncompressed) in a single cartridge, while Ultrium format Generation 2 doubles the capacity up to 200GB (uncompressed) using Generation 2 data cartridges. The data transfer peak performance doubles from up to 20MB/second native in Generation 1 up to 40MB/second in Generation 2.
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What are the backwards compatibility characteristics of the Ultrium format Generation 2?
The LTO Ultrium compatibility is defined with two concepts demonstrating investment protection:
- An Ultrium drive is expected to read data from a cartridge in it's own generation and at least the two prior generations.
- An Ultirum drive is expected to write data to a cartridge in it's own generation and to a cartridge from the immediate prior generation and in the prior generation format.
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