Hp Ultrium Worm Data Cartridges; Encryption; Write Protecting Cartridges - HP 330834-B21 - StorageWorks Ultrium 460 Tape Library Drive Module User Manual

HP Ultrium WORM data cartridges

The HP StorageWorks Ultrium 1840 and 960 tape drive includes support for both re-writable and
Write-Once, Read-Many, WORM, data cartridges. WORM cartridges provide for an enhanced level
of data security against accidental or malicious alteration of data on the tape cartridge. The WORM
data cartridge can be appended to maximize the full capacity of the tape cartridge, but the user will
be unable to erase or overwrite data on the cartridge. Any attempt to modify a WORM cartridge to
enable writing over existing data will result in the media becoming permanently write protected. It
should still be readable in a WORM drive, depending upon the severity of the tampering, but no further
appended backups will be possible.
WORM data cartridges are clearly identified by their distinctive, two-tone cartridge color. They do not
have a write-protect slider and can only be used with Ultrium tape drives that support the WORM feature.
To check whether your backup or archive software application supports WORM cartridges, refer to the
following web site: http://www.hp.com/go/connect.
For information on how your HP Ultrium StorageWorks tape drive and WORM cartridge can help your
business meet Information Lifecycle Management and regulatory compliance requirements, please refer
to the HP Business Support Center at: http://www.hp.com.

Encryption

Your Ultrium 1840 tape drive includes hardware capable of performing data encryption at full speed
while writing data, and decrypting when reading. This is only possible with LTO4 media (C7974A or
C7974W); no encryption will be performed when writing earlier generations of tape.
By default the tape drive will not encrypt data, so that tapes can be read by any other compatible tape
drive. If you wish to make use of the encryption capability, you must enable this feature via the backup
software application. Refer to the go/connect web site for full details on which applications support this
advanced data protection capability.
It is important to note that once an encrypted tape has been written, the data can only be restored from
tape if the original key is known. This guarantees the security of your data, but also means that you must
be careful in the management of the encryption key used to generate the tape. More information on key
management and encryption in general can be found at http://www.hp.com/go/connect.

Write protecting cartridges

If you want to protect the data on a cartridge from being altered or overwritten, you can write protect the
cartridge.
Always remove the cartridge from the tape drive before you change the write protection.
• To write protect a cartridge, push the switch to the right to prevent any data recording on the
cartridge. Note the padlock on the tab that indicates that the cartridge is protected.
• To write enable a cartridge, push the switch to the left to allow data recording on the cartridge.
Figure 22
50
Use the correct media
on page 51 illustrates the location of the write-protect tab.