MagStor Air Series LTO-9 Thunderbolt / USB4 Desktop Tape Drive

Designed for backup, archive, ransomware protection, and long-term data preservation, the Air Series LTO-9 Thunderbolt / USB4 Desktop Tape Drive from MagStor delivers enterprise-class reliability with the simplicity of direct-attached storage. It combines LTO-9 tape technology with Thunderbolt/USB4 connectivity in an aluminum enclosure that helps optimize airflow within a desktop form factor. In addition to LTO-9 media, which supports a native capacity of 18TB and transfer speeds of up to 300 MB/s, LTO-8 media is also supported, with native capacities of 12TB. Connectivity to your Windows, Mac, or Linux system is established using a Thunderbolt/USB4 port, with two additional Thunderbolt and a 12 Gb/s SAS-8644 port available for future growth. Included is Hedge Canister LTFS software, a Thunderbolt cable, and a NEMA 5-15P to IEC 60320 C13 power cord.

Three Thunderbolt/USB4 ports provide modern high-speed connectivity.

The enclosure is designed for improved cooling.

Air-gap storage offers offline removable media protection.

For proper operation, please ensure this tape drive is used in a horizontal orientation.

The integrated mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) expansion port lets you connect compatible SAS devices through the same Thunderbolt / USB4 host connection. It pairs with MagStor Desktop Tape Drives, allowing each drive to remain in its own enclosure, with dedicated airflow and independent power.

Every MagStor AIR Thunderbolt / USB4 desktop tape drive includes one perpetual Hedge Canister LTFS license for macOS or Windows, including one year of software updates and support. Hedge Canister license redemption instructions are included in the box.

From media production and enterprise backup to healthcare, government, research, surveillance, legal, and cloud infrastructure, MagStor LTO solutions are used anywhere large amounts of data require secure, removable, offline-capable storage.

This drive reads and writers to both LTO-9 and LTO-8 media. It is compatible with genuine LTO cartridges that matches the supported LTO generations listed above, regardless of manufacturer. Media from FUJIFILM, IBM, HPE, Quantum, Sony, Maxell, and other LTO manufacturers can be used when it matches the supported media type.

Compatible with industry-standard LTFS utilities and leading backup, archive, and media asset management applications. Choose the software that best fits your workflow. Supported software includes Veeam, NetBackup, Commvault, Arcserve, Retrospect, Hedge Canister, Archiware P5, YoYotta, XenData, myLTO, and more, using Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Designed for modern Windows and Mac systems equipped with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 5, USB4, or USB4 v2 through a USB-C interface. Please note that USB 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2/3.1, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (3.1 Gen 1/3.0), USB 2.0, and USB-C charging-only ports are not supported.

For reliable LTO-8 streaming, the computer or storage source should be able to maintain at least 170 MB/s sustained transfer performance, not just short burst speeds. Typical bottlenecks include 1GbE network storage, USB hard drives, and slow or fragmented source storage. Also required is backup or archive software and 20 to 50% operating humidity.

Government, education, and regulated procurement environments may require equipment that complies with the U.S. Trade Agreements Act (TAA). MagStor offers TAA-compliant configurations using IBM LTO tape drive mechanisms manufactured in Japan.

A blue eject button indicates a Japanese-manufactured IBM LTO drive mechanism. This is the TAA-compliant configuration for applicable MagStor LTO drive products. A black eject button indicates a Chinese-manufactured IBM LTO drive mechanism. This configuration is not TAA compliant.