Archive Pro LTO | Mercury Pro LTO

Hardware:

• Any Mac or PC with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, USB3, or USB4

Operating System:

• macOS 11.x or later
• Windows 10 or later | Server 2016 or later
  • Does not support hot plug/unplug during sleep/hibernate modes
• Linux with Thunderbolt System Support

Supported Storage Media:

• LTO-7
  • LTO-7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • LTO-6 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • LTO-5 Cartridges (Read)
  • (1) 2.5 or 3.5-inch SATA, SAS, or U.2 SSD

• LTO-8
  • LTO-8 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • LTO-M7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • LTO-7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • (1) 2.5 or 3.5-inch SATA, SAS, or U.2 SSD

• LTO-9
  • LTO-9 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • LTO-8 Cartridges (Read / Write)
  • (1) 2.5 or 3.5-inch SATA, SAS, or U.2 SSD

• OWC Archive Pro LTO (Version and onboard capacity based on purchase.)
• LTO Tape (Version and capacity based on purchase.)
  • Available options include LTO-7, LTO-8, & LTO-9
• Cleaning Cartridge
• Thunderbolt 3 cable
• Power supply and cable

1. IBM Ultrium – see Front Panel below for details.
2. Power LED – Solid White = Power Connection | Solid Blue = Data and Power Connection

• Please do not power off the OWC Archive Pro or disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 cable from the host during use. Doing so will likely result in data loss and/or damage to the tape.

1. Unload Cartridge button – used to rewind and then eject cartridges, as well as to put the device into Maintenance mode, force a memory dump, or reset the drive.

2. Ready light (green) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, display and SCD dot to provide drive status information.

3. Encryption light (white) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, SCD, and SCD dot to provide drive status information.

4. Fault light (amber) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, SCD, and SCD dot to provide drive status information.

5. Single Character Display (SCD) – used in conjunction with the status lights and SCD dot to provide drive status information

• Front Panel Fault Codes:
  • 0 = No fault
  • 1 = Temperature fault
  • 2 = Power fault
  • 3-5 = Firmware or hardware fault
  • 6-7 - Drive or media fault
  • 8 = Interface fault
  • A = Degraded operation
  • C = Drive requires cleaning
  • e = Encryption error
  • J = Incompatible media or media format
  • P = Write operation protected

6. SCD dot – used in conjunction with the status lights, and SCD to provide drive status information.

1. DisplayPort – connect to a DisplayPort-compatible screen. Compatible with DisplayPort 1.4 and earlier.
2. (2) Thunderbolt 3 ports – if using a laptop, connect to the 85W port to benefit from Power Delivery (i.e. laptop charging). If using any other host type, connect to either port and use the remaining port to connect an additional Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C device.
3. Security slot – connect a security tether here.
4. Power switch – power the device on or off here.
5. AC IN – connect the included power cable here.
6. Maintenance port – unused (with select solutions).
7. 12Gb HD miniSAS connector – attach additional SAS devices here.

1. Before the OWC Archive Pro is recognized by your system you will need to install an ATTO Express SAS HBA driver. Additional drivers (IBM ICU, Macfuse, and LTFS) will also need to be acquired through a LTO Interface software such as Hedge Canister or Yoyatta. For downloading and installing instructions, please consult the following setups.
NOTE: Legacy OWC Mercury Pro LTO users can also follow these driver setup instructions.

ATTO Express SAS HBA Driver

• Mac Atto Express SAS HBA Driver Setup
• Please review and follow the steps outlined in ATTO Express SAS HBA Driver Setup for Mac.
• Windows Atto Express SAS HBA Driver Setup
• Please review and follow the steps outlined in ATTO Express SAS HBA Driver Setup for Windows
• Linux Atto Express SAS HBA Driver Setup
• Download Linux Atto Express SAS HBA Driver.

Hedge Canister Drivers

• Obtaining a LTO Interface software such as Hedge Canister or Yoyatta is needed to acquire additional drivers (IBM ICU, Macfuse, and IBM LTFS).
  NOTE: Select OWC Archive Pro devices come bundled with Hedge Canister.

• Register the copy of Hedge Canister by visiting go.owc.com/canister. Complete the step-by-step instructions presented.
• The serial number is provided on an insert card that came with the OWC Archive Pro. If the serial number is misplaced, please contact OWC Support.
• Please visit Hedge Canister support for additional details

2. LTO-9 tape requires an initializing process before use. Please consult the support guide "LTO-9 Tape Initialization".

OWC Archive Pro Onboard Storage RAID

• The onboard storage of the 16TB OWC Archive Pro is configured as an OWC SoftRAID RAID 0. Downloading and installing the latest version of SoftRAID is recommended to experience the best performance.
  • NOTE: 16TB OWC Archive Pro devices come bundled with "3 Years of SoftRAID Premium Access". Please visit OWC SoftRAID Product Details for more information regarding SoftRAID and the bundled Premium Access.
  • NOTE: The OWC SoftRAID license is located on the bottom of the OWC Archive Pro.

Mac OWC SoftRAID Setup

• Download OWC SoftRAID for Mac.
  • Please review and follow the steps outlined in OWC SoftRAID Installation for Mac.

Windows OWC SoftRAID Setup

• If you are using the OWC Archive Pro with the Windows operating system, the pre-installed drives need to be reconfigured before they can be used. The following options will allow the Mac formatted OWC Archive Pro to work as a Windows formatted device.
  • Download OWC SoftRAID for Windows
    • Please review and follow the steps outlined in OWC SoftRAID Installation for Windows.
      
  • Please consult the support article "Mac to Windows – SoftRAID Volume Conversation" for instructions to convert the Mac formatted OWC SoftRAID RAID 0 to a Windows formatted device through OWC SoftRAID.
  • The Mac formatted OWC SoftRAID RAID 0 OWC Archive Pro can be used in Windows through the purchase and installation of OWC MacDrive11 Pro. OWC MacDrive11 Pro allows access to software RAID Mac-formatted drives in Windows without performing a conversion process. Please visit OWC MacDrive Product Details or OWC MacDrive Support for more information.

The OWC Archive Pro LTO provides an internal storage bay for additional backup use or other purposes. The storage bay uses a standard ThunderBay drive tray, which accepts both 2.5 or 3.5-inch SATA, SAS, or U.2 SSDs. Please follow the steps below to install a drive.

1. Turn the case over and set it on a work surface so that the bottom of the device faces up. Remove the four screws at the locations shown and set them aside.

2. Set the case upright on the work surface. Push the back of the case so the inner chassis slides out the front, as shown below, then pull the chassis the rest of the way out, setting the outer case aside.

3. Locate the drive tray (red arrow - below left) and loosen the thumbscrew (red circle) until there is no resistance.

4. Pull the drive tray up and out of its slot.

5. Set the drive tray on the work surface as shown. Note: the highlighted screw holes are for 2.5-inch drives.

6. Place the drive inside the drive tray (a 2.5-inch SATA SSD is shown here). The label should face up and the SATA connectors should match up with the cut-out on the back of the tray. Fasten the drive into the drive tray using the included screws.

7. Align the drive tray with its slot and carefully lower the drive until its connector is fully seated. Minimal force is required. If you feel resistance remove the tray, re-align it and try again.

8. Press down on the thumbscrew you loosened in Step 3 and turn clock-wise it until you feel some resistance. Do not over-tighten the screw.

10. Pick up the inner-chassis, re-align it with the outer case, then carefully slide it back into place.

11. Turn over the enclosure and carefully set it on the work surface so that the case screw holes face up, then re-affix the four screws that you removed in Step 1.

General Notes and Recommendations

• Unlike HDDs, SSDs, and other types of formatted external media, LTO volumes will not automatically appear in the Finder. Acquire an industry-leading archiving and management software including but not limited to: Hedge Canister, Yoyatta, Pomfort Silverstack XT, YoYotta LTFS, XenData6 Workstation, Archiware P5.
• LTO drives do not run as quietly as optical drives, HDDs, or SSDs. As part of the normal process of mounting and unmounting tapes, and formatting and writing to tapes, you will hear different noises, some louder than others.
  • Please do not unmount or disconnect the fans of the OWC Archive Pro. Proper cooling is important to maintain the operating standard of the OWC Archive Pro.
• When the computer goes into Sleep mode, the LTO drive and any SATA or SAS drive that is installed, will stay powered on as long as the power switch is in the ON position. For this reason, the OWC Archive LTO Pro may not be totally silent during Sleep.
• While cleaning your tape drive is important, it should only be done when the tape drive requests it with the 'C' fault code. Doing so on a regular basis will cost you in cleaning tapes and reduce the operational life of the drive.

Write and Data Protection

• On the underside of LTO tapes there is a red switch which displays a lock symbol when in the on position. When in the on position the tape is considered read-only and new data cannot be written to the tape. If you try to write to a tape with this feature enabled, the drive will display a 'P' fault code. This also prevents accidental formatting.
• Please do not power off the OWC Archive Pro LTO or disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 cable from the host during use. Doing so could make an LTFS volume very difficult if not impossible to mount and recover data from.
• If you need to disconnect from the host and/or power off the device, please use the Finder “Eject Volume” option if the tape is mounted on your Desktop, or press the eject button on the front of the tape drive via any of the available methods:
• Note that the mechanical process of ejecting the tape can take 20-30 seconds.

• IMPORTANT: Do not hold down the Unload Cartridge button for more than 5 seconds unless directed to by an OWC Technical Support representative. This may cause an LTO drive to perform a factory reset.
• Once you’ve filled or written everything to a given LTO cartridge, it is a good idea after you rewind and eject the media, to flip the physical write protection switch on the cartridge to prevent any damage or changes to the media when using it to restore files.

Performance

• Whenever possible use a source drive that is as fast or faster than the LTO drive to feed it data; this will help avoid the potential for pauses or restarts when writing data, that can happen when (for example) a slow drive enclosure is used as a source. Note that modern LTO drives typically operate between 250-300 MB/s.
• By using the DisplayPort feature, the overall performance of the drive may decrease somewhat, as the DisplayPort shares bandwidth with the Thunderbolt 3 ports. The same is true if you connect a display to one of the available Thunderbolt 3 ports (this can be done with either a native Thunderbolt 3 display or with a Thunderbolt 3 display adapter).
• Thunderbolt 3 is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt, but speeds can be impacted depending on where in the chain a device is connected. If mixing Thunderbolt 3 with Thunderbolt 2 and/or Thunderbolt devices, use the device order shown below, if possible. Computer > Thunderbolt 3 devices > Thunderbolt 2 devices > Thunderbolt devices

Additional Resources

• IBM Product Support TOC: More information available at IBM’s Support platform
• Status Light / SCD codes: More information available at IBM’s Support platform
• Using the Cleaning Cartridge: More information available at IBM’s Support platform

• If you’re having trouble connecting your OWC Archive Pro to the computer, first check that the power cable is connected to the back of the device and a working power source, and that the device will power on (does not need to be connected to the host — please switch the device on and check the Power LED on the front of the device to verify).
• If the power is working but you’re still having trouble, verify that the included Thunderbolt 3 cable is fully seated in the device and host ports. If that does not result in the device being recognized, you may want to try a different Thunderbolt 3 cable and/or connecting to a different computer with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
• IMPORTANT: LTO volumes will not automatically appear in the Finder. Acquire an industry-leading archiving and management software including but not limited to: Hedge Canister, Yoyatta, Pomfort Silverstack XT, YoYotta LTFS, XenData6 Workstation, Archiware P5.
• Windows LTFS is end-of-life and no longer supported by IBM. The final available version is 2.4.5. Windows LTFS will no longer receive any updates including bug fixes. There is a known issue within Windows which affects LTFS capabilities on writing data. More information is available in our support article "Archive Pro: Windows LTFS End-of-Life | LTO Tape Issue".
• Hedge Canister support manual provides additional resources for using the LTO Interface software.
• If you’re still having trouble making a basic connection between the host and device, please contact our customer support team for assistance.

To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data. Any data loss or corruption while using the OWC Archive Pro is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances may OWC, its parents, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be held liable for loss of the use of data including compensation of any kind or recovery of the data.

• Phone, Chat, and Email support is available by visiting (owc.com/support)

The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and

General Use Precautions

• To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the following ranges:
  • Environmental (Operating)
    • Temperature (ºF): 41º — 95º
    • Temperature (ºC): 5º — 35º
  • Environmental (Non-Operating)
    • Temperature (ºF): -4º — 140º
    • Temperature (ºC): -20º — 60º

• Always unplug the device from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended period-of-time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
• Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
• Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation. Blocking the ventilation openings may increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.

Safety Precautions

• Use proper anti-static precautions when handling this device. Failure to do so can increase the risk of electrical shock or short-circuiting.
• Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water, or in damp wet conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the device, as they may spill everywhere and into the openings. This will increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or personal injury.
• To avoid any risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device.
• Please cease use of the device and contact OWC Support if it appears to be malfunctioning.

The OWC Archive Pro has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty if it was bundled with drives. OWC Archive Pro enclosures that do not ship with drives have a 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty. For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product web page.

The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, and agents assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

Warning! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

©2024 Other World Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. OWC and the OWC logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. OWC Mercury & OWC Archive are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of OWC.