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LTO-7: got it taped?

Editorial Type: Technology Focus     Date: 09-2015    Views: 3120      







In September the LTO Program Technology Provider Companies - HP, IBM and Quantum - announced the specifications for LTO Ultrium format generation 7, or LTO-7 as it will doubtless be known. Storage magazine takes a closer look at the implications of the announcement

According to the announcement, the new LTO-7 specifications more than double the potential tape cartridge capacity from the previous generation, including capacities of up to 15TB per cartridge when compressed (raw capacity is 6TB compared to around 2.5TB for LTO-6). Large files will also transfer more quickly with tape drive data transfer rates that are up to 750MB per second, which can translate to more than 2.7 terabytes of data an hour per drive.

"With the release of LTO generation 7 we are again changing the economics of long term data retention and archiving," said Chris Powers, Vice President Data Center Development, HP Storage. "High performance streaming and the demonstrated data integrity of LTO technology reinforces the proof point that tape remains a very attractive match for long term storage requirements."

Unprecedented capacity and data transfer rates for LTO generation 7 are made possible by a broad range of technology advancements. The specifications include a doubling of read/write heads in an advanced servo format to help achieve higher track density, which means that more data may be written to the same amount of tape within the cartridge. New formulation advancements provide stronger magnetic properties, helping to increase capacity.

"LTO-7 further solidifies the modern use case for tape in storage environments," says Jason Buffington, Senior Analyst, Data Protection at ESG. "This new generation of tape technology will offer a high level of capacity at a low cost, and with LTFS capabilities, should be considered as a part of any tiered storage management plan."

BALANCING CAPACITY AND PERFORMANCE
LTO generation 7 will continue to include features that were introduced in previous generations, including a partitioning functionality that allows users to present a tape-based file system with the use of LTFS. LTO generation 7 provides continued support for hardware-based encryption and WORM (Write-Once, Read-Many) functionality. This helps ensure a balance of performance, capacity, compatibility and cost control supporting a broad range of security-rich and portable data storage options for backup and archive that are easy to use and address a vast majority of storage needs.

Spectra Logic has already announced it is taking orders for Spectra tape libraries configured with LTO-7 technology. "Spectra Logic consistently delivers the latest advancements in LTO technology. Today, as we announce plans to make LTO-7 available across the Spectra tape library product family, we continue our trusted legacy of helping customers leverage the advantages of tape technology and achieve greater capacity at lower cost," said Matt Starr, chief technology officer, Spectra Logic. "With more than two times the capacity and nearly twice the speed of LTO-6, this new drive technology, paired with Spectra libraries, is intended to support storage administrators managing today's enormous data growth. The combination will provide the best storage density per dollar on the market."

Earlier this year, Spectra Logic initiated its 'LTO-7 pre-purchase program' allowing customers to buy LTO-6 tape drives for use until LTO-7 drives are made available. These customers can exchange LTO-6 tape drives, at no additional charge, for next generation LTO-7 technology when available. Quantum announced a similar scheme for users of its Scalar i6000 and i500 ranges, though the charging is less clear: it describes a 'nominal LTO-7 pre-purchase upgrade fee' payable at the time of the LTO-6 purchase.

More information on the LTO Ultrium generation 7 specifications will be made available later this year. In addition, an extended roadmap released last year outlines performance expectations for generations 8, 9 and 10. The new generation guidelines call for compressed capacities of 32TB for generation 8, 62.5TB for generation 9 and 120TB for generation 10.



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