The SymplyPRO LTO-8 Half-Height Thunderbolt 3 / SAS Tape Drive is a professional desktop LTO tape solution intended for workstation backup, archive and long-term retention. It combines direct Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with SAS expansion to fit mixed or non‑Thunderbolt environments.
Designed for media, enterprise and IT workflows that need low-cost, high-capacity offline storage, the unit supports LTFS for simple file-level interchange and integrates security and industry-standard compatibility for archive and backup software.
Connectivity
Host connectivity is provided by dual Thunderbolt™ 3 ports and an SFF-8644 interface as listed for the PRO Thunderbolt half-height model. One TB3 port supplies up to 60W for device charging and both ports support daisy-chaining for flexible workstation setups.
SAS Expansion
12Gb SAS connectivity is available via SFF-8644 for SAS Host and SAS Expansion (accessed via the Thunderbolt bridge), enabling attachment to non‑Thunderbolt workstations or additional SAS tape devices.
Capacity & Performance
The LTO-8 half-height drive provides the manufacturer-stated native performance of 300 MB/Sec (750 MB/Sec compressed) and cartridge capacity of 12 TB (30 TB compressed), assuming the stated 2.5:1 compression ratio.
LTFS And Software Compatibility
Every SymplyPRO Thunderbolt configuration supports Linear Tape File System (LTFS) for drag-and-drop tape operations. The drive is compatible with a wide range of backup and archive applications including Archiware P5, Hedge Canister, YoYotta, XenData, Veeam Backup & Replication, Veritas NetBackup, Commvault, IBM Spectrum Protect, Arcserve, Retrospect, Bacula and Bareos.
Security & Compliance
Hardware AES-256 encryption and LTO WORM media support are implemented to enforce retention policies and provide non-erasable, non-rewritable retention where required. The product family carries CE, UKCA, FCC Class A and RoHS markings.
Enclosure And Physical Features
The compact all-metal desktop enclosure integrates a premium PSU and cooling fan for clean installs in offices or comms rooms, and includes a Kensington T-Bar™ lock slot for physical security.
Reliability & Environmental
Reliability figures for half-height drives include MTBF 250,000 @ 100% Duty Cycle, MSBF 100,000 and 80,000 load/unload cycles. Recommended operating conditions for LTO-8 are provided in the manufacturer environmental specification.
Packaging & Support
Units ship with premium packaging that includes a 2m Thunderbolt cable, data and cleaning cartridges, and SymplyLOCK. The product is covered by a 3-Year Advanced Replacement warranty with an optional +2-Year extension.