LTO-3 media is discontinued
New LTO-3 cartridges are no longer made. If you still rely on LTO-3, we can help you read and migrate the data. Call 01256 331614.
LTO-3 specifications
LTO-3 launched in 2005, doubling LTO-2 capacity to 400GB native. It was also the first generation to offer WORM (write once, read many) cartridges for compliance archiving.
Native capacity400 GB
Compressed (2:1)800 GB
Native transfer rate80 MB/s
Compressed transfer rate160 MB/s
MediaMetal Particle
Data tracks704
Tape length / thickness680 m / 8.0 µm
Cartridge (W × L × H)102 × 105.4 × 21.5 mm
Which drives can read LTO-3?
- LTO-3 drives read and write LTO-3 and LTO-2, and read LTO-1.
- LTO-4 drives read and write LTO-3.
- LTO-5 drives read LTO-3 but cannot write to it.
- LTO-6 and newer drives cannot read LTO-3.
Recovering and migrating LTO-3 archives
If you still hold LTO-3 tapes, the main risk is no longer the media but the hardware. Working LTO-3, LTO-4 and LTO-5 drives are getting harder to find, and so are the servers and software needed to restore old backup formats. We recommend migrating anything you need to keep:
- Inventory the tapes and note which backup application wrote them.
- Restore or copy the data using a compatible LTO-4 or LTO-5 drive.
- Write it to current media. A single LTO-10 cartridge holds the contents of 75 LTO-3 tapes.
- Verify the new copies, then retire the old cartridges securely.
We can supply the drives and new media for the job, or put you in touch with a specialist data migration partner.