When migrating from LTO-4 to LTO-6, what should a backup administrator do to maximize tape usability?

To maximize tape usability when migrating from LTO-4 to LTO-6, it is important for the backup administrator to ensure that all critical data is backed up on at least LTO-4 tapes. This step ensures that the data is available in a format that the LTO-6 technology can read, as LTO-6 drives maintain backward compatibility with LTO-4 tapes. By verifying that all essential data is secured on LTO-4 tapes, the administrator can protect against data loss during the migration process and ensure that the data remains accessible for future retrieval.

Backing up to LTO-4 ensures that, while LTO-6 can indeed read LTO-4 tapes, the integrity of the data and compatibility with the newer technology is preserved. This careful data management approach mitigates risks associated with data migration and enhances the overall reliability of the backup and recovery processes.

Other options may present different methods of backup or imply that the transition to LTO-6 does not require added precautions, but they may not provide the same assurance of data security and usability.