Description:

The HPE EH958B / EH958A (693417‑001 / 596297‑001) LTO‑5 Ultrium 3000 external tape drive is used in enterprise backup and archiving systems to provide high‑capacity, reliable data storage using LTO tape technology. Commonly installed in data centers, server rooms, and backup infrastructures to support data protection, disaster recovery, and long‑term retention of critical information. IT administrators and system integrators use this drive for secure backup operations, storage expansions, and replacement of aging tape hardware.

Applications:

The HPE EH958B / EH958A LTO‑5 Ultrium 3000 external tape drive is widely used in business and enterprise environments where cost‑effective long‑term storage is needed. It is commonly found in backup systems for virtualization hosts, file and database servers, compliance archive solutions, media content preservation, and offsite storage workflows where automated tape rotation and high‑volume data capture support efficient data protection and retrieval.

Technical Specifications:

• Model: EH958B / EH958A
• Tape format: LTO‑5 Ultrium
• Native capacity: 1.5 TB per cartridge
• Compressed capacity (2:1): 3.0 TB
• Interface: SAS‑2 (6 Gb/s)
• Data transfer rate (native): ~140 MB/s
• Data transfer rate (compressed): ~280 MB/s
• Buffer memory: 256 MB
• Media compatibility: LTO‑5 (read/write), backward read LTO‑4
• Form factor: External rack or desktop tape drive
• Encryption: AES 256‑bit hardware (if supported)
• MTBF: Enterprise‑class reliability
• Power: 100–240 VAC input
• Connectivity: External SAS (SFF‑8088 or equivalent)
• Operating temperature: Typical industrial/IT range

Common Replacements:

• HPE LTO‑6 Ultrium 6250 external tape drive (EH969A)
• IBM LTO‑5 Ultrium SAS external tape drive
• Quantum LTO‑5 external tape drive