SymplyPRO LTO Tape Drive & Library

LTO (Linear Tape-Open) is a magnetic tape storage technology designed for backup and long-term archiving. It’s ideal for large volumes of data that need to be kept securely and cost-effectively but don’t need constant high-speed access. Tape cartridges can also be removed and stored offline, adding an extra layer of protection for archived data.

LTO is used for backup, long-term archive and cold storage, wherever organisations need to retain large amounts of data securely over many years. Common uses include media and post-production archives, broadcast libraries, research data, healthcare and financial records, and data centre archives.

Symply offers a full range of SymplyPRO LTO tape storage across three form factors: desktop LTO drives, 1U and 2U rackmount LTO drives, and SymplyPRO XTL tape libraries. Drives are available from LTO-7 through to the latest LTO-10, with Thunderbolt/USB4, SAS, Fibre Channel and Ethernet connectivity options.

Desktop LTO drives are standalone units that sit at or near a workstation, ideal for individual professionals and small teams. Rackmount LTO drives fit into a standard server rack, suited to server rooms, studios and larger facilities. LTO tape libraries automate the handling of multiple cartridges, giving greater capacity and hands-off operation for large or growing archives.

Each generation increases capacity per cartridge. LTO-8 holds 12 TB native (30 TB compressed) and LTO-9 holds 18 TB native (45 TB compressed). LTO-10 is available in two cartridge capacities: 30 TB native (75 TB compressed), and a higher-capacity 40 TB native (100 TB compressed) Enterprise Aramid cartridge.

Speed depends on the drive height: half-height drives (LTO-7, LTO-8 and LTO-9) run at up to 300 MB/s native, while full-height drives (LTO-9 and LTO-10) run at up to 400 MB/s. LTO-10 is available in full-height drives only. LTO-10 tapes can also be used straight out of the box, without the one-time optimization (typically 45 minutes to 2 hours) that LTO-9 requires for each new tape.

Compatibility differs too: LTO-9 drives can read and write LTO-8 tapes, and LTO-8 drives can read and write LTO-7, but LTO-10 drives only work with LTO-10 tapes. If you need to access an existing archive, Symply can help you choose the right generation for your workflow. To learn more about LTO-10, watch our LTO-10 overview video.

It depends on the generation. LTO-7 drives can write one previous generation and read two. LTO-8 and LTO-9 drives read and write one previous generation. LTO-10 drives only work with LTO-10 tapes. If you have an existing tape archive, Symply can help you plan the right drive and migration strategy.

SymplyPRO desktop and rackmount LTO drives are available with Thunderbolt/USB4, SAS and Ethernet connectivity. SymplyPRO XTL tape libraries support SAS, Fibre Channel, Thunderbolt and Ethernet. This means Symply LTO can integrate into anything from a single creative workstation to a large enterprise or data centre environment. Thunderbolt connectivity also makes Symply a strong fit for Mac-based media and post-production workflows.

LTO tape has a shelf life of up to 30 years when stored in the right environmental conditions, making it one of the most durable media available for long-term digital archiving. Many organisations also migrate their archives to newer LTO generations over time to take advantage of higher capacities.

LTO cartridges can be removed from the drive and stored offline, creating an “air gap” between your archive and your network. Because offline tapes can’t be reached by malware or ransomware on the network, LTO is an important part of any backup and disaster-recovery strategy.

For large archives that are accessed infrequently, LTO is typically the most cost-effective option available. Unlike cloud storage, there are no recurring monthly fees or retrieval charges. You make a one-time investment in hardware, then add low-cost tape media as your archive grows. Contact Symply’s team to find the right LTO setup for your workflow.

On day one, usually not. A capable LTO drive or small library typically costs more upfront than an equivalent DAS or NAS enclosure. But because every additional terabyte of tape costs a fraction of the price of hard disk, LTO quickly pays for itself.

With hard drive prices rising sharply, that now typically happens in around a year and a half, and the savings keep growing from there. An independent 10-year study found an LTO-9 archive to be 83% less costly than an equivalent hard-disk approach, which can mean tens of thousands saved over a few years for a growing archive.

DAS and NAS remain the right choice for active projects that need fast, everyday access, while LTO is the most cost-effective option for data you need to keep long term. Many organizations use both. Read our full LTO vs DAS vs NAS cost comparison.

It depends on where it will sit and how it connects. For a single Mac or PC workstation, a SymplyPRO Thunderbolt / USB4 desktop LTO tape drive is the simplest choice. For servers with a SAS HBA, choose a SAS LTO tape drive; to share a drive across your network, choose an Ethernet (iSCSI) model. Pick LTO-10 for the highest capacity, or LTO-9 if you also need to read existing LTO-8 tapes. If you need to run unattended across many cartridges, a tape library is the better fit.

Yes. Every standalone SymplyPRO LTO tape drive includes your choice of Hedge Canister or YoYotta archive software, plus SymplyATOM2, our free management app for diagnostics, firmware updates and LTFS check and repair. The drives are also compatible with Archiware P5, Veeam, Commvault, Cohesity NetBackup and other leading backup applications.

Customers in North America can buy desktop and rackmount LTO tape drives directly from the Symply Store, with free shipping. Tape libraries are configured to order, so request a quote. Outside North America, find a local reseller on our Where to Buy page.

Symply offers one of the widest LTO ranges available: compact desktop LTO tape drives, 1U and 2U rackmount systems, and XTL tape libraries that scale from 8 to 640 slots. Drives connect via Thunderbolt / USB4, SAS, or 10GbE Ethernet (iSCSI), with Fibre Channel on our libraries. Dual-drive models use SymplyCABLELESS™ architecture, with no internal cabling, so adding or swapping a drive is quick and simple. Every SymplyPRO LTO tape drive and library is backed by a 3-year warranty and support from our team.