Dell LTO-4-120 LTO Media Handbook - Page 13

Migrating LTO Media Known issues for media migration from one manufacturer to another are fixed through the drive firmware. Use the latest available firmware for the drive, regardless of which vendor/OEM product is being used to create media. This ensures optimal performance for migrating tape between different drive vendors. NOTE: LTO technology is built on an open standard. Migrating media from one drive manufacturer to another is fully supported. NOTE: For information on backward read/write compatibility of the systems, see Table 5. WORM Media WORM media stands for Write Once, Read Many. This means once data is written to a piece of WORM media, the data on the tape cannot be changed or overwritten. WORM media can be appended to if data is already present on the tape. The media also stores unique identifiers which allow the drive to determine whether or not the media has been tampered with. WORM media offers a method of data retention for compliance laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Specific WORM media barcode labels end in LT. Cleaning Media NOTE: LTO drives in general do not require frequent cleaning. Label Designations on LTO Cleaning Media For the last several years, LTO drives have been using UCC (universal cleaning cartridges) as cleaning tapes. Prior to the universal or for use with all designation of cleaning media, vendor specific cleaning media was used. This document provides information on only universal or for use with all cleaning media. If a tape is not labeled universal or for use with all, then it is recommended that you purchase a tape with that designation. NOTE: LTO-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 all use the same cleaning media although it may not be labeled as such depending on the vintage of the tape. LTO Media Handbook 13