LTO Tape Drive Encryption Behavior

There are no enablement or drive data requirements for LTO tape drives. The only preparation is to ensure you have the information to assign the IP addresses and agent names for the tape drives in OKM manager.

LTO-8 and LTO-9 drives can read and write one generation back. LTO-5, 6, and 7 drives can read two generations back and write one generation back. For best capacity and performance, always use cartridges of the same generation as your drives.

Table 1-3 LTO 5,6,7,8 and 9 Encryption Behavior

Drive Behavior	Functionality for Drive Not Enrolled for Encryption	Functionality for Drive Enrolled for Encryption
Read same generation non-encryption data	OK non-encrypted	OK non-encryption
Read same generation encrypted data	Error	OK encrypted if correct key available.
Write same generation from BOT	OK non-encrypted	OK encrypted.
Append write same generation encrypted data	N/A	OK encrypted if correct key available
Read one generation backwards non-encrypted data	OK non-encrypted	OK non-encrypted
Read one generation backwards encrypted data	Error	OK encrypted if correct key available
Write one generation backwards from BOT	OK non-encrypted	OK encrypted.
Append write one generation backwards encrypted data	N/A	OK encrypted if correct key available
Read two generations backwards non-encrypted data (does not apply to LTO-8 drives)	OK non-encrypted	OK non-encrypted
Read two generations backwards encrypted data (does not apply to LTO-8 drives)	Error	OK encrypted if correct key available
Append write same generation to non-encrypted data (Space EOD, Read to EOD, and write)	OK non-encrypted	IBM: Mixing of encrypted and non-encrypted data on a single tape not allowed. HP: OK encrypted if correct key available
Append write same generation to encrypted data (Space EOD, Read to EOD, and write)	Space EOD = OK non-encrypted Read to EOD = Error	IBM: OK encrypted if the correct key is available, but with the proper read key. HP: OK encrypted if correct key available
Append write one generation back to non-encrypted Data (Space EOD, Read to EOD, and write)	OK non-encrypted	IBM: Mixing of encrypted and non-encrypted data on a single tape not allowed. HP: OK encrypted if correct key available
Append write one generation back to encrypted data (Space EOD, Read to EOD, and write)	Space EOD = OK non-encrypted Read to EOD = Error	IBM: OK encrypted if the correct key is available, but with the proper read key. HP: OK encrypted if correct key available