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QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK
4.3
DLTtape drives installed, and over 55 million DLTtape cartridges in
use worldwide. In the understated words of one user, “DLTtape
technology is a well understood way to get a lot of data backed up.”
Widely Available
DLTtape systems are available from many sources. The list of
OEMs who put DLTtape drives in their systems is impressive and
growing. Almost all the leading vendors of mid-range computer
systems or workstations sell DLTtape products, including Compaq,
Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun. Every one of these manufac-
turers offers DLTtape systems as factory installed backup systems
and libraries for their high-performance servers.
DLTtape technology is also available from the leading manufactur-
ers of tape storage libraries and autoloaders. DLTtape products are
available through major industrial distributors, and from value-
added resellers, many of whom serve specialized markets. A good
example is Avid Technology, the leader in special effects editing
systems for film and video; DLTtape drives come as standard
equipment with Avid systems.
Speed Is Critical
Industry trends and good history have created the conditions for
success of DLTtape technology. However, trends don’t mean much
if the technology doesn’t deliver performance. Customers want
DLTtape technology because it offers blazing performance.
DLTtape drives are very fast: from 1.5MB/s to 11MB/s in “native”
or uncompressed mode (see Figure 4-1). That’s nearly hard disk
drive speed. If you are running a network in a large engineering
department, and all the servers must be backed up between mid-
night and 6 a.m., speed is your best friend. Or, if you’re putting the
finishing touches on special effects for a TV commercial, and the