LTO Roadmap
The Ultrium Format
Ultrium is an open tape format developed by IBM, HP and Seagate (now Quantum) to provide stability and continuity to deal with ever-growing data storage capacity needs.
Ultrium is a highly scalable and very durable format with future generations clearly mapped out over an extended period. Each new generation of Ultrium tape drives double capacity and increase performance, providing longterm standardization for backup and archival storage continuity.
| Feature / Model |
LTO-3 |
LTO-4 |
LTO-5 |
LTO-6 |
LTO-7 |
LTO-8 |
| Availability |
Shipping
Shipping
Shipping
2012
2014
| 2016
| | | | | |
| Native Capacity |
400GB |
800GB |
1.5TB |
3.2TB |
6.4TB |
12.8TB |
| Capacity w/Compression |
800GB |
1.6TB |
3.0TB |
8TB |
16TB |
32TB |
| Native Data Rate (MB/s) |
80 |
120 |
140 |
210 |
315 |
472 |
| Data Rate w/Compression |
160 |
240 |
280 |
525 |
788 |
1,180 |
| WORM Support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Encryption Built-in |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Interfaces Supported |
LVD, FC |
LVD, FC |
FC, SAS |
FC, SAS |
FC, SAS |
FC, SAS |
|
• LTO 6 and beyond use enhanced compression technology
|
Ultrium is designed expressly to meet the data protection challenges of rapidly growing storage requirements:
- the increasing volume and value of data
- the need to minimize backup windows due to 24x7 and international operations
- the demand for ever more reliable data storage and retrieval
- the trend towards centralization and library adoption
- the need to stem escalating IT storage budgets
LTO technology and the Ultrium format have incorporated the best features of tape storage technologies and enhanced them to create a new benchmark for data integrity and reliability. Each technology, including linear multi channel recording, timing based servo, data compression, track layout and Error Correction Codes (ECC) was chosen for its reliability and contribution to the future growth of Ultrium tape technology.
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