LTO5 with its own File System
LTO5, which came out this past spring, continues the steady progression of doubling native capacity (to 1.5TB native) and adding useful functionality to linear tape. From a performance perspective, LTO5 bumps the speed only a little from 120 MB/s to 140 MB/s. But this was a conscious decision, according to Bruce Master, LTO consortium member from IBM. He said in focus groups with customers and meetings with analysts, they determined that most users were satisfied with the current speed of LTO4, and increasing throughput would just add cost.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Linear Tape File System
Adding the LTFS file system was the real news in this latest generation of what was originally a tape format designed to offer open-ness and eliminate the backup market’s dependence on proprietary formats With WORM on LTO3, drive-level encryption on LTO4 and now a tape-based file system, the LTO folks have been adding some real innovation to the old backup media. With tape moving closer to archive the decision to add these features, and LTO5 includes them all, looks like providence.
Backup and Archive
LTO5 supports two variable-length partitions for writing data, which LTFS uses to write the file index or metadata. The file system itself, which was developed by IBM, is available as a free download and runs on Linux and Mac with Windows coming soon. For archives, LTFS is a natural but even for backup and ‘mainstream IT’ it opens all kinds of doors. Tape’s no longer tied to the backup application for access to data. Ironically, this may actually pull backup and archive closer together. Users can make an archive copy of files or directories that don’t need regular backup and store them on a few LTO5 tapes (in their backup library) as easily as dragging and dropping to another drive letter.
A 3TB Thumb Drive
With LTFS, the LTO5 cartridge is a self-describing, independent storage entity, like a USB drive. For the SMB user who normally carries a hard drive off site, they can now copy all their files to their new 3TB (compressed) ‘thumb drive’. LTO tape is a removable and portable storage format and is certainly more robust than a USB hard drive - and less expensive.
Cloud Backup
For users interested in storing data in the cloud, LTO5 and LTFS may help here as well. Getting an initial data set up to the cloud and restoring more than a few files can be a problem for many users, given the bandwidth they’ve set aside for online backup. One option is to run a full backup to tape, another is to copy data to removable hard drives and ship those. LTO5 with LTFS combines these two methods, essentially, allowing the simple copying of files or directories destined for the cloud onto 3TB tape cartridges. On the restore side, it’s just the reverse.
Eric Slack, Senior Analyst
SNW Briefing Note
Storage Switzerland was at SNW in force again this year and as in years past did our best to bring you continuous updates from the event. These reports are quick summaries of our meetings at the show.
An Enabling Technology for Archive, Backup, Simple DR - even the Cloud
