What is LTO 6?

LTO 6 or the sixth generation Linear Tape Open technology with its higher performance and speed boosting features is already ready to take over the IT world. Here you will find the basics of LTO, how LTO 6 came into being and technical specifications of LTO 6.

What is LTO 6?


For some time LTO 6 as the latest data storage technology is in the news. LTO refers to Linear Tape Open which is a magnetic data storage technology, acclaimed for its heavy data storage capacity and faster data processing outputs. LTO 6 is the latest version or development in the LTO line of data storage offerings. With highest ever data storage capacity and optimum speed of processing it is across the industry is widely considered as an irreplaceable choice for smarter faster and faster data management. In today's typically data intensive computing environment where volume of data and corresponding access is playing a crucial role in respect of business deliverables, a superior data storage technology which is lighter, faster and yet efficient to handle bigger volume than any disk space is much appreciated. LTO 6 by many considerations is having all these attributes to make it the smartest data storage option in the market. Before enumerating the crucial technical attributes of LTO 6 let us have a look at how was the LTO at the early period of development and how it works.

LTO as it is now and then

Proprietary magnetic tape data storage technology actually came way back in late eighties through some technology giants like Hewlett Packard, IBM and Seagate, but then unfortunately it was not an open source technology to until these three companies came together in the 1990 to form a consortium for the development of the technology with an objective for future mass production with new magnetic tape based storage products. The main factor that propelled the growth and popularity of LTO as a technology is obviously the form factor. Typically a 2000 version of LTO cartridge could hold up to 100 GB of data, a good and smarter capacity in a small cartridge at that time that would develop subsequently for the next decade. A 2012 version of LTO 6 will have 2.5 TB capacities in that identical size of cartridge. And now in 2013 when we are introducing the new version of LTO 6 it is endowed with much higher data storage and much faster speed attributes of data transfer.

How LTO works?

½ inch width magnetic tape was in use for more than 50 years by many of the world's defining tech brands and giants in hardware. The development of LTO from old time magnetic tape data storage happened in many regards like, making a low latency tape with faster data processing attributes, compression of data to make way for heavier volume of data in a small space, typical customer friendly capability like 'write once read many'. This ongoing development of LTO for more than two decades made it possible for the LTO 6 to arrive with highest ever data storage capacity with lighter smarter storage device and faster data processing. Many think that LTO 6 can completely outdate so called disk spaces and other disposable device options from modern computing environments.

Technical specifications of LTO 6

Sixth generation linear tape open technology or LTO 6 is having the most advanced specifications both in respect of high volume data storage and faster data processing speed. Moreover it retains the same lighter look, feel and spatial attributes for which LTO is primarily known for. The new LTO 6 cartridges and drives offered by Fujifilm, Tandberg Data and Imation have a capacity of 400 mbps data transfer speed with a compression ratio of 2.5:1 which amounts to 1.4 TB data transfer per hour. Undoubtedly these speed specifications are the most advanced attributes of new LTO 6 that made it so sensational and smarter a choice in respect of choosing high performance data storage drive. LTO 6 cartridges have a data storage capacity which is roughly double than its earlier versions, 2.5 TB for native data and 6.25 TB of compressed data in the almost identical size of cartridge. Almost all major giants of computer hardware formally completed their testing of the new LTO 6 and expectedly to come up with LTO 6 products very soon.