Product Description
IBM 3555 AGKN LTO8 Ultrium 8 Half-High SAS Tape Drive
The IBM AGKN LTO-8 HH SAS Tape Drive is a high-performance half-high internal drive engineered for reliable data backup, archiving, and long-term retention. Equipped with a 6 Gbps SAS interface, this LTO Ultrium 8 drive delivers excellent throughput and massive capacity in a compact form factor, ideal for integration into tape libraries such as the IBM TS4300 (3555) series, autoloaders like the TS2900, or external SAS enclosures.
Supporting 12 TB native capacity per LTO-8 cartridge (expanding to 30 TB with 2.5:1 compression), the drive provides native transfer rates of up to 300 MB/s (up to 750 MB/s compressed), enabling fast and efficient backup workflows for large-scale data environments. It incorporates hardware encryption (AES-256) to protect sensitive information and offers backward compatibility with previous LTO generations for flexible media handling.
Featuring a large buffer, advanced error correction, and data integrity verification, the drive is optimized for open-system environments. It comes with a mounting caddy/sled for straightforward installation in supported systems. The SAS interface ensures broad compatibility with servers and storage controllers using SAS HBAs.
The IBM AGKN LTO-8 HH SAS Tape Drive is backed by a 60-day warranty, providing assurance of quality and dependable performance.
Key Features
- LTO Ultrium 8 half-high form factor with 6 Gbps SAS interface.
- Native capacity of 12 TB per cartridge (30 TB compressed at 2.5:1).
- Data transfer rates up to 300 MB/s native / 750 MB/s compressed.
- Hardware encryption support for enhanced data security.
- Backward compatibility: Reads and writes LTO-7, reads LTO-6 (depending on initialization).
- 512 MB buffer for optimized sustained performance.
- Single-port SAS connectivity (compatible with SAS-2/SAS-3 controllers).
- Designed for IBM TS4300, TS2900, TS3100/TS3200, and compatible enclosures.
Specifications
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | Half-high (5.25-inch internal with caddy/sled) |
| Drive Technology | LTO Ultrium 8 |
| Interface | 6 Gbps SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) |
| Cartridge Capacity (Native / Compressed) | 12 TB / 30 TB (2.5:1 compression) |
| Data Transfer Rate (Native / Compressed) | Up to 300 MB/s / Up to 750 MB/s (2.5:1 compression) |
| Buffer Size | 512 MB |
| Encryption | Hardware (AES-256) |
| Compatibility | Backward read/write with LTO-7, read LTO-6 |
| Management | Library-integrated or enclosure-based (web GUI via supported systems) |
| Warranty | 60 days |
Compatibility
The IBM AGKN LTO-8 HH SAS Tape Drive is compatible with various operating systems and platforms when installed in supported tape libraries, autoloaders, or external enclosures:
- Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), IBM AIX, IBM i, and other open-system platforms.
- Servers/Libraries: IBM TS4300 (3555-L3A base), IBM TS2900, IBM TS3100/TS3200, external SAS enclosures, IBM Power Systems, IBM System x/Lenovo servers, Intel-based servers with compatible SAS HBAs.
For complete interoperability details, consult the IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC).
