Seagate Exos X20 ST20000NM002D 20TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive

The ST20000NM002D is a high-performance, enterprise-grade hard drive from Seagate’s IronWolf Pro series, designed for demanding applications such as NAS (Network Attached Storage) systems, high-availability servers, and large-scale data storage environments. Here is a detailed description of its features:

1. Capacity:

• 20TB Storage Capacity: The ST20000NM002D offers a massive 20TB of storage space, making it ideal for large-scale data storage, backup, and archiving. Its high capacity helps to address the needs of enterprises requiring extensive storage solutions with large amounts of data.

2. Form Factor and Interface:

• Form Factor: 3.5-inch form factor, which is standard for many desktop and enterprise hard drives. It ensures compatibility with a wide range of systems, including NAS, RAID, and direct-attached storage (DAS) solutions.
• Interface: SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III) interface provides a fast and reliable connection, allowing for high-speed data transfer between the hard drive and the host system.

3. Drive Technology:

• Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR): This drive uses SMR technology to improve data density, allowing it to store more data on each platter. While SMR provides high storage capacity, it’s best suited for workloads with sequential write operations rather than random writes.
• Helium Sealed: The drive is helium-filled, which reduces internal friction and improves energy efficiency, allowing the drive to run cooler and more quietly.

4. Performance:

• Rotational Speed: 5400 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), designed for consistent performance while ensuring lower power consumption and minimal heat output. Although 5400 RPM drives are generally slower than 7200 RPM drives, the drive’s high capacity and efficiency make it ideal for storage-heavy tasks rather than speed-demanding applications.
• Cache: 256MB cache to facilitate faster access to frequently accessed data and improve overall drive performance during intensive tasks.

5. Reliability and Endurance:

• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): The ST20000NM002D is rated with an MTBF of 2.5 million hours, ensuring long-term durability and reducing the risk of downtime in mission-critical environments.
• Annualized Failure Rate (AFR): With a low AFR rating, this drive provides high reliability, especially in environments that require continuous operation.
• Vibration Protection: IronWolf Pro drives feature advanced vibration protection, which ensures performance stability even in multi-bay NAS systems, where vibration could be a concern.

6. Advanced Data Protection:

• IronWolf Health Management (IHM): Seagate’s IronWolf Pro hard drives come with IronWolf Health Management (IHM) software, which is compatible with NAS systems. IHM monitors the health and performance of the drive, providing alerts and proactive warnings to help prevent data loss and ensure operational continuity.
• Data Recovery Services: The ST20000NM002D comes with a 3-year Seagate Rescue Data Recovery Services, offering data recovery assistance in case of unexpected failures.

7. Workload Rate and Endurance:

• Workload Rating: The ST20000NM002D is rated for up to 300TB/year workload, making it highly suitable for intensive data handling, including media streaming, file sharing, and backup operations.
• Reliability Features: The drive offers enhanced data protection with 256-bit AES encryption support and advanced error correction codes (ECC) to ensure data integrity.

8. Power Consumption:

• Low Power Consumption: With its helium-filled design and optimized motor, the ST20000NM002D offers lower power consumption compared to traditional hard drives. This results in reduced energy costs and lower heat output, making it an environmentally friendly choice for large-scale storage deployments.
• Idle and Active Power Consumption: The drive consumes minimal power during idle and active operations, with a typical idle power consumption of around 4.5 watts and active power consumption of about 6.0 watts.

9. Compatibility:

• NAS and RAID Compatibility: The drive is engineered for use in multi-bay NAS systems, supporting configurations of up to 8-bays or more, and is RAID compatible, ensuring its reliability in multi-drive environments. It is also designed to work with all major NAS systems and other high-performance computing setups.
• Operating Systems: The ST20000NM002D is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, ensuring versatility in various environments.