DDS data cartridge compatability

[Edgar_10]

Hi,

A server has a HP DDS-3 tape drive configured, can a HP DDS-4 40GB tape media be used to backup data?

Regards

[John Palmer]

No! DDS drives are only backwards compatible e.g. you can use a DDS-3 tape in a DDS-4 drive but not vice versa.

Normally the drive will just spit out media that it can't handle.

Regards,
John

[melvyn burnard]

No it cannot.
If you look at the media packaging, htere shoul dbe a table that will show what can be used in which drives.
DDS4 media can ONLY be used in DDS or above.
DDS3 drive will accept DDS1, DDS2, or DDS3 media

[twang]

No, but DDS-3 tape drive can use DDS-2 and DDS-3 data cartridges. But DDS-4 tape drive can use DDS-2/DDS-3/DDS-4 data cartridges to backup data.

[Michael Tully]

DDS2=120m tape will work in DDS2, 3 & 4
DDS3=125m tape will work in DDS3, 4
DDS4=150m tape will work in DDS4 only

Tapes are backwards compatible with drives not the other way around. You can of course create different block sizes from different drives, but will not always work.

[Eugeny Brychkov]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?locale=en_US&objectID=lpg50116&locale=en_US&prodSeriesId=42883&prodTypeId=12169
Eugeny