In order to rise to the twin challenges of rapid data growth and shrinking backup windows in today’s enterprise environment, IBM has introduced the second-generation IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium Tape Drive T400/T400F. Featuring advanced technologies, this tape drive offers more than TWICE the performance of its predecessor and doubles the cartridge capacity when using the new Ultrium 2 media.

IBM LTO Ultrium

Second Generation Enhancements

Digital speed matching (DSM) enables the drive to adjust its native data rate to closely match the host data rate. Along with an increased buffer, this feature may dramatically improve throughput in an environment where the host data rate is less than optimal.

A 64MB buffer works in concert with DSM to minimize the impact of data rate fluctuations by reducing backhitch operations and allowing the tape drive to perform as its optimal speed.

An optimal LTO data compression (SLDC) implementation uses an IBM-patented algorithm that synchronously swaps the data compression scheme between ALDC and pass-through for optimal data compression (resulting in increased storage capacity).

IBM’s patented Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) channel is used to read and write new tapes, while maintaining first-generation Ultrium peak-detect technology to enable backwards compatibility.

Reel motor enhancements allow the maximum tape speed to be increased by 33% to 8 meters/second. Further, the average file access time has been reduced by 33% to 49 seconds, and unload time has been dropped 17% to 15 seconds.

Smart power management greatly reduces power consumption and heat dissipation and can switch the drive to either an idle or standby mode when it is not in use

Operating System Support

• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6.0
• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Sun Solaris
• HP-UX
• Linux (Intel processor-based servers)
• AIX Version 4.3.3 or 5.1
• OS/400
• Novell NetWare