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    • IBM LTO Ultrium Tape Drives

    The IBM LTO Ultrium Tape Drives category offers a comprehensive range of external standalone tape solutions for backup, archiving, long-term data retention, and disaster recovery. These drives, primarily from the 3580 series (with TSxxxx designations), span generations from LTO-1 to LTO-9, delivering scalable capacities up to 18 TB native (45 TB compressed), high transfer rates, LTFS support, hardware encryption, WORM media compatibility, and strong backward compatibility for seamless migration and integration with IBM Power Systems, open platforms, and tape libraries.

    Product Description

    IBM LTO Ultrium tape drives provide reliable, offline storage with air-gap protection against ransomware and compliance needs. Available in half-high external form factors (tabletop or rack-mountable with optional shelves), they feature SAS or legacy SCSI/Fibre Channel interfaces. Newer generations (LTO-5+) include AES-256 encryption, LTFS for file-system-like access, media partitioning, and adherence to LTO open standards. Backward compatibility follows LTO rules: each generation reads two prior generations and writes one prior generation. These drives suit IBM iSeries (IBM i/OS/400), pSeries (AIX), Linux environments, and various open systems for secure, cost-effective data protection.

    Features

    • LTO generations from 1 to 9 with native capacities scaling from 100 GB to 18 TB per cartridge.
    • Transfer rates from 15 MB/sec (LTO-1) to 400 MB/sec native (LTO-9), with compressed rates significantly higher (2:1 to 2.5:1 typical).
    • Interfaces including 12 Gb/s SAS (newer models), 6 Gb/s SAS, Ultra160 LVD SCSI, and legacy options.
    • Hardware AES-256 encryption, LTFS support, WORM for compliance, and TapeAlert diagnostics.
    • Backward read/write compatibility across generations for easy upgrades and data access.
    • Standalone half-high design for flexible deployment in small to enterprise environments.
    • Integration with IBM Spectrum Protect, major backup software, and tape libraries (e.g., TS3100/TS3200/TS4500).

    Technical Specifications

    Specifications vary by model and generation. The following table summarizes key models available:

    Model (3580 / TS) Generation Native / Compressed Capacity Native Transfer Rate Interface Notes
    3580-H9S (TS2290) LTO-9 18 TB / 45 TB Up to 400 MB/s 12 Gb/s SAS Highest capacity, modern encryption/LTFS
    3580-H8S (TS2280) LTO-8 12 TB / 30 TB Up to 360 MB/s 6 Gb/s SAS High performance, strong security
    3580-H7S (TS2270) LTO-7 6 TB / 15 TB Up to 300 MB/s 6 Gb/s SAS Balanced capacity/speed
    3580-H6S (TS2260) LTO-6 2.5 TB / 6.25 TB Up to 160 MB/s 6 Gb/s SAS Reliable mid-range
    3580-H5S (TS2250) LTO-5 1.5 TB / 3 TB Up to 140 MB/s 6 Gb/s SAS Proven enterprise option
    3580-H4V (TS2240) LTO-4 800 GB / 1.6 TB Up to 120 MB/s 3 Gb/s SAS Legacy high-performer
    3580-H3S (TS2230) LTO-3 400 GB / 800 GB Up to 80 MB/s SAS/SCSI Cost-effective older gen
    3580-L43 (TS2340) LTO-4 800 GB / 1.6 TB Up to 120 MB/s Ultra160 LVD SCSI Full-high variant
    3580-L23 LTO-2 200 GB / 400 GB Up to 35 MB/s Ultra160 LVD SCSI Legacy migration path
    3580-L13/L11 LTO-1 100 GB / 200 GB Up to 15 MB/s Ultra2/Wide LVD SCSI Entry-level original LTO
     
     

    Dimensions typically ~250 mm W × 292 mm D × 121 mm H for half-high models; weights ~6-7 kg. Power: 100-240 V AC auto-ranging.

    Compatibility

    IBM LTO Ultrium tape drives support:

    • Systems: IBM Power Systems (AIX, IBM i/OS/400), Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu), Windows Server, various Intel/Unix platforms.
    • Interfaces: SAS (6/12 Gb/s), legacy SCSI (Ultra160/Ultra2), Fibre Channel (select models).
    • Software: IBM Spectrum Protect, major backup applications.
    • Media/Libraries: Backward compatible per LTO standards; works with TS3100/TS3200/TS4500 libraries.
    • Environments: Ideal for iSeries, pSeries, open systems backup, archiving, compliance, and offsite protection.

    Verify exact firmware, drivers, and cabling via IBM or DataTech resources for optimal setup.

    Warranty

    This product comes with a 60-day warranty covering parts and functionality.

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