Project: LTFS
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Project Description: Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System (LTFS), Open Edition
Licenses: LGPL-2.1, BSD
LTFS

Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition

Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition (LTFS) product is a server based open source software used to implement a tape-based file system using the Linear Tape File System format. LTFS makes tape self-describing, file-based, and easy-to-use. LTFS provides users with the ability to use standard file operations on tape media for accessing, managing and sharing files with an interface that is already familiar to users as it behaves similar to a hard disk. In addition, LTFS provides the ability to share data across platforms, as you would with a USB drive or memory stick. Simply load a tape into the drive, mount it into the file system, and it becomes visible as a disk.

Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition version 1.2.7 is compatible with LTFS software version 2.2.0.2 available from IBM and version 2.2.1 from HP. It adheres to version 2.2.0 of the Linear Tape File System (LTFS) Format Specification. Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition provides for multivendor backend tape support including IBM LTO-5 LTO-6 and LTO-7; HP LTO-5 and LTO -6; and Oracle T10000C and T10000D tape drives.

The newest version of 1.2.7 release December 2015 adds support for LTO-7 tape drives.

Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition version 1.2.6 is available for Oracle's Linux and Solaris operating systems.

The latest version of 1.2.6 release December 2015 for Solaris adds support for LTO-7 tape drives.

The prior versions of Oracle's StorageTek Linear Tape File System, Open Edition 1.2.0, 1.2.5 and 1.2.6 are also available.

LTFS introduction

Linear Tape File System (LTFS) refers to both the format of data recorded on magnetic tape media and the implementation of specific software that uses this data format to provide a file system interface to data stored on magnetic tape.

The Linear Tape File System format is an open specification that describes the layout of data-structures stored on a sequential-access media. These data-structures hold the file content data and associated file metadata. Tape media written using this format can be exchanged between systems that understand the Linear Tape File System format.

Software systems that understand the format can provide users with a file-system view of the media. Software systems may alternatively understand the format only to the degree that allows the system to read data from the media, or produce a tape that can be accepted by other systems that implement the Linear Tape File System format.

Data tapes written in the LTFS Format can be used independently of any external database or storage system allowing direct access to file content data and file metadata. This format makes it possible to implement software that presents a standard file-system view of the data stored in the tape media. This file-system view makes accessing files stored on the LTFS formatted media similar to accessing files stored on other forms of storage media such as disk or removable flash drives.

Oracle provides on the download page LTFS rpm library for Oracle Linux x86_64 rpms,
LTFS Package library for Oracle Solaris 11 x86 & Sparc packges, and
also the compilable source code for compilable source tar files.

The Linear Tape File System (LTFS) Format Specification version 2.2.0 is published by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) http://www.snia.org.

SNIA is taking the document through the ISO process to complete the official standardization, while also working on future enhancements to the specification. LTFS - Storage Networking Industrial Association (SNIA)

Copyrights, licensing, supported configurations, user guide, and fix/release information is found in README.

The latest linux install information can be found in the INSTALLING.linux.

The latest solaris install information can be found in the INSTALLING.solaris.

Third Party Licenses and Notices Document.

Recommended Systems Configurations

See each versions README file for the specifics related to each LTFS version. Details here are of a more generic nature.

Server Platforms
Refer to Oracle's HCL (Hardware Certification List) for your Linux or Solaris OS
Recommend a minimum of 4 GB of free memory per attached tape drive,
add 1 GB of free memory for each 1 million files or index entries in each LTFS filesystem.
Operating Systems
Oracle Linux Server Edition 5.5 x86_64
Oracle Linux Server Edition 6.4 x86_64
Oracle Linux Server Edition 6.5 x86_64
Oracle Linux Server Edition 7.2 x86_64
Oracle Solaris 11.1, U12.5, x86 & Sparc
Oracle Solaris 11.1, U13.6, x86 & Sparc
Oracle Solaris 11.2, x86 & Sparc
Oracle Solaris 11.3, x86 & Sparc
SAS HBA or FC HBA
Refer to Oracle's HCL (Hardware Certification List) for your Linux or Solaris OS
IBM Tape Device Driver 3.0.1-1 or higher
Single User (read and/or write) per mounted LTFS system.
LTO Ultrium 5 tape cartridge or Oracle T10000C Tape cartridge
LTO Ultrium 6 tape cartridge or Oracle T10000D Tape cartridge
Standard T10000C Cartridge
Standard T10000D Cartridge
Fuji LTO-5 Cartridge
Maxell LTO-5 Cartridge
Fuji LTO-6 Cartridge
Maxell LTO-6 Cartridge
LTO-7 Cartridge
LTO Utrium Tape LTO-5 or LTO-6 or LTO-7 Drive Oracle T10000C or T10000D Tape Drive
Configurations Below

Tape Drive Driver and Firmware

Oracle T10000C Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware:
Release Special Build RA362109 is required for T10000C drives
Please open a case using your T10000C support contract to obtain the accompanying T10000C firmware required for the LTFS application.
Oracle T10000D Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware:
Release 4.09.107 or newer is required for T10000D drives
Please open a case using your T10000D support contract to obtain the accompanying T10000D firmware required for the LTFS application.
IBM LTO-5 Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware CBX0 or newer
Linux Driver Lintape 2.9.4.1 or newer
Please open a case using your LTO-5 support contract to obtain the accompanying driver and firmware required for the LTFS application.
IBM LTO-6 Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware C9T4 or newer
Linux Driver Lintape 2.9.4.1 or newer
Please open a case using your LTO-6 support contract to obtain the accompanying driver and firmware required for the LTFS application.
IBM LTO-7 Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware F8E0 or newer
Linux Driver Lintape 3.0.1-1 or newer
Please open a case using your LTO-7 support contract to obtain the accompanying driver and firmware required for the LTFS application.
HP LTO-5 Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware I67S or newer
Please open a case using your LTO-5 support contract to obtain the accompanying firmware required for the LTFS application.
HP LTO-6 Tape Drives:
Drive Firmware J39S or newer
Please open a case using your LTO-5/6 support contract to obtain the accompanying firmware required for the LTFS application.

Note:

Files in this download contain Licensed Materials, property of Oracle, Copyright (C) 2011,2015 Oracle America, Inc.

Files in this download also contain Licensed Materials, property of HP, Copyright 2010, 2011,2014 Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.

Files in this download also contain Licensed Materials, property of IBM, Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014. All Rights Reserved.

See the Licensing agreement (COPYING.txt) when LTFS is downloaded.

The LTFS software application is an open-source tape file system implemented on dual partition tape drives.

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it only under the terms of version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.