The introduction of LTO-10, the latest generation of linear tape open technology, provides IT decision-makers with a modern, but not backwards-compatible storage solution. The technological advancement brings improvements in terms of capacity, transfer rates and operating efficiency, but puts established backup strategies and infrastructure decisions to the test.
In this article, we look at the most important new features of LTO-10, the practical implications for existing environments and the options for companies.
CONTENT
LTO-10 will be available from June 13, 2025 and offers a significant increase in performance compared to LTO-9:
It should be noted that LTO-10 is no longer compatible with LTO-9 media. This lack of backwards compatibility marks a break with the previous LTO principle and has far-reaching consequences for backup strategies, archive concepts and long-term storage.
There are two key challenges for companies currently using LTO-9:
Possible strategies for action
There are various options depending on the initial situation:
Companies that wish to continue using LTO-9 should ensure that their tape drives remain available in the long term and that the backup software is also supported in the future. Continued operation is possible, but entails potential risks in terms of maintenance and support.
For companies with permanently high data storage requirements, migration to LTO-10 can be worthwhile. This requires structured procedures for data transfer, including documentation of the last complete backup. Professional consolidation is particularly recommended for large data sets in order to avoid redundancies and data loss.
The changeover can also be an opportunity to rethink existing backup concepts. The integration of tape into hybrid models such as disk-to-disk-to-tape offers advantages in terms of speed, security and scalability. Companies should review their backup software and modernize it if necessary, especially with regard to incremental backups, differential backups and full backups.
LTO-10 is particularly suitable for use in long-term storage – for example for archive data with infrequent access. At the same time, hybrid strategies in which tape and disk storage are combined are becoming increasingly important. In this context, disaster recovery plans should be regularly reviewed and updated.
In addition to full backups, a holistic backup strategy also includes incremental and differential backups, whereby copies of the data should always be kept at different locations. Powerful backup software enables the monitoring of backup processes and supports recovery in the event of an emergency.
LTO-10 brings with it new technical possibilities, but also structural changes. The lack of backwards compatibility with LTO-9 makes it necessary to take active action – be it through targeted migration, the adaptation of existing infrastructures or a strategic realignment in the backup and archiving area.
K&P Computer supports you in evaluating your existing environment, accompanies your migration and develops future-proof concepts with you – whether on tape, disk or in the cloud.
Your contact person
Rainer WaiblingerCTO
There is a clever solution for every technical challenge - let us advise you and find the optimum solution.
Cloud, virtualization and hybrid architectures provide companies and organizations with unprecedented flexibility in IT. Infrastructure can be scaled dynamically, services are available quickly and new applications can be integrated rapidly….
Maintenance contracts are one of the most underestimated factors in IT strategy. They often only come into focus when something goes wrong – such as a hardware failure, an SLA…
Cyber attacks, system failures, data loss – modern IT infrastructures are exposed to new risks every day. While companies often rely on security solutions such as firewalls, anti-virus software or…
Zum Inhalt springen