New SATA/SAS HDDs for IBM System x

As the new additions to IBM System x family of 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA and SAS drives from IBM Corp., the 7,200rpm, 10,000rpm, and 15,000rpm 6 Gbps 2.5-inch drives and the 7,200rpm 6 Gbps 3.5-inch hot-swap and simple-swap NL SATA and hot-swap NL SAS HDDs offer performance options and provide a wider selection of choices to satisfy a range of applications.

These new drives are positioned at the top of the IBM SATA and SAS NL HDD line.

The new 7,200rpm 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB 6 Gbps NL SAS and SATA HDDS provide 3.5-inch form factor options. The SAS and SATA drives are available in hot-swap and simple-swap versions, while the 3TB SAS is available in hot-swap only configuration.

Key features:

7,200rpm, 10,000rpm, and 15,000rpm 2.5-inch SAS drives are RoHS compliant and Protection Information (PI) enabled.
7,200rpm 3.5-inch SAS and SATA NL drives meet client requirements for capacities and increased speeds in larger form factor.
Up to 15,000rpm speed to help performance.
Reliability that enables operation in RAID environments without compromising application performance or availability.

Note: 3 TB options will only be supported on 6 Gbps SAS and SATA controllers.

3TB performance characteristics include:

Formatted capacity of 3TB.
Drive-to-host interface that supports up to 6.0 Gbps burst rate.
Drive media to buffer interface that supports sustained interface data transfers of up to 112MB per second average.
Spindle speed of 7,200rpm.
SATA hot-swap or simple-swap capability, SAS hot-swap only.
SAS interface with 3TB option.

Reliability

SAS and SATA compliance enables these HDDs to connect directly to selected System x systems.
S.M.A.R.T. technology allows software utilities to alert of certain impending drive failures so replacements can be made before a problem occurs.
Testing through the ServerProven program instills confidence that the storage subsystem is compatible and will function reliably.
These HDDs include a one-year, limited warranty.

Key prerequisites
IBM System x system with SATA or SAS capability.

Planned availability date
March 16, 2012