What is IBM LTFS?
The IBM® LTFS (Linear Tape File System) format is a standard developed by IBM for reading, writing and exchanging descriptive metadata on LTO-5 and LTO-6 and tape cartridges without requiring any application other than LTFS. Data written to tape cartridges are self-described, and files can be recalled without a need to read the whole tape. LTFS provides an easy-to-access mechanism for writing/reading data on LTO-5 and LTO-6 tape volumes; once a volume is unmounted for storage, the system does not know the contents of the offline tape.
Etere HSM extends the usefulness of LTFS by providing the support needed to properly read and write on LTO-5 and LTO-6 tapes formatted in LTFS format as they were disk volumes. Etere HSM supports managing assets contained on LTFS tapes even if the media is offline, thanks to its catalogue of known LTFS volumes.
Using LTFS tapes
Please note that before starting to use LTFS tapes, you are required to configure the Windows OS (see LTFS Installation) and Etere Data Pump (see Data Pump > LTFS).