Lto7 Type M Media; Using Lto7 Type M Media In Dell Emc Tape Libraries; Using Lto7 Type M Media In Dell Emc Tape Drives; Formatting An Lto7 Type M Tape In A Dell Emc Library - Dell EMC LTO8 Handbook

12

LTO7 Type M media

The LTO consortium approved a new media format to be used with LTO8 tape drive technologies. The new
LTO7 Type M media format will allow an LTO8 drive within a supported Dell EMC library to format a new,
unused, LTO7 tape cartridge for 9TB of native data capacity. The media designator for the LTO7 Type M
format is M8.
12.1

Using LTO7 Type M media in Dell EMC tape libraries

To utilize the LTO7 Type M format the LTO8 drive, library and tape cartridge must all meet minimum
requirements:

Tape Drive must be at Firmware Revision HB8x or higher.

Library Firmware must be at Firmware Revision:

LTO7 tape cartridge:
12.2

Using LTO7 Type M media in Dell EMC tape drives

Standalone LTO8 tape drives will write or read to the 9TB format provided the drive is at firmware version of
HB8x or higher and the tape has ALREADY been formatted with the LTO7 Type M format. Standalone tape
drives do not have a process to format uninitialized LTO7 media into the Type M format.
12.3

Formatting an LTO7 Type M tape in a Dell EMC library

To create Type M media from LTO7 cartridges in a Dell EMC tape library users must only insure all hardware
and cartridges meet the requirements from section 12.1. The remaining steps will be transparent to the end
user.
When a backup job begins the backup application will signal to the library to move a piece of media from a
slot to a drive. The library will scan the barcode, pick the media and signal to the drive the media type prior to
inserting it into the drive. The tape cartridge is initialized when it is first loaded into the drive and data is
written by the backup application at the beginning of tape (sometimes referred to as "labeling a tape" or
"writing from BOT"). The tape drive then establishes the density of the media.
There must be a Write from BOT before the media will format to the 9TB capacity. Simply loading a tape into
the drive and ejecting it will not format the media.
21 Dell EMC Tape Systems | Document ID | version (optional)

ML3 – 1.1.1.1-B00 or higher

TL1000 – 0080.3000 or higher

TL2000/TL4000 – Future release

ML6000 – Future release

Uninitialized and unformatted to LTO7 Type M:

Must have an M8 designated barcode.

Must be new non formatted cartridge.

Initialized and formatted to LTO7 Type M:

Must have an M8 designated barcode.