LTO and DLT Tape Data Recovery Services

At CDR – Manchester Data Recovery Services – we offer professional magnetic tape data recovery services. Digital Linear Tape (DLT) and Linear Tape-Open (LTO) media are reliable high-end storage tapes with high data storage capacity and high performance. DLT and LTO tape drives are widely supported in server environments.

The software used to create backups to tape is usually native Windows Server Backup, or  Symantec Backup Exec, ARCserve, Retrospect, or Net backup. Typically the data is stored in the BKF file format. Users of Symantec Backup Exec will already be aware what a challenging piece of software it is to work with when it reports errors. Moreover, security parameters can be applied to Symantec Backup Exec files which can make them more challenging to work with.

CDR has the facility to image tape media to fast storage (e.g. a hard disk drive), and then extract the files. We also provide specialist data recovery services relating to the rebuild of databases stored within the tape backup, including Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange. We can make repairs to faulty databases.

Please contact CDR to discuss any data loss relating to a failed DLT or LTO tape.

Generations of the Tape format

Magnetic tape storage has been in development for decades. The most modern version of the LTO format (as of 2017), is LTO-7, which has a capacity of 6TB (6000GB). There are plans for LTO-8, LTO-9 and LTO-10. LTO-10 is projected to have a usable capacity of 48TB (uncompressed).

Tapes provide some of the most reliable methods to store data for archive purposes. The LTO tape is designed for 15 to 30 years of use as archival storage. It can withstand considerable fluctuation in environmental conditions, including physical shock.

All data recovery work undertaken by CDR is on a free diagnosis and a “No-recovery, “No-fee” policy.