Maxell LTO-Ultrium White Paper
What is LTO?
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Technology is a linear, multi-channel, bi-directional (serpentine) halfinch tape format whose specification is the result of a joint effort by Hewlett Packard, IBM, and
Seagate Technology. It is an “open” tape format, which means its specification is readily
available to all potential manufacturers. The Ultrium format is the high-capacity, single-reel
version of LTO technology, ideally suited for backup, restore, and archival applications. The
capacities and data transfer rates for each generation are listed below in Table 1. Each
generation LTO cartridge is quickly and easily identified by the color of its cartridge, allowing
effortless differentiation between LTO 1 (black), LTO 2 (purple), LTO 3 (gray-blue), LTO 4
(teal), and LTO Universal Cleaning cartridges (gray).
LTO ULTRIUM SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL LTO-1 LTO-2 LTO-3 LTO-4 LTO-UCL
Maxell Item # 183800 183850 183900 183906 183804
Native 100 GB
Capacity
Compressed
Transfer
Rate
Cartridge Color
* Actual number of cleaning cycles achieved is completely drive dependent
Native
Compressed
200 GB 400 GB 800 GB 1.6 TB N/A
10-20 Mbps 20-40 Mbps 40-80 Mbps
20-40 Mbps 40-80 Mbps 80-160 Mbps
Black Purple Gray-Blue Teal Gray
200 GB 400 GB 800 GB
Up to120 Mbps
Up to 240 Mbps
15-20
Cleanings*
N/A
N/A
- Table 1 -
Compatibility
Since LTO technology is an “open” technology, there are multiple manufacturers of both
hardware and media. As with any tape technology, compatibility is achieved by adhering to the
specifications set forth for that technology. A licensing and certification process has been
established, independent of the three sponsors of the technology, for current and potential
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manufacturers of LTO products. Suppliers licensed for both LTO tape cartridges and LTO tape
drives must submit samples for annual third party compliance testing. Those products that meet
the verification requirements are entitled to display the trademarked LTO-Ultrium logo.
Consequently, any tape bearing the LTO-Ultrium logo is assured to be compatible with any
drive bearing the same logo, regardless of manufacturer.
Features of LTO-Ultrium media
While the LTO-Ultrium cartridge is slightly smaller than most half-inch single-reel tape
cartridges, its most significant feature is the incorporation of a semiconductor memory device
built in to the body of the cartridge. The LTO-CM (Cartridge Memory) is a 4KB (LTO 1, 2, and
3) or 8KB (LTO 4) nonvolatile memory chip that uses a non-contacting RF (Radio Frequency)
interface, which allows remote reading of its stored information. Since there is no physical
connection required to access the CM, the cartridge doesn’t have to be loaded in a drive to be
able to retrieve this data. Information that can be stored here includes calibration information,
manufacturer’s data, and initialization parameters. The CM data can be readily retrieved to
allow immediate file location and/or access, or in the support of tape automation in library
applications. The CM can also store user supplied information, such as the age of the tape, how
many loads it has endured, how many temporary errors have accumulated, etc.
It is important to note that the LTO-Ultrium tape contains two pre-written servo tracks that are
recorded on the tape during manufacturing, so degaussing will render the tape unusable.
LTO Ultrium 3 and Ultrium 4 Innovations - Maxell NeoSMART Technology
Maxell's LTO Ultrium 3 and Ultrium 4 cartridges employ one of Maxell's latest innovations,
NeoSMART Technology. NeoSMART (Super Maximum-capacity Advanced Reliability Tape)
integrates seven leading-edge technologies in the manufacturing of ultra high capacity magnetic
tape media, and is designed to support future tape capacities in excess of 1 Terabyte.
NeoSMART technologies consist of:
• Fine Metal Particles • Advanced Dispersion
• Ultra-Thin Coating • Superior Calendering
• Highly Precise Slitting • Precision Servo Track Writing
• High-Performance Cartridges
MAXELL CORPORATION OF AMERICA | 22-08 ROUTE 208, FAIR LAWN, NJ 07410 | 800.533.2836 | www.maxell.com
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One of the key components of NeoSMART is Maxell's NanoCAP (Nano Composite Advanced
Particles) technology. NanoCAP particles provide extraordinary tape performance as compared
to conventional magnetic particles, with superior coercivity and extremely high saturation
magnetization. (To learn more about NeoSMART and NanoCAP, please refer to their respective
white papers).
LTO 3 and LTO 4 WORM
LTO Ultrium 3 and Ultrium 4 formats include a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) version,
which is differentiated by two-tone colored cartridges. The WORM feature allows secure
backup and storage of critical data for legal and regulatory compliance, such as Sarbanes-Oxley
and HIPAA.
NEW for LTO Ultrium 4 - Encryption capabilities
The LTO Ultrium 4 format features data encryption capabilities that enable the LTO drive to
perform hardware-based 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption at the tape
drive level, helping to protect the transport and storage of sensitive or confidential information.
Built in Cartridge Memory
The built in CM (cartridge Memory) in the LTO Ultrium 4 cartridge has increased to 8k Bytes,
offering double the storage capacity of previous generations for improved usability.
Features of LTO-Ultrium drives
LTO-Ultrium drives offer improvements over current linear multi-channel bi-directional tape
formats in the areas of timing based servo, hardware data compression, optimized track
layouts, and high efficiency error correction codes. All of these enhancements help the
LTO-Ultrium format make the most of capacity and performance.
− Timing based servo – The Ultrium tape drive uses a dedicated dual servo. Two servo bands
are pre-written on the tape during the tape manufacturing process. If one servo element in
the drive fails, or if a portion of the servo code on the tape becomes corrupt, the head will
continue to track using the second, or “redundant” servo system.
MAXELL CORPORATION OF AMERICA | 22-08 ROUTE 208, FAIR LAWN, NJ 07410 | 800.533.2836 | www.maxell.com
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− Hardware data compression – The drive uses embedded control symbols to mark file
record boundaries, enabling a continuous stream of compressed data to be created by the
hardware. As a result, the drive firmware doesn’t need to build headers or trailers for
individual file records.
− Optimized track layouts – The LTO-Ultrium tape is divided into 4 regions, or “data
bands”. Each data band can contain up to 96 tracks (total number of tracks per = 384), and
is bordered on the top and bottom by a band of servo information. Each data band is filled
one at a time.
− High efficiency error correction codes – The ECC (error correction code) used by LTO-
Ultrium is powerful enough to ensure reliable recovery of data even with the loss of one of
eight tracks on a read operation and to 1% of the bytes on the remaining tracks being
corrupted
Benefits of the LTO-Ultrium format
− High capacity – currently 800GB native and 1.6TB compressed
− High data transfer rate – currently up to 120Mb/sec native and 240Mb/sec compressed
− LTO-CM – Cartridge memory (4KB LTO1,2,3; 8KB LTO 4)
− Consistent Servo – The servo format remains consistent throughout the life of the product
line, ensuring backward compatibility across all generations of LTO-Ultrium products.
− Multiple Sourcing – Since it is an open technology, there are multiple sources for media and
drives. This provides purchasing options for end users that competitive formats may not
offer, and ensures investment protection for both the Customer users and OEMs.
− Compliance Testing – Testing is performed by an independent third party, ensuring
compatibility interchange between products and shortening the qualification cycles for
OEMs.
− Data Encryption (LTO 4 only) – hardware-based encryption to secure sensitive or
confidential information.
LTO READ / WRITE COMPATIBILITY
DRIVE TYPE
LTO 1 Read / Write - - - Compatible
LTO 2 Read / Write Read / Write - - Compatible
LTO 3 Read Only Read / Write Read / Write - Compatible
LTO 4 - Read Only Read / Write Read / Write Compatible
TAPE CARTRIDGE
LTO 1 LTO 2 LTO 3 LTO 4 LTO CL
MAXELL CORPORATION OF AMERICA | 22-08 ROUTE 208, FAIR LAWN, NJ 07410 | 800.533.2836 | www.maxell.com
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