We are often asked the question, “What is LTO Ultrium tape?” This doesn’t surprise us, as there are many organizations that are just opening their eyes to alternatives to disk-only data storage infrastructures.
LTO stand for Linear Tape-Open, or an open-format tape storage technology that was dreamt up and developed by IBM, HP, and Seagate (after a couple mergers Seagate is now Quantum.)
Basically, the term “open-format” means that users are able to use a handful of storage media products that are compatible with one another. The LTO Ultrium format is the high-capacity implementation of the technology.
The greatest thing about LTO tape is that it has gone through several impressive generations. Beginning the late 1990s, the LTO-1 offered up to 100 gigabytes of storage and a maximum transfer rate of 20 GB/s.
Fast forward to 2014 and the LTO-6 offers 2.5 TB of native data capacity and a maximum transfer rate of 160 MB/s. It is rumored that the LTO-7 will boast of 6.4 TB of native storage and a transfer rate of 315 MB/s.
Essentially, this means that massive amounts of data can be stored on the newest versions of LTO tape, making it ideal for data backups and long-term data storage.
There are a number of reasons to consider LTO tape including:
1. It is relatively inexpensive when compared to disk-only storage.
2. Data can be stored offline for 30 years and more. Tape happens to be one of the most reliable and durable mediums on the market.
3. Tape is recyclable and reusable.
4. The LTO consortium has the best interest of organizations at heart. They want to continually develop products that work together and make for the very best data infrastructure possible.
5. You can buy and sell used tape.
Looking to buy/sell new or used LTO tape? We can help you out. We’ll walk you through the entire process, and we’re always happy to answer all questions surrounding data storage.
Drop us an e-mail or give us a call to get started.
Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633
Fuji Manufactures 100 Millionth LTO Data Tape!
Fujifilm Corporation has announced that it has officially manufactured more than 100 million LTO tape cartridges since its release of the LTO-1 in the year 2000.
To put this accomplishment into perspective, this means that the company has produced more than 41 million miles of tape or more than enough to wrap around the planet 1,653 times. It also equates to more than 53,000 petabytes of storage space.
Data storage experts continue to be amazed by the growing demand for tape, as media companies, government agencies, and quickly expanding organizations continue to create massive amounts of data. This means they must seek out cost-effective data storage technologies if they are to stay competitive in today’s challenging economy.
It just so happens that LTO tape is highly cost-effective. This is because a single tape can house huge amounts of data, its scalable, and is very reliable. Plus, tape can be stored for more than 30 years -- making it an excellent option for long-term storage.
The newest version of LTO tapes (the LTO-6) works amazingly well and can hold up to 6.25TB of compressed data and boasts of a transfer rate of up to 400 MB/second. Each tape makes use of Barium Ferrite magnetic particles that inspires better coercivity and frequency than previous LTO tape versions.
What does this all mean for tape? The answer is quiet simple. Fujifilm, IBM, HP, Sony, Quantum, and other major players are serious about its future. Tape is nowhere near dead!
Beyond the fact that tape offers an excellent medium for long-term storage, it can be recycled and reused. This not only makes tape economical, it is also environmentally friendly.
Want to buy used tape or recycle tape? At Big Data Supply, we pay top dollar for used tape and other technologies including data libraries, disk array, peripherals, and more.
Drop us a line, and we’ll get the process started as soon as possible!
Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633
