IBM 3580-S4E TS2240 LTO 4 SAS Tape Drive

IBM TS2240 3580-S4E LTO 4 SAS Tape Drive

IBM 3580-S4E External LTO Ultrium 4 Tape Drive – 800GB Native, 1.6TB Compressed, SAS Connectivity

The IBM TS2240 3580-S4E is an external, half-height LTO Ultrium 4 SAS tape drive designed for enterprise backup, archive, disaster recovery and removable data storage. The IBM 3580-S4E belongs to the fourth generation of IBM's standalone 3580 Ultrium tape-drive family and provides up to 800GB native capacity per LTO 4 cartridge or approximately 1.6TB compressed using the LTO 4 2:1 compression assumption.

The IBM 3580-S4E drive provides a native sustained transfer rate of up to approximately 120 MB/s and supports LTO 4 hardware encryption, WORM media and backward compatibility with earlier Ultrium generations. It is designed for standalone external deployment and can also be used in supported rack-mount configurations. The IBM 3580-S4E is particularly useful in environments that still require access to LTO 4, LTO 3 or LTO 2 media, including IBM Power Systems, IBM i, AIX, Linux and other supported server environments.

IBM 3580-S4E Technical Specifications

IBM 3580-S4E vs. Later LTO Generations

The primary reason customer may select LTO 4 tape drive generation instead of a later generation is generally due to compatibility with older media or existing systems rather than capacity or transfer performance.

IBM 3580-S4E Performance

The IBM 3580 LTO 4 tape drive provides up to 120 MB/s native performance and approximately 240 MB/s with 2:1 compression. The LTO 4 tape mechanism used in the TS2240 generation is designed for sustained streaming backup workloads. At its maximum native transfer rate of approximately 120 MB/s, the theoretical amount of uncompressed data transferred per hour is: 120 MB/s × 3,600 seconds = 432,000 MB/hour ≈ 432GB per hour

At the theoretical 2:1 compression ratio, throughput can reach approximately: 240 MB/s × 3,600 seconds = 864,000 MB/hour ≈ 864GB per hour

Actual backup and restore speeds depend on several factors, including host performance, SAS adapter bandwidth, source-storage throughput, backup software, file sizes and the compressibility of the data being written.

IBM LTO 4 Tape Capacity

The IBM 3580-S4E uses standard LTO Ultrium 4 data cartridges. Each cartridge stores 800GB native and up to 1.6TB compressed using a 2:1 compression assumption. The 2:1 compressed figure is a theoretical planning value. Actual results depend on the type of data being stored. Databases, text and other highly compressible data may approach or exceed this ratio, while encrypted, image, video and previously compressed files may achieve little additional compression.

IBM 3580-S4E Media Compatibility

This backward compatibility is one of the main reasons organizations continue to maintain LTO 4 drives. An LTO 4 drive can read and write both LTO 4 and LTO 3 cartridges and can read LTO 2 cartridges. IBM documents these compatibility rules for the LTO 4 generation.

Hardware Encryption

LTO 4 was the first Ultrium generation to introduce drive-based hardware encryption. The TS2240 generation supports encryption within the LTO tape drive, allowing supported backup applications to encrypt data as it is written to tape. Hardware encryption can be particularly useful for removable media because tape cartridges may be physically transported or stored off site. Supported encryption configurations depend on the exact model, operating system, backup software and key-management architecture.

WORM Tape Support

The IBM 3580-S4E supports LTO 4 Write Once, Read Many (WORM) cartridges. WORM media prevents recorded information from being altered or overwritten and can be useful for:

• Financial records
• Compliance archives
• Legal documents
• Long-term business records
• Audit information
• Immutable archival data

SAS Connectivity

The IBM 3580-S4E uses Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) connectivity rather than the older parallel SCSI interfaces used by earlier 3580 generations. SAS provides a point-to-point serial interface and simplifies attachment to supported enterprise servers. The exact supported SAS adapter and cable depend on the host system. IBM's LTO 4 documentation identifies SAS as one of the supported LTO 4 interfaces, and IBM specifically describes the half-height LTO 4 drive as a SAS device.

IBM LTO 4 SAS Drive Part Numbers

IBM used several identifiers for LTO 4 tape hardware depending on whether the item was sold as a complete external product, internal drive, replacement FRU or server option.

IBM's server accessory documentation explicitly identifies 44E8895 as an IBM half-high LTO Gen 4 SAS tape drive. IBM Power documentation lists 45E1127 as an LTO 4 SAS tape-drive FRU associated with Feature Code 5746.

IBM Feature Code 5746 – LTO 4 SAS Tape Drive

IBM Power Systems documentation identifies Feature Code 5746 as an 800GB / 1.6TB Ultrium 4 SAS tape drive.

Feature 5746 is an IBM Power Systems internal LTO 4 SAS configuration rather than the same complete external enclosure as a 3580-S4E, but it uses closely related IBM LTO 4 SAS drive technology and is useful when cross-referencing replacement mechanisms.

Standalone or Rack-Mount Tape Storage

The TS2240 generation was designed for external standalone use and supported rack-oriented deployments. This makes it useful where organizations need one or two removable tape drives without deploying a robotic tape library. Later TS2240 configurations allow two half-height drives to be mounted side-by-side in approximately 2U of rack space. IBM continued this general form factor through later TS2250 and TS22xx generations.

IBM 3580-S4E for IBM Power Systems

The 3580 LTO family has long been used with IBM server platforms. LTO 4 SAS tape drives can provide backup and archive storage for supported IBM Power Systems running IBM i, AIX and Linux. Typical IBM Power uses include:

• IBM i system backups
• SAVSYS
• GO SAVE procedures
• BRMS-managed backups
• AIX mksysb and application backups
• Linux server backup
• Application and database saves
• Off-site tape rotation
• Disaster-recovery copies

IBM lists LTO 4 as supported with IBM i beginning with qualifying releases and hardware configurations. Exact compatibility depends on server generation, operating-system level and tape adapter.

IBM 3580-S4E for IBM i

For IBM i environments, an LTO 4 standalone drive can provide removable tape storage for system and application backups where the server contains a compatible SAS attachment. The principal advantage of maintaining an LTO 4 drive in an older IBM i environment is often media compatibility. Organizations with historical LTO 2, LTO 3 and LTO 4 cartridges may need an LTO 4 drive to keep older backups readable.

IBM 3580-S4E Backup and Archive Applications

Typical applications for an IBM TS2240 / 3580-S4E include:

• Server backup
• IBM i backup
• AIX backup
• Linux backup
• Windows server backup
• Database backup
• BRMS media rotation
• Disaster recovery
• Off-site backup copies
• Long-term data retention
• WORM archive applications
• Historical LTO media access

Why Keep an LTO 4 Tape Drive?

For a new backup infrastructure, later LTO generations provide much greater capacity. However, an LTO 4 drive can remain important in environments with historical tape media.

An LTO 4 drive can:

• Read and write LTO 4 cartridges
• Read and write LTO 3 cartridges
• Read LTO 2 cartridges
• Provide access to older backup sets that newer LTO drives may not support
• Serve as a replacement for failed LTO 4 hardware
• Support legacy IBM i and Power Systems backup environments

This makes the 3580-S4E particularly relevant as replacement, migration and archive-recovery hardware rather than simply as a capacity upgrade.

IBM TS2240 3580-S4E Lifecycle

IBM's current lifecycle database identifies the 3580-S4E as a withdrawn TS2240 product with standard support ending December 31, 2022. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8} 

IBM 3580-S4E Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBM 3580-S4E?

The IBM 3580-S4E is a standalone external half-height LTO Ultrium 4 SAS tape-drive product associated with the IBM TS2240 generation.

What capacity does an IBM 3580-S4E provide?

It supports LTO 4 cartridges with 800GB native capacity and approximately 1.6TB compressed capacity using a 2:1 compression assumption.

How fast is the IBM 3580-S4E?

LTO 4 supports a native sustained transfer rate of up to approximately 120 MB/s.

What interface does the 3580-S4E use?

The S4E uses an LTO 4 SAS tape-drive architecture.

Can the IBM 3580-S4E read LTO 3 tapes?

Yes. An LTO 4 drive can read and write both LTO 4 and LTO 3 cartridges.

Can the IBM 3580-S4E read LTO 2 tapes?

Yes. LTO 4 drives can read LTO 2 data cartridges, but they cannot write to LTO 2 media.

Can an LTO 4 drive read LTO 1 tapes?

No. LTO 1 media is not supported by an LTO 4 drive.

Does the IBM 3580-S4E support encryption?

Yes. LTO 4 introduced hardware encryption capabilities, and IBM TS2240-generation drives support application-managed encryption in qualifying configurations.

Does the IBM 3580-S4E support WORM?

Yes. LTO 4 WORM media is supported.

What is IBM part number 44E8895?

44E8895 is identified by IBM as a half-height LTO Generation 4 SAS tape-drive option. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9} 

What is IBM part number 45E1127?

45E1127 is an IBM LTO 4 SAS tape-drive FRU used with applicable IBM Power Systems configurations, including Feature Code 5746. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10} 

Can the 3580-S4E be used with IBM i?

LTO 4 tape devices can be used with supported IBM i configurations. Compatibility depends on the IBM Power System model, SAS adapter, IBM i release and tape-drive firmware.

IBM TS2240 3580-S4E Summary

The IBM TS2240 3580-S4E is an external half-height LTO 4 SAS tape drive designed for enterprise backup, archive and removable data storage. It provides 800GB native cartridge capacity, approximately 1.6TB compressed capacity and native data-transfer performance up to 120 MB/s.

The drive supports hardware encryption, WORM media, read/write access to LTO 4 and LTO 3 cartridges, and read compatibility with LTO 2 media. These capabilities make the 3580-S4E particularly useful as replacement hardware for existing LTO 4 environments and for organizations that must retain access to historical Ultrium media.

For IBM Power Systems and IBM i environments, the 3580-S4E can provide removable SAS-attached tape storage where the server, operating system and tape adapter support the drive. Because the product has reached IBM End of Support, buyers should verify hardware condition, replacement-part availability and media requirements before deployment.