Re-usable Media
Unlike many other tape standards, the 3592 format allows an extensive re-use of cartridges already owned:
Older generation tapes can be reformatted to higher capacities with every new drive generation, according to the table below. Cartridges are expected to operate in read and write mode across at least three drive generations. The observed media replacement rate in large archives is therefore lower than with most other standards.
Technically, reformatting a cartridge means increasing its track density (only), as the linear bit density is limited by the tape coating. In the table below, a 'JA' type cartridge can be reformatted from 300GB initially to 640GB in the TS1130 drive. A later 'JB' type cartridge will carry 1TB since its better coating also permits a higher linear bit density. Generally speaking, linear density is limited by material, semiconductor and signal processing technologies, whereas track density is limited by the servo technology that prevents track runout.
| Tape length (m) | 3592 J1A drive | TS1120 drive | TS1130 drive | TS1140 drive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3592 JJ/JR cartridge | 246 m | 60 GB | 100 GB | 128 GB | n/a |
| 3592 JA/JW cartridge | 610 m | 300 GB | 500 GB | 640 GB | 640 GB read only |
| 3592 JB/JX cartridge | 825 m | 700 GB | 1 TB | 1.6TB | |
| 3592 JC/JY cartridge | 880 m | n/a | n/a | 4TB | |
| 3592 JK (short JC) cartridge | 146 m | n/a | n/a | 500GB |
Read more about this topic: IBM 3592
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