The IBM TotalStorage Ultrium Tape Drive 3580 model L23 is designed to offer high capacity, performance, and technology designed for the midrange open systems environment. It incorporates the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) IBM TotalStorage Ultrium 2 Tape Drive, which more than doubles tape drive performance over the generation 1 LTO Ultrium Tape Drive (Ultrium 1) and provides up to 35MB/sec native data transfer rate (70MB/sec with 2:1 compression). In addition, with the use of the new IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 200GB Data Cartridge, the Ultrium 2 Tape Drive doubles the tape cartridge capacity up to 200GB native capacity (400GB with 2:1 compression). IBM Ultrium 2 Tape Drives can read and write original LTO Ultrium Data Cartridges at original Ultrium 1 capacities and with improved performance, up to 20MB/sec native data transfer rate (40MB/sec with 2:1 compression). The 3580 Model L23 comes with a SCSI Ultra160 LVD attachment for connection to a wide spectrum of open system servers. Other Ultrium 2 Tape Drive enhancements include: - Digital speed matching - to adjust the drive data rate with the host, which can help reduce backhitching and improve throughput performance - Power management - designed to help reduce power consumption - Channel calibration - to help customize each read/write data channel for optimum performance - Separate writing of multiple filemarks - designed to help improve performance when writing multiple files - Larger internal buffer - double the internal buffer size of the Ultrium 1, to 64MB - Faster drive speeds - designed to promote faster data access time, reduced rewind time, reduced cartridge load time, and faster cartridge fill time The Ultrium Tape Drive 3580 Model L23 is an external stand-alone or rack-mountable unit and is the entry point for the family of IBM Ultrium tape products. The Ultrium Tape Drive 3580 model L23 is designed to provide an excellent migration path from digital linear tape (DLT or SDLT), 1/4-inch, 4mm, or 8mm tape drives.