| Both Quantum and Overland have announced LTO-5 backup media products, with Overland stating their LTO-5 products are available now beginning at roughly £6000. Quantum didn’t mention any prices or give any indication as to when inventory might be available.
All the announced LTO-5 products have the same features: native 1.5TB capacity (3gb with 2:1 compression) and up to 140MB/s transfer rate, AES 256-bit encryption, dual partitioning, read/write compatibility with LTO-4 and read-only compatibility with LTO-3.
The LTO consortium is headed up by IBM, HP & Quantum. Maxell, Fuji Sony and Imation are part of the consortium and are licenced to product the tape media and brand drives provided by the core members. Strangely Maxell so far hasn’t announced any LTO-5 products.|Linear Tape-Open (LTO) technology was developed jointly by HP, IBM and Quantum to provide a clear and viable choice in an increasingly complex array of tape storage options.
LTO Ultrium technology is an "open format" technology, which means that end-users will have several suppliers of backup drives and tapes. The "open" nature of LTO technology also allows a means of enabling compatibility between different suppliers' products. The Ultrium format is the "high capacity" implementation of LTO technology. It is ideally suited for backup, restore and archive applications and supplies excellent performance and capacity in both stand-alone and automated environments.
The Ultrium format is the preferred format when capacity and high streaming data rates are the primary storage consideration. With clear and straightforward technology roadmaps and industry support worldwide, the LTO Ultrium format benefits users by offering multiple sources of product and media, as well as compatibility between products from different vendors.
The newly-introduced Ultrium format generation 5 allows for up to 3TB capacity (assuming 2:1 compression) and also includes a new partitioning functionality, enabling capabilities that can enhance file control and space management, addressing the growing needs of marketplace segments such as Rich Media.
The LTO roadmap continues with the proposed LTO-6 “Next Generation” which would offer 3.2TB native capacity and 270MB/sec transfer speed.|All the announced LTO-5 products have the same features: native 1.5TB capacity (3gb with 2:1 compression) and up to 140MB/s transfer rate, AES 256-bit encryption, dual partitioning, read/write compatibility with LTO-4 and read-only compatibility with LTO-3. The LTO roadmap continues with the proposed LTO-6 “Next Generation” which would offer 3.2TB native capacity and 270MB/sec transfer speed.
IBM and Fujitsu have both indicated that they have created technology that could lead to 35TB backup media. Given that each LTO technology has doubled the capacity that would indicate several more generations way into the future.
Also, with the effective retirement of the main competition – Quantum’s DLT & SDLT and Sony’s AIT – the LTO technology is the only realistic way forward for tape backups.
However, many medium sized companies are migrating from tape backups to disk based solutions which are already available in 1-2TB capacities, so the future isn’t inevitably hopeful for the LTO technology. |
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