LTO
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer Hardware
| Stands for | Linear Tape-Open |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
LTO stands for Linear Tape-Open, a computer hardware abbreviation.
Open magnetic tape standard for backups and archives, used by enterprises, broadcasters and cloud providers because tape is cheap per terabyte, durable and can be kept offline. LTO-9, released in 2021, holds 18 TB per cartridge without compression.
Example: Every Friday the backup job writes to LTO tapes that are then taken offsite.
Usage notes
HP, IBM and Seagate formed the LTO consortium, and the first generation appeared in 2000. Each generation can read the previous one, and recent drives read two generations back. Tapes stored on a shelf are "air-gapped", which protects them from ransomware that encrypts online systems. Vendors advertise compressed capacities that assume favorable data, often 2.5 times native.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- ISA – Instruction set architecture
- JBOD – Just a bunch of disks
- KVM – Keyboard, video and mouse switch
- LBA – Logical block addressing
- LGA – Land grid array
- LPDDR – Low-Power Double Data Rate
- M.2 – M.2 (Next Generation Form Factor)
- mATX – Micro-ATX
- MFP – Multifunction printer
- microSD – Micro Secure Digital
- Mini-ITX – Mini-ITX motherboard form factor
- MIPS – Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages