The IBM® Linear Tape File System™ (LTFS) is the first file system that works in conjunction with Linear Tape-Open (LTO) tape technology to set a new standard for ease of use and portability for open systems tape storage. In 2011, LTFS won an Engineering Emmy Award for Innovation from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

This IBM Redbooks® publication helps you install, tailor, and configure the new IBM Linear Tape File System Single Drive Edition (LTFS SDE), Library Edition (LTFS LE), and Storage Manager (LTFS SM).

LTFS is a file system that is implemented on dual-partition linear tape (IBM LTO Ultrium 5 tape drives (LTO-5), IBM LTO Ultrium 6 tape drives (LTO-6), and IBM TS1140 tape drives). LTFS makes tape look and work like any removable media, for example, a USB drive. Files and directories appear on the desktop as a directory listing. It is now simple to drag files to and from tape. Any application that is written to use disk files works with the same files on tape. LTFS SDE supports stand-alone drives only. LTFS LE supports tape libraries. LTFS LE presents each cartridge in the library as a subdirectory in the LTFS file system. With LTFS LE, you can list the contents and search all of the volumes in the library without mounting the volumes by using an in-memory index.

The LTFS SM software solution provides storage lifecycle management of archive files. Although both the LTFS SDE and the LTFS LE can write data on tape, LTFS SM provides the interface to manage files of all types in a file system structure. This file system structure makes the control of the tape library transparent to the user.

This publication is intended for anyone who wants to understand more about IBM Linear Tape System products and their implementation. This book is suitable for IBM clients, IBM Business Partners, IBM specialist sales representatives, and technical specialists.

This book was produced by a team of specialists from around the world working at the International Technical Support Organization, Tucson, Arizona Center.

 

Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project:

Shawn Brume
Shawn Bramblett
William Peck
Takeshi Ishimoto
Hiroshi Itagaki
Michael Long
Khanh Ngo
Hironobu Nagura
Yumiko Ohta
Setsuko Oka
Bernd Freitag
Harald Seipp
IBM Systems and Technology Group

Emma Jacobs
Graphics, International Technical Support Organization, San Jose Center

Special thanks to William (Bill) Peck for his support, lab equipment, installations, and reviews for all of the LTFS systems written in this book.

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