The read-write head writes multiple data tracks simultaneously in a single, one-way, end-to-end pass. Early generations of tape suffered from so-called shoe shining, the stop-and-go of the drive upon the flow of data changes.
Recent LTO generations have an auto speed mechanism built-in that lowers the streaming speed if the data flow slows so that the drive can still write at a constant speed. To ensure that the data just written on the tape is identical to what it should be, a verify-after-write process is used, using a read head that the tape passes after a write head.
The advantage is that everyone with an LTO drive can have access to the files on a tape. This is especially helpful when using LTO tape for data exchange or data transport. It took some time for the format to evolve in a way that it can be recommended as long-term archive format as well. LTO tape has an extremely low bit-error-rate that is lower than that of hard disks. This means that the drive and media will have one single bit error in approximately 10 exabytes EB of data being stored this means more than , LTO-8 tapes!
This is due to several data-integrity checking features that include error-correcting code ECC for headers that are a part of the recording format on tape. In addition to the built-in security features comes the air gap between tapes and the network. Having this physical gap between storage and any malware and attacks provides a grade of security that is unmatched.
Also unmatched is the shelf life of LTO tape, with up to 30 years. Especially for archiving, this is the foundation for long-term data preservation.
Choosing the right LTO tape generation depends on your requirements , setup, and budget. Both P5 Backup and P5 Archive work with tape and can clone tapes to create two identical tape sets. One can be stored offsite for maximum security. Skip to content By Marc M. Batschkus LTO tape is a linear storage medium and technology. The result is an ever-increasing cost for storage and the need for a solution that is as efficient as using a hard drive but more cost-effective.
So with hard drives becoming more expensive to purchase due to having to buy more and more of them, not to mention maintaining them against hazards, the choice of going instead with digital tape, or LTO linear tape open , is now surfacing as a means for archiving video for storage, be it short or long-term.
LTO was developed as a non-proprietary open standard in the late s as an alternative to those proprietary formats prevailing at the time. The standard form-factor is a magnetic cartridge, which can hold 2. The design was fabricated for ease of use by those robotic tape library vendors looking to convert the widely used DLT-formatted cartridges developed by IBM and DEC in the mid 80s.
Specifications to the LTO standard describe a Data Compression method also called Streaming Lossless Data Compression , with a newer feature adding data encryption which is done prior to the data being written to tape.
LTO linear tape open , is now surfacing as a means for archiving video for storage. The head assembly moves so as to access the entire four wide data bands sandwiched between five narrow servo bands that is the Ultrium tape. The drive reads data from the cartridge in its own generation and at least the two prior ones, and writes data to its own generation and to a cartridge from the immediate prior generation in the prior generation format.
The average rewind time for a typical drive is about 80 seconds, with about 50 seconds for the drive to access data from the beginning of the tape. Also a strong error correction algorithm is used that makes data recovery possible.
The LTO cartridge has no moving parts and so is more durable than a hard drive, uses no electricity itself and, as has been noted earlier, has a superior storage life as compared to that of the standard hard drive of today.
However, LTO technology by its very nature is susceptible to strong magnetic fields: for example, a pass-by of a bulk eraser will render the cartridge unusable. Also, traditionally, the linear run of the tape think: tape recorder or cassette player voids the ability for random-access — the locating of a specific area — quickly.
However, using the recently developed Linear Tape File System, or LTFS, it is now possible to access files in the same way you would using a more typical hard drive or flash drive.
That would require 1. And due to the nature of the cartridge-based system, the more data i. LTO is in heavy rotation for data archiving and storage due to the inherent strengths and low cost. It is also being used by those producing video productions, as the cost allows for just about anyone to create a competent backup and archiving system for their video.
A recent development from Sony is the creation of a magnetic tape technology utilizing a magnetic coating measured in tens of nanometers. The recording capacity thus attained is seen as being approximately 74X that of the current magnetic tape storage media, resulting in a storage capacity of over TB per data cartridge. While no date has been set for a commercially available product, the appearance of such a product is seen as furthering the use of tape storage, even as it cuts down on the number of cartridges needed for any particular use.
Video productions require backups and storage as a matter of course. The use of LTO as an archiving medium for video — over that of hard drives or network drives — can only increase over time, especially as more video producers become aware of the cost-effectiveness combined with safety and security offered by this local storage technology.
Each technological upswing has seen the introduction of a new system for storing data.
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