Dell PowerVault TL4000 - Manual (Page 168)

When processing tape in the cartridges, Ultrium Tape Drives use a linear,
serpentine recording format. The native data capacity and recording format of
Ultrium data cartridges is as follows:
Table 6-2. Cartridge Data Capacity and Recording Formats
Type Native Data Capacity Recording Format
Ultrium 6 2500 GB (6250 GB at 2.5:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 2176
tracks, sixteen tracks at a time
Ultrium 5 1500 GB (3000 GB at 2:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 1280
tracks, sixteen tracks at a time
Ultrium 4 800 GB (1600 GB at 2:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 896
tracks, sixteen tracks at a time.
Ultrium 3 400 GB (800 GB at 2:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 704
tracks, sixteen tracks at a time
Ultrium 2 200 GB (400 GB at 2:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 512
tracks, eight tracks at a time
Ultrium 1 100 GB (200 GB at 2:1
compression) Reads and writes data on 384
tracks, eight tracks at a time
The first set of tracks is written from near the beginning of the tape to near the
end of the tape. The head then repositions to the next set of tracks for the return
pass. This process continues until all tracks are written and the cartridge is full, or
until all data is written.
The cartridge door ( 2 Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) protects the tape from
contamination when the cartridge is out of the drive. The tape is attached to a
leader pin ( 3 in in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) behind the door. When the cartridge is
inserted into the drive, a threading mechanism pulls the pin (and tape) out of the
cartridge, across the drive head, and onto a non-removable take-up reel. The head
can then read or write data from or to the tape.
The write-protect switch ( 4 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) prevents data from being
written to the tape cartridge. For more information, see “Write-Protect Switch” on
page 6-6.
The label area ( 5 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) provides a location to place a label. .
The insertion guide ( 6 in Figure 6-1 on page 6-1) is a large, notched area that
prevents the cartridge from being inserted incorrectly.
Table 6-3. Nominal Cartridge Life: Load/Unload Cycles
Type Load/Unload Cycles
Ultrium 6 20,000 (20K)
Ultrium 5 20,000 (20k)
Ultrium 4 20,000 (20k)
Ultrium 3 20,000 (20k)
Ultrium 2 10,000 (10k)
Ultrium 1 5000 (5k)
6-2 Dell PowerVault TL2000 Tape Library and TL4000 Tape Library User's Guide