- Dual-stage head actuator
The 16-channel actuator (LTO Ultrium 5 and 6) or 32-channel actuator (LTO Ultrium 7 and 8) provide precision head alignment to help support higher track density and improved data integrity.
- Independent tape loader and threader motors and positive pin retention
These technologies help improve the reliability of loading and unloading a cartridge and retain the pin, even if tension is dropped. An independent loader motor, coupled with the positive pin retention, causes the tape to thread with a higher level of reliability.
- Graceful dynamic braking
If there is a power failure, reel motors maintain tension and gradually decelerate instead of stopping abruptly, which helps reduce tape breakage, stretching, or loose tape wraps during a sudden power outage.
- Servo and track layout technology
There are 6656 data tracks in Ultrium 8, 3584 data tracks in Ultrium 7, 2176 data tracks in Ultrium 6, and 1280 data tracks in Ultrium 5. The high-bandwidth servo system features a low mass servo to help more effectively track servo bands and improve data throughput with damaged media in less-than-optimal shock and vibration environments.
- Surface Control Guiding Mechanism
IBM patented Surface Control Guiding Mechanism guides the tape along the tape path in the Ultrium 8, 7, 6, and 5 Tape Drives. This method uses the surface of the tape, rather than the edges, to control tape motion. This configuration helps reduce tape damage (especially to the edges of the tape) and tape debris, which comes from the damaged edges and can accumulate in the head area.
- Giant Magneto Resistive (GMR) head design (LTO Ultrium 7, 6, and 5 tape drives)
IBM LTO Ultrium Tape Drives use GMR head technology with beveled contouring for reducing striction and friction. This head design was demonstrated in enterprise tape products to help minimize contact, edge damage, debris accumulation, and wear on the tape as it moves over the read/write heads.
- Tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) head technology (LTO Ultrium 8 tape drives)
IBM LTO Ultrium 8 Tape Drives use TMR head technology, which helps achieve increased storage capacity and high data integrity.
- Digital speed matching
The LTO Ultrium Tape Drives perform dynamic speed matching to adjust the drive's native data rate as closely as possible to the net host data rate (after data compressibility is factored out). This matching helps reduce the number of backhitch repositions and improve throughput performance.
- Robust drive components optimized for automation environments
To help enhance reliability and prolong the life of the drives, some of the most robust components available are used, such as an all metal clutch, steel ball bearings in the loader, robust leader block design, and a single circuit card.
- Power management
The power management function of the Ultrium 8, 7, and 6 Tape Drives controls the drive electronics to be completely turned off or in a low-power mode when the circuit functions are not needed for drive operation.
- Adaptive read equalization
This equalization automatically compensates for dynamic changes in readback signal response.
- Dynamic amplitude asymmetry compensation
This compensation dynamically optimizes readback signals for linear readback response from MR read head transducers.
- Separate writing of multiple filemarks
Separate writing of multiple filemarks evokes any write command of two or more filemarks to cause a separate data set to be written that contains all filemarks after the first filemark. It helps improve performance if a subsequent append overwrites somewhere after the first filemark. This change helps prevent the need to rewrite data sets that contain customer data and the first filemark if such an append occurs.
- LTO Data Compression (LTO-DC)
The Ultrium LTO uses LTO-DC, which is an implementation of a Lempel-Ziv class 1 (LZ-1) data compression algorithm. LTO-DC is an extension of Adaptive Lossless Data Compression (ALDC) and an improvement over previous IBM lossless compression algorithms. IBM patented "Scheme-Swapping" compression looks ahead at incoming data and determines the most efficient storage method (ALDC or pass-through mode) to help optimize data compression and increase data throughput.
- LTO Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM)
Contained within the LTO Ultrium data cartridge is the LTO-CM, which is a passive, contactless silicon storage device that is physically a part of the cartridge. The LTO-CM holds information about that specific cartridge, the media in the cartridge, and the data on the media. The storage capacity of the Generation 8, 7, and 6 LTO-CM is 16320 bytes, which is double capacity of Generation 5 LTO-CM 8160 bytes. Communication between the drive and the LTO-CM is via a low-level RF field transmitted by the drive to the cartridge.
- Statistical Analysis and Reporting System (SARS)
The Ultrium Tape Drive uses SARS to help isolate failures between media and hardware. SARS uses the cartridge performance history that is saved in the CM module and the drive performance history that is kept in the drive flash EEPROM to help determine the likely cause of failure. SARS causes the drive to request a cleaner tape, mark the media as degraded, and indicate that the hardware is degraded.
