Dell TL4000 User Guide - Page 162

When tape is processed in the cartridges, Ultrium Tape Drives use a linear, serpentine recording format. The native data capacity and recording format of Ultrium data cartridges is as follows: Table 6-2. Cartridge data capacity and recording formats Type Ultrium 6 Ultrium 5 Ultrium 4 Ultrium 3 Ultrium 2 Ultrium 1 Native Data Capacity 2500 GB (6250 GB at 2.5:1 compression) 1500 GB (3000 GB at 2:1 compression) 800 GB (1600 GB at 2:1 compression) 400 GB (800 GB at 2:1 compression) 200 GB (400 GB at 2:1 compression) 100 GB (200 GB at 2:1 compression) Recording Format Reads and writes data on 2176 tracks, 16 tracks at a time Reads and writes data on 1280 tracks, 16 tracks at a time Reads and writes data on 896 tracks, 16 tracks at a time. Reads and writes data on 704 tracks, 16 tracks at a time Reads and writes data on 512 tracks, 8 tracks at a time Reads and writes data on 384 tracks, 8 tracks at a time The first set of tracks is written from near the beginning of the tape to near the end of the tape. The head then repositions to the next set of tracks for the return pass. This process continues until all tracks are written and the cartridge is full, or until all data is written. The cartridge door ( 2 Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) protects the tape from contamination when the cartridge is out of the drive. The tape is attached to a leader pin ( 3 in in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) behind the door. When the cartridge is inserted into the drive, a threading mechanism pulls the pin (and tape) out of the cartridge, across the drive head, and onto a non-removable take-up reel. The head can then read or write data from or to the tape. The write-protect switch ( 4 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) prevents data from being written to the tape cartridge. For more information, see "Write-Protect switch" on page 6-6. The label area ( 5 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) provides a location to place a label. . The insertion guide ( 6 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) is a large, notched area that prevents the cartridge from being inserted incorrectly. Table 6-3. Nominal cartridge life: Load/unload cycles Type Ultrium 6 Ultrium 5 Ultrium 4 Ultrium 3 Ultrium 2 Ultrium 1 Load/Unload Cycles 20,000 (20k) 20,000 (20k) 20,000 (20k) 20,000 (20k) 10,000 (10k) 5000 (5k) 6-2 Dell PowerVault TL2000 Tape Library and TL4000 Tape Library User's Guide