IBM 5746 HH 800GB LTO4 SAS Tape Drive

The IBM 5746 Half High 800GB/1.6TB LTO4 SAS Tape Drive is an enterprise-class internal half-high (HH) LTO-4 Ultrium tape drive designed for IBM Power Systems servers. It provides 800 GB native / 1.6 TB compressed capacity (2:1 compression) with 120 MB/s native / 240 MB/s compressed throughput, using SAS 3 Gb/s interface, ideal for backup, archival, disaster recovery, long-term data retention, and compliance workloads on AIX, IBM i, Linux, and VIOS environments.

Product Description

The IBM 5746 (feature code 5746) is a half-high (5.25-inch) internal LTO-4 Ultrium tape drive that installs in supported Power Systems media bays or 7214-1U3/7216-1U5 tape enclosures. It delivers 800 GB native capacity (1.6 TB with 2:1 compression) and 120 MB/s native data transfer rate (240 MB/s compressed) over a SAS 3 Gb/s interface (backward compatible with SAS 6 Gb/s and 3 Gb/s controllers). The drive uses LTO-4 tape cartridges (800 GB native, 1.6 TB compressed) and is read/write compatible with LTO-4 media, read compatible with LTO-3 media, and write-once-read-many (WORM) capable for compliance archiving. It includes hardware data compression, encryption support (LTO-4 AES-256), and advanced error correction for reliable backup and restore operations. The 5746 is fully qualified for Power Systems internal bays and external enclosures, providing cost-effective, high-capacity tape storage for AIX, IBM i (iSeries/AS/400), Linux, and VIOS environments in enterprise backup, disaster recovery, and long-term retention scenarios.

Features

800 GB native / 1.6 TB compressed capacity (2:1 compression) per LTO-4 cartridge
120 MB/s native / 240 MB/s compressed throughput
SAS 3 Gb/s interface (backward compatible with SAS controllers)
Half-high (HH) 5.25-inch form factor for internal Power Systems bays or 7214-1U3/7216-1U5/7226-1U3 enclosures
Read/write compatibility with LTO-4 media; read compatibility with LTO-3 media
Hardware data compression and AES-256 encryption support
WORM (Write Once Read Many) capability for regulatory compliance
Advanced error correction and servo tracking for data integrity
Hot-plug capable in supported enclosures
LED indicators for drive status, activity, and error conditions

Technical Specifications

Feature Code: 5746
CCIN: Not applicable (tape drive, no CCIN assigned)
Part Number: Varies by configuration (typically 44X1390 or related)
Capacity: 800 GB native / 1.6 TB compressed (2:1)
Interface: SAS 3 Gb/s (SFF-8482 connector)
Form Factor: Half-high (HH) 5.25-inch internal
Transfer Rate: 120 MB/s native / 240 MB/s compressed
Media Compatibility: LTO-4 (RW), LTO-3 (read only), LTO-4 WORM
Buffer Size: 256 MB
MTBF: 250,000 hours at 100% duty cycle
Power Consumption: ~15–25 W active
Compatibility: Power Systems internal bays, 7214-1U3/7216-1U5 enclosures

Compatibility

The IBM 5746 Half High LTO-4 SAS Tape Drive is compatible with:

Power Systems Models:
- Power6/Power6+: 8203, 8204 with internal bays or 7214/7216/7226 enclosures
- Power7/Power7+: 8202, 8205, 8231, 8233, 8236, 9117, 9179, and others with internal tape bays or 7214/7216/7226 enclosures
- Power8: S814, S822, S824, E870, E880, and others with supported media bays or 7226/7214/7216 enclosures
- Power9: Select models with internal tape support or 7214-1U3/7216-1U5 enclosures (S922, S924, E950, E980)
- Power10: Limited support via external 7214-1U3/7216-1U5 enclosures (not native internal on most Power10)
Operating Systems: AIX 6.1+/7.1+/7.2+/7.3+, IBM i v5r4, 6.1+/7.1+/7.2+/7.3+/7.4+/7.5+, Linux (RHEL/SUSE/Ubuntu), VIOS
Attachment: SAS 3 Gb/s via integrated SAS controllers or SAS HBAs (#EJ0x, #EJ1x series)
Enclosures: Internal Power Systems bays (where supported), IBM 7214-1U3 Express Tape Drive Enclosure, 7216-1U5 Multi-Media Enclosure
Tape Media: IBM LTO-4 Ultrium cartridges (800 GB native), LTO-3 read-only, LTO-4 WORM
Limitations: SAS 3 Gb/s interface limits peak throughput vs. newer SAS 12 Gb/s drives; requires compatible SAS controller/HBA; not native on most Power10 internal bays (use external enclosure); older LTO-4 technology (superseded by LTO-7/8/9 for higher capacity/speed)

Verify exact bay/enclosure requirements, SAS controller compatibility, firmware levels, and OS patch levels via IBM Sales Manual or resources for your specific Power Systems model.

IBM 5746 HH 800GB LTO-4 SAS Tape Drive

Product Description