LTO-9 Media Initialization

Updated Jan 6, 2025

Overview
With the introduction of LTO-9, the tape drive manufacturers now require all new LTO-9 cartridges to be initialized before use. This initialization process can take between 40-60 minutes per tape, during which time the drive being used for the initialization cannot be used for normal production operations.

Initializing New Media

Library manufacturers have added a Media Initialization Utility to their Web User Interface for LTO-9 cartridge initialization. This should only be used when the XenData software is not running as it takes the library offline. This is the most efficient method of initializing large quantities of new cartridges as the library performs the tasks in a multi-threaded manner, using all available LTO drives.

Initializing cartridges while using the library in a production environment is possible with the Qualstar Q24/Q40/Q48/Q80 libraries with more than one LTO drive. It is done by importing one cartridge at a time using the standard import method, i.e. inserting a cartridge into the mail slot and letting the software move it into a storage slot within the library.

When a new cartridge is imported, the XenData software performs a ‘recognize’ to determine what is on the tape. As part of this ‘recognize’ process the cartridge is loaded into a drive which starts the initialization process. The other drives in the library continue to work normally.

Using the above method, you can import new LTO-9 cartridges and have them initialized without stopping your production processes. Clearly, you will be one drive down while the cartridge is being initialized, but otherwise, the system can be used normally.

Note: XenData now supplies pre-initialized LTO-9 cartridges. Please contact support@xendata.com or your sales representative for further information on this.