Quantum DLTtape DLT 2000 User manual

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FROM QUANTUM CORPORATION
Quantum®
DLTtape™Handbook
Your Complete Guide to Today’s
Hottest Storage Technology
Eighth Edition

Notice
Editor
Peter McGowan
g•m marketing
communications
Associate Editor
Stephen Weekley
Quantum Corporation
Senior Writer
Hank Giles
g•m marketing
communications
Art Director
Christine Koch
Knockout Graphics
Illustrator
Steve Hussey
Copyright ©1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 Quantum Corporation
QUANTUM CORPORATION
501 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035
1-800-624-5545
www.quantum.com or www.DLTtape.com
Quantum and the Quantum logo are trademarks of Quantum Corporation, registered in the U.S.A.
and other countries. DLTtape,the DLTtape logo,Super DLTtape, and the Super DLTtape logo are
trademarks of Quantum Corporation. Products mentioned herein are for identification purposes
only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Quantum is not
responsible for typographical, editorial, or pictorial errors in this publication. Product specifications
and technical information are subject to change without notice.
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Foreword
The world of data storage has changed a great deal since we pub-
lished the first Quantum DLTtape™Handbook in 1997. In just this
short time, the role of storage has evolved dramatically. It has
become clear that effective storage strategies are fundamental to
the success of virtually any information technology strategy,
whether it’s in re-energized smokestack industries or e-commerce.
Since the first Quantum DLTtape Handbook, we now have pub-
lished a total of eight editions, plus two editions in Japanese and
one in Chinese.And,while the roles of storage and DLTtape tech-
nology have changed and evolved with incredible speed, the
objective of the handbook is still much the same as it was original-
ly: to educate our various audiences by providing an in-depth look
at DLTtape system technology and a comprehensive overview of
DLTtape products and solutions. The book will also give you a
context for understanding how storage technology has evolved into
such an integral part of enterprise IT strategy, and the role
DLTtape technology plays.
The most notable change in the content of this eighth edition is
the inclusion of extensive information on the new Super DLTtape™
technology, the next generation of DLTtape technology. Super
DLTtape technology delivers dramatic increases in DLTtape speed
and capacity, while continuing the DLTtape commitment to com-
patibility with previous generations of drives and media.
Incorporating a number of important technology innovations,
Super DLTtape technology promises to broaden the role of the
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK iii

DLTtape system as the dominant tape technology for backup,
recovery, archiving, vaulting, near on-line storage, and multi-
media storage hierarchies.
Because Super DLTtape technology is the newest development in
DLTtape systems,we have included in this edition of the handbook
a great deal of new information specific to Super DLTtape technolo-
gy. However, it is important to emphasize that, while Super DLTtape
technology includes a number of breakthrough innovations, it is
not a“new”technology: it is an extension of all the concepts that
have made the DLTtape systems so successful since the original
linear tape technology was introduced in 1985.So when we use the
term“DLTtape systems”or“DLTtape technology”throughout this
book, we refer to all DLTtape technology, including Super DLTtape
technology, and the entire DLTtape family of products, including
the newest Super DLTtape drives and media.
Welcome to the eighth edition of the Quantum DLTtape
Handbook,and to the exciting possibilities of a whole new
generation of Super DLTtape systems.
FOREWORD
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Contents
Chapter
— Introduction
— 1. The Evolving Tape Storage Market
— 2.What is the DLTtape System?
— 3. History of DLTtape Technology
— 4.Why Customers Want the DLTtape System
— 5. Reliability: The Heart of the DLTtape System
— 6. Demystifying Tape Drive Specs
— 7. DLTtape Media
— 8.Automation
— 9. Horizontal Applications
— 10.Vertical Market Applications
— 11. DLTtape System Technology Compared
— 12. Evaluating the Cost of a DLTtape Backup Solution
— 13. Platform Connectivity & Software Compatibility
— 14. Storage Management Software
— 15. Firmware
— 16. Using the DLTtape System
— 17. Super DLTtape: The Future of DLTtape Technology
— Appendix A: Super DLTtape System Products
and DLTtape System Products
— Glossary
— Index
Page
vii
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2.1
3.1
4.1
5.1
6.1
7.1
8.1
9.1
10.1
11.1
12.1
13.1
14.1
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17.1
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QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK v

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Introduction
This handbook will introduce you to one of the dominant forces in
mid-range storage technology – the DLTtape systems,including the
new Super DLTtape systems.These systems are the acknowledged
market-share leaders in mid-range tape backup and archiving, thanks
to their remarkable performance,reliability, and storage capacity.
Convergence Emergence
Why has a seemingly mundane topic like backup and archiving
become such a hot subject in recent years? There are several
answers.A number of trends are converging to create a new and
seemingly limitless hunger for faster, higher capacity storage back-
up systems. These trends include:
•The growth of Internet, Intranet, and e-commerce
applications, many of which require constant backup of very
large databases.
•The popularity of storage-intensive applications like multi-
media, data warehousing, video editing, medical imaging,
financial analysis, and engineering.
•Centralized backup management of distributed,
networked systems.
•Exponential increases in hard disk capacity and performance.
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK vii

•A shrinking“window”for backup and archiving.
•The emergence of enterprise level storage management
strategies, including Storage Area Networks.
In this handbook,we will show you why DLTtape and Super DLTtape
drives and media are the best storage solutions for these and many of
the other storage challenges you may face.We will also help you eval-
uate your DLTtape storage options and pick the solution that’s right
for you.
We’ve Got You Covered
To help you understand DLTtape technology and how it fits into
your IS backup picture, we’ve included chapters that cover every-
thing from the history of DLTtape drives and media to a detailed
comparison of competitive backup solutions. Here’s a sample of
what we’ll cover:
•What is the DLTtape system?
• What is Super DLTtape technology?
•Why customers want DLTtape drives and media – the
DLTtape system.
•Applications for the DLTtape system.
•What makes the DLTtape system so reliable?
•Why the DLTtape system is perfect for autoloaders, libraries,
and Storage Area Networks (SANs).
•What makes DLTtape cartridges special.
•Platform connectivity considerations.
•The bright future of Super DLTtape technology.
Welcome to the new world of storage management.Welcome to
the world of the DLTtape and Super DLTtape systems from
Quantum Corporation.
INTRODUCTION
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The Evolving
Tape Storage Market
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK
1
1.1
Before we plunge into the story of the DLTtape system, we need
some context. Who’s buying DLTtape drives and media? And, more
importantly,WHY? In this chapter, we’ll walk you through some of
the market forces that are impacting the industry, including:
•Trends in computing systems: moving away from centralized
computing, toward a client/server model.
•Moving to centralized management of distributed systems.
•Growth of mission critical, leading edge applications.
•Dramatic advances in tape technology for backup.
Market Size
The market for tape drives is projected at $6 billion a year for the
next few years, with unit shipments holding steady at about 4 mil-
lion per year, worldwide. Almost all of those 4 million units are going
to be used for backup.
But,while unit shipments will remain steady,the amount of data that
needs to be backed up is growing rapidly.For example,it is estimated
that in 1999 worldwide server capacity,one important category of data
that needs to be backed up, was less than 500 petabytes (Figure 1.1).By
2004,that figure will have multiplied to over 4,300 petabytes!

THE EVOLVING TAPE STORAGE MARKET1.2
With the projected amount of data that needs to be backed up climb-
ing at a rapid rate,and the projected growth in tape drive units shipped
staying relatively flat,each of those backup tape drive units must deliv-
er more capacity than ever before.Analysts project that there may be
the potential for a melt-down if the backup technology does not keep
up with that sharply rising demand curve.The continual evolution of
DLTtape technology and the dramatic increase in capacity and perfor-
mance delivered by Super DLTtape technology are a direct response to
this need.What factors are driving this rising demand for backup
capacity? Let’s start with computer systems trends.
From Mainframe to Client/Server
The deployment of client/server systems is accelerating. From 1994
to 1996,the percentage of organizations that said they were actually
using client/server systems grew from 25 to 44 percent. Today,
client/server is the dominant mainstream approach to enterprise
0
500
1,500
1,000
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Centralized
Network
Centralized
Administration
Distributed
Workgroups
SOHO
Networks
Worldwide Server Capacity (in Petabytes)
Source: Strategic Research Corp., Network Demographics, 2000
Figure 1-1 Worldwide Server Capacity is one measure of data to be
backed up. The figure is climbing at a much steeper rate than the rate of
tape shipments. Backup capacity must increase to match increased storage
demands in this and other categories.