DLTtape MEDIA
7.2
What Makes DLTtape Cartridges Better?
For many DLTtape system users, the biggest difference between the
DLTtape system and other tape systems has nothing to do with trans-
fer speed and cartridge capacity. It has everything to do with confi-
dence that the information they put on a DLTtape cartridge two
years ago is going to be accessible with DLTtape drives they might
buy two years from now. With other tape technologies, this level of
media compatibility across generations has not been the case. Figure
7-1 shows which models of DLTtape cartridges are compatible with
which models of DLTtape drives.
Tape Type
(recorded on
drive type)
DLTtape IIIXT
(recorded on
DLT 2000XT)
DLTtape IV
(recorded on
DLT 4000)
DLTtape IV
(recorded on
DLT 7000)
DLTtape IV
(recorded on
DLT1)
DLTtape IV
(recorded on
DLT 8000)
Super DLTtape I
(recorded on
SDLT 220P)
15GB
20GB
35GB
40GB
40GB
110GB
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
NA
Native
Capacity
Native
Transfer
Rate
(read
on DLT
4000)
Native
Transfer
Rate
(read
on DLT
7000)
Native
Transfer
Rate
(read
on DLT1)
Native
Transfer
Rate
(read
on DLT
8000)
Native
Transfer
Rate
(read
on SDLT
220)
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
5MB/s
NA
5MB/s
NA
NA
1.5MB/s
NA
3MB/s
NA
NA
1.5MB/s
1.5MB/s
5MB/s
NA
6MB/s
NA
NA
1.5MB/s
3.5MB/s
3MB/s
4MB/s
11MB/s
NA=Tape format is not compatible with the tape drive.
Figure 7-1 Backward Compatibility Is Assured
among the DLTtape system family.
Drives and matching DLTtape cartridges are shown here, along with transfer rate for each.