DLT, SDLT, LTO Data Tape FAQ
The information below has been compiled by SuperMediaStore.com through extensive research performed by our staff and information provided by the manufacturers.
About DLT Tape Media
- What is DLT?
- Is DLT tape technology a standard format?
- Why do DLT tape data tape cartridges require protective cases?
- How many times can I use a DLT computer tape?
- Which cleaning tape is compatible with the media drive?
About SDLT Tape Media
- What is Super DLT tape technology?
- What is the basis for Super DLT tape technology?
- Is Super DLT tape technology fully backward compatible with older DLT tape products?
- How does Super DLT compare to LTO Ultrium?
- What happens if I put a 220GB formatted cartridge in a SDLT 320 drive?
- Can I use a DLT Cleaning Tape in a SDLT drive?
- Is SDLT tape technology widely available?
- What is the storage capacity of a SDLT drive?
About LTO Tape Media
- What is LTO tape?
- What did Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Seagate contribute to LTO Technology?
- What is the LTO format?
- Are products based on the LTO format compatible with any other storage products that exist today?
- How can users be sure of data interchangeability among LTO format products?
- What are the key feature differences between LTO format Generation 1 and Generation 2?
- What are the backward compatibility characteristics of the LTO format Generation 2?
- What are the Uncompressed Capacities for LTO Three Generations Tape?
- Why did Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Seagate develop new open tape format specifications?
- What is an "open tape format specification"?
- How does an open tape format specification ultimately benefit customers?
- How many times can I use an LTO tape?
About DLT
What is DLT?
DLT (Digital Linear Tape) is a magnetic tape format developed by DEC (inherited by Hewlett-Packard). And DLT tapes are 1/2 inch wide and usually are packaged in sturdy plastic containers. DLTtape can store between 10GB to 40GB of uncompressed data, a popular mid-range data storage solution. Supermediastore.com has a large variety of DLT selections.
Is DLT tape technology a standard format?
DLTtape is the unquestioned industry standard format for mid-range computing backup and archive applications. DLT tapes earned it position by being the only only format capable of matching Moore? law ?"meeting the doubling of capacity needs every 18 months". In addition, DLT tape increases consistency and sustained capacity and performance. Another compelling attribute of DLT tape technology is its ability to maintain total media and data compatibility between all generations of drives. This does not only mean that data written on previous generations of DLT tape drives can be accessed by current ones, but that data written to a tape on a specific drive can be accessed by any other DLT tape drive. By providing an industry standard common format, data availability and transferability are virtually unlimited, DLT tape technology is simply unmatched by any other tape format or technology.
Why do DLT tape data tape cartridges require protective cases?
DLT tape 1/2-inch tape is an ideal long-term archival media with a storage life of 30 years or more. To achieve its maximum shelf life, a DLT data tape should be stored in its protective case. It is crucial to store your tapes in their protective cases when not being used in the tape drive or robotic cartridge handling system. Keep them within a reasonable temperature & humidity range for both intermediate and long-term storage. These guidelines are promoted in information about DLT tape from Quantum Corporation, Supermediastore.com and others. The same recommendations are also found in the ECMA, ISO, and ANSI standards for DLT 1/2-inch magnetic tape.
How many times can I use a DLT computer tape?
To ensure your data remains safe, Supermediastore.com recommends switching to a new DLT tape after usage of 250 times. However, the duration is effected by the data storage and the actual handling of the tapes.
Which cleaning tape is compatible with the media drive?
Using a drive head that has not been properly cleaned might cause data errors. Therefore, to avoid such problems, clean the drive regularly. And also note that as long as the power is on, the built-in fan will continue to operate, regardless of whether the drive is working. This will suck small amounts of dust into the drive, and hence cause malfunctions in the long run. Supermediastore.com recommends that you clean the drive after each break in use of more than a few days.
DLT/SDLT |
||
Cartridge daily hours of use |
Less than 6 hours |
Over 6 hours |
Cleaning frequency |
Once a month |
Once every 10 days |
LTO |
||
Cartridge daily hours of use |
Less than 6 hours |
Over 6 hours |
Cleaning frequency |
Once a month, or back up data every 100 hours |
Once every one to two weeks, or back up data every 50 hours |
About SDLT
What is Super DLT tape technology?
Super DLT tape technology is the next generation DLT tape technology platform. It is an extension to the highly successful DLT tape technology product set that is the industry standard for mid-range UNIX and NT system backup and archive applications. DLT tape technology provides the most comprehensive data protection storage devices in the midrange system market: from entry level departmental servers to complex enterprise class automated tape library systems.
What is the basis for Super DLT tape technology?
Super DLT tape technology is based on Laser Guided Magnetic Recording (LGMR) technology, which uses a unique combination of the best optical and magnetic technologies to dramatically increase the number of recording tracks on the data-bearing surface of the media.
Is Super DLT tape technology fully backward compatible with older DLT tape products?
Super DLT tape technology offers backward-read compatibility with DLT tape IV cartridge systems. Consistent with one of the most compelling attributes of DLT tape technology, this ensures compatibility with multiple generations of DLT tape drives and millions of data cartridges. In addition, the DLT 8000 drive is also compatible with Super DLT tape-based drives offering a viable migration path for increasing data storage needs.
How does Super DLT compare to LTO Ultrium?
SDLT is the next generation products from Quantum. The initial version of SDLT is similar to LTO Ultrium with a native capacity of 110GB per cartridge and a native data transfer rate of 11MB/sec for SDLT; LTO Ultrium has a native capacity of 100GB and a native transfer rate of 15MB/sec.
What happens if I put a 220GB formatted cartridge in a SDLT 320 drive?
The SDLT 320 tape drive will continue to read and write to that cartridge in SDLT 220 format.
Can I use a DLT Cleaning Tape in a SDLT drive?
No, never use a DLT cleaning tape in a SDLT drive; DLT cleaning tapes are incompatible with SDLT heads. You can purchase a cleaning tape through Supermediastore.com.
Is SDLT tape technology widely available?
SDLT tape technology is the most widely available tape technology on the market. It is available in solutions ranging from single drive tabletop configurations to enterprise class automated tape libraries containing tens of drives and thousands of data cartridges. SDLT tape solutions have been developed and are available from providers including these major computer and storage suppliers (IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Quantum, and Sun), all primary tape automation developers (StorageTek, ATL, ADIC, and Qualstar Corporation), as well as a multitude of VARs, resellers and distributors. SDLT tape products are also manufactured and sold under license by Tandberg Data Inc.
What is the storage capacity of a SDLT drive?
The storage capacity of a SDLT-220 drive is 110MB Native and 220MB Compressed. The storage capacity of a SDLT-320 drive is 160MB Native and 320MB Compressed.
About LTO
What is LTO tape?
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) is a tape standard developed by HP, IBM, and Seagate as a competitor to DLT. LTO tape stores data in 384 data tracks which are divided into four data bands of 96 tracks each. The four data bands are bordered by bands of servo information which are written during tape manufacture. Data bands are filled one-at-a-time, in a linear fashion. LTO tapes contain 4KB of non-volatile memory which can be read through a non-contacting passive RF interface. This storage space contains data about the tape and can be read without the time required to read the magnetic tape itself. Supermediastore.com always provides the best of the best in LTO tape!
What did Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Seagate contribute to LTO Technology?
HP, IBM and Seagate each provided expert knowledge of customer needs and complementary technology that provided for delivery of a best-of-breed technology and promotes a strong foundation for data interchange. It is their intent that other companies can participate in this tape industry opportunity through the open licensing process.
What is the LTO format?
The LTO tape format specification is optimized for high capacity and performance with outstanding reliability, in either a stand-alone or an automated environment. Using a single-reel tape cartridge to maximize capacity, the LTO tape format is ideally suited for backup, restore and archive applications. It is our intent that the LTO 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 LTO tape format establishes a new benchmark for large volume backup and archive.
Are products based on the LTO format compatible with any other storage products that exist today?
The new LTO 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 LTO tape format specification.
How can users be sure of data interchangeability among LTO format products?
The LTO format trademark identifies products that are subject to annual 3rd party compliance verification sample testing to verify that these products comply with the LTO tape format specification. This compliance will maximize the likelihood for data interchange of LTO Ultrium tape media between different manufacturers' LTO tape mechanisms. Use of this trademark will be granted only after an LTO tape format product has passed the compliance verification testing process.
What are the key feature differences between LTO format Generation 1 and Generation 2?
Speed and capacity is expected to double with each generation of the LTO format. The LTO format Generation 1 allows for up to 100GB capacity (uncompressed) in a single cartridge, while LTO format Generation 2 doubles the capacity up to 200GB (uncompressed) using Generation 2 data cartridges. The data transfer peak performance speed doubles from up to 20MB/second native in the LTO format Generation 1 up to 40MB/second native in Generation 2.
Users will benefit from a greater than 30 percent increase in the number of tracks and average tape speed, as well as an improved recording method. The LTO format Generation 2 provides users with outstanding data and investment protection because of its capability to read-and-write Generation 1 cartridges in the LTO Generation 1 format.
What are the backward compatibility characteristics of the LTO format Generation 2?
The LTO compatibility is defined with two concepts demonstrating investment protection:
- An LTO drive is expected to read data from a cartridge in its own generation and at least the two prior generations.
- An LTO drive is expected to write data to a cartridge in its own generation and to a cartridge from the immediate prior generation in the prior generation format.
- An LTO format Generation 2 drive will read and write data on an LTO format Generation 1 cartridge as specified by the Generation 1 format.
- An LTO format Generation 2 drive will read and write data on an LTO format Generation 2 cartridge as specified by the Generation 2 format.
For example:
What are the Uncompressed Capacities for LTO Three Generations Tape?
The LTO tape standard is designed to last for four generations of magnetic tape technology.
LTO Tape Generation |
Uncompressed Capacity |
Generation 1 (LTO 3) |
100GB |
Generation 2 (LTO 2) |
200GB |
Generation 3 (LTO 3) |
400GB |
Why did Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Seagate develop new open tape format specifications?
Customers, OEMs and industry analysts believe that the fragmentation in the tape industry and proliferation of formats and technologies has overly complicated customer-buying decisions. With these issues in mind, HP, IBM and Seagate have taken steps to define a technology that has led to open tape format specifications that can better serve multiple market needs and be supported by multiple suppliers.
What is an "open tape format specification"?
An open tape format specification is one that is readily available to all potential manufacturers and offers licenses for the IP (Intellectual Property) at a reasonable price. We feel that the LTO tape format specification meets these criteria.
How does an open tape format specification ultimately benefit customers?
The end-user customer and OEMs benefit from this open tape format specification approach through the availability of multiple sources of product, multiple sources of tape cartridges and common tape format specifications for interchange. The pro-competitive environment fostered by multiple sources of product leads to faster paced innovation and enhancements, generally means lower prices and provides for data compatibility. For OEMs, open tape format specifications shorten their qualification cycles and reduce complexities in system configuration.
How many times can I use an LTO tape?
We recommend replacing LTO tape media after use of approximately 250 times to ensure the safety of your data. Note that usage of 250 times is only an approximation and depends on the conditions of use.
