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IBM 3592 Tape Cartridge

Enterprise Archival Storage

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IBM 3592 Tape Cartridge PRODUCT
Overview
Features
Benefits

Fortuna Data brings you the IBM 3592 series a legacy line of enterprise-class tape drives and cartridges celebrated for their performance, reliability, and long-term durability. Built for demanding data retention, compliance, and deep-archive needs, the 3592 remains a trusted standard in enterprise storage environments.

Key Features at a Glance

  • Scalable Capacity Across Generations
    From the early 3592 J1A to the latest TS1170, native capacities range from 300 GB to 50 TB, with compressed speeds up to 400 MB/s—ideal for high-volume archival.
  • Media Reuse & Cartridge Longevity
    Drive systems can reformat and upgrade older cassette generations (JA, JB, JC, etc.), providing better performance and extending your media's life.
  • Robust Reliability & Data Integrity
    High mean-cycles-between-failure rate (~300,000 cycles), advanced error correction (dual Reed–Solomon ECC), and logical end-of-tape (LEOT) logic reduce failure risk and improve consistency.
  • Encrypt and Retain with Confidence
    Supports built-in encryption (from TS1120 onward) and WORM (Write-Once, Read-Many) cartridge formats—ensuring secure, tamper-proof archival.
  • Optimised Performance
    Large data buffers (up to 2 GiB depending on model) with read-ahead capabilities allow faster seek times and sustained throughput.
  • Intelligent Cartridge Memory
    Every cartridge maintains usage logs for proactive life-cycle monitoring—helping diagnose wear and predict media replacement.
  • Massive Storage Capacity
    Store anywhere from hundreds of GBs to up to 50 TB per cartridge (depending on generation), making it ideal for big data, media, and enterprise archives.

  • Exceptional Data Security
    With built-in encryption and WORM (Write Once Read Many) support, you can meet strict compliance requirements and protect sensitive data against tampering.

  • Future-Proof Investment
    Backwards-compatible design allows reformatting and use across generations—maximising ROI on your media investment.

  • Ultra-Reliable Long-Term Archival
    Tape remains one of the most cost-effective and durable storage mediums, with shelf lives of 30+ years under proper conditions.

  • Eco-Friendly & Energy Efficient
    Unlike spinning disks, tape consumes zero power when idle, reducing overall data centre energy costs.

  • Optimised for High-Bandwidth Workloads
    With sustained data rates up to 400 MB/s, the 3592 can keep up with demanding workloads such as AI, CAD, medical imaging, and media production.

  • Predictable Performance with Cartridge Memory
    Each cartridge stores health and usage data, allowing for proactive monitoring and reduced downtime.

IBM FlashSystem 5015

IBM FlashSystem 5045

Target Market and use Cases

Designed for small to medium sized businesses
Suitable for cost-efficient storage, near-line archives, and backup.

Positioned as an entry-level enterprise storage system. Optimised for mixed workloads and virtualized environments; better for demanding production use.

Performance

Maximum bandwidth: 8GB/s

Latency: As low as 70μs

IOPS: Up to 400K

Maximum bandwidth: 12GB/s

Latency: As low as 70μs

IOPS: Up to 1.2 million

Capacity & Scalability

Dual-controller active/active design
Up to 550TB effective capacity (@3:1 data reduction) per 2U enclosure

Dual-controller, scalable up to two controller pairs
Up to 570TB effective capacity per 2U enclosure

Connectivity (standard)

1 Gb iSCSI (On the motherboard)

10 Gb iSCSI (On the motherboard)

Processors
2-core Broadwell DE CPUs
6-core Broadwell DE CPUs
Cache per controller enclosure
32GB or 64GB
32GB or 64GB
Maximum number of volumes
2,048
8,192
Maximum number of Snapshots
2,048
8,191
Drives supported
Small form-factor 2.5-inch disk drives: 2.4 TB @ 10k rpm Large form-factor 3.5-inch disk drives: 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB, 20 TB @ 7.2k rpm 2.5-inch flash drives: 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68 TB, 15.36 TB and 30.72 TB
Small form-factor 2.5-inch disk drives: 2.4 TB @10k rpm Large form-factor 3.5-inch disk drives: 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB, 20 TB @ 7.2k rpm 2.5-inch flash drives: 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68 TB, 15.36 TB and 30.72 TB
Maximum drives supported

Maximum of 392 drives per system:
Small form-factor enclosure: 24 x 2.5-inch drives
Large form-factor enclosure: 12 x 3.5-inch drives
High-density expansion enclosure: 92 x 3.5-inch drives

Maximum of 440 drives per system and 880 drives in two-way clusters:
Small form-factor enclosure: 24 x 2.5-inch drives
Large form-factor enclosure: 12 x 3.5-inch drives
High-density expansion enclosure: 92 x 3.5-inch drives

Maximum expansion enclosure capacity
Up to 6 standard expansion enclosures per controller Up to 2 high-density expansion enclosures per controller
Up to 10 standard expansion enclosures per controller Up to 4 high-density expansion enclosures per controller
Optional connectivity
  • 16Gb/s Fibre Channel
  • 12Gb/s SAS
  • 25Gb/s iSCSI
  • 10Gb/s iSCSI
  • 16Gb/s Fibre Channel
  • 12Gb/s SAS
  • 25Gb/s iSCSI
  • 10Gb/s iSCSI
  • Security and Enterprise Features

    Virtualization of internal storage
    Data reduction pools with thin provisioning and UNMAP
    One-way data migration
    Easy Tier
    FlashCopy
    Remote mirroring

    Virtualization of internal storage
    SafeGuarded Copy
    Data reduction pools with thin provisioning, UNMAP, compression and deduplication
    One-way data migration
    Dual-system clustering
    Encryption
    Remote mirroring
    Easy Tier
    FlashCopy

    Hosts Ports
    8 + 4 onboard

    8 + 4 onboard

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