LTO3 drive writing speed on LTO2 media

[Kretzer]

Hi,

i just saw an IBM autoloader writing to an LTO2 tape with the speed of a LTO3 tape... It wrote the data with a average of 80-90 MByte/sec. I first could not believe this but i verified it many times. I then did the same thing with our MSL6030s (LTO2) on the same switch, from the same source with the same MA server and it only wrote with 30 MBytes/sec. Is this really possible/normal/do HP LTO3 drives do the same?

If it is possible: Is the tape still fully usable in an LTO2 device?

Markus

[Kurt Beyers. · Accepted solution]

Markus,

The higher throughput is possible because of the hardware in the LTO3 drive and not because it is an LTO2 or LTO3 tape.

An LTO3 tape has a higher capacity because it is written to in another format then an LTO2 drive (and maybe it is longer too).

So the LTO2 drive written in a LTO3 drive will still be usable in a LTO2 drive.

Why don't you just test a restore in an LTO2 drive, then you test it immediately yourself.

best regards,
Kurt

[Kretzer]

Hi,

thanks... I just worried that the data is not that safe when it is written in a speed for which the LTO2 cardriges are not build...

Markus

[Kurt Beyers.]

Markus,

Check also http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/pageList.do?userId=BR850978&listType=unassigned&forumId=1

It could be better...

regards,
Kurt

[Kretzer]

Fixed. Thanks.

[Kretzer]

Hi,

thanks for the answers...