To check for the latest information about support for partitioning and any required firmware
upgrades, go to
http://www.hpe.com/support/downloads
. Refer to your backup application
documentation for information about creating and using partitions on the tape drive.
LTO-6, LTO-5 and LTO-4 Ultrium tape drives and encryption
The LTO-6, LTO-5, and LTO-4 tape drives include hardware capable of performing data encryption
at full speed while writing data, and decrypting when reading.
Encryption is the process of changing data into a form that cannot be read until it is deciphered,
protecting the data from unauthorized access and use. LTO-6, LTO-5 and LTO-4 tape drives
use the strongest version of the industry-standard AES encrypting algorithm to protect your data.
To use this feature, you need:
•
A backup application that supports hardware encryption
•
LTO-6 Ultrium 6.25 TB media (C7976A or C7976W), LTO-5 Ultrium 3 TB media (C7975A
or C7975W) or LTO-4 Ultrium 1.6 TB media (C7974A or C7974W); no encryption will be
performed when writing earlier generations of tape
When should I use encryption?
Your company policy will determine when you to use encryption. For example, it may be mandatory
for company confidential and financial data, but not for personal data. Company policy will also
define how encryption keys should be generated and managed. Backup applications that support
encryption will generate a key for you or allow you to enter a key manually.
NOTE:
Encryption with keys that are generated directly from passwords or passphrases may
be less secure than encryption using truly random keys. Your application should explain the
options and methods that are available. Refer to your application user documentation for more
information.
How do I enable encryption?
Hardware encryption is turned off by default and is switched on by settings in your backup
application, where you also generate and supply the encryption key. Your backup application
must support hardware encryption for this feature to work. The software supplied with the tape
drive provides this support. See the Data Agile BURA website at
for an up-to-date list of other suitable backup software.
When will I be asked to enter the key?
Encryption is primarily designed to protect the media once it is offline and to prevent it being
accessed from another machine. You will be able to read and append the encrypted media
without being prompted for a key as long as it is being accessed by the machine and application
that first encrypted it.
There are two main instances when you will need to know the key:
•
If you try to import the media to another machine or another instance of the backup application
•
If you are recovering your system after a disaster
What happens if I do not remember the key?
If you are unable to supply the key when requested to do so, neither you nor Hewlett Packard
Enterprise Support will be able to access the encrypted data.
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Use the correct media
