Lenovo 18 TB 3.5" NL-SAS Internal Hard Drive — 12Gb/s SAS, Hot-Swappable

Introducing the Lenovo 18 TB Hard Drive, a purpose-built, enterprise-grade 3.5-inch internal HDD engineered to meet the demanding needs of modern data centers, storage arrays, and robust archival systems. Built around Near-Line SAS (NL-SAS) with a 12Gb/s SAS interface, this drive blends enormous capacity with reliable performance, offering an ideal balance of throughput, density, and cost per gigabyte. Designed to slot into storage systems with minimal disruption, it supports hot-swappable operation for quick maintenance and driver swaps, helping to maximize uptime in busy storage environments. With an impressive 18 TB of usable capacity, you can consolidate large media libraries, preserve long-term backups, and expand current storage pools without frequently adding hardware. The Lenovo NL-SAS drive is optimized for sequential workloads and sustained transfer rates, making it well-suited for backup, archive, media streaming, and data-intensive analytics tasks that rely on continuous access to large datasets. In addition to capacity and speed, this drive emphasizes data integrity and reliability through its caching architecture and robust error management, ensuring dependable performance under heavy workloads and extended uptime requirements.

• Massive capacity for scalable storage: 18 TB of raw storage capacity enables large-scale data consolidation, long-term backups, archival storage, and capacity-rich storage pools in NAS/SAN/DAS environments, reducing the need for frequent hardware refreshes.
• 3.5-inch enterprise form factor with 7200 RPM: A high-capacity, 3.5-inch drive optimized for enterprise servers and storage enclosures, delivering solid throughput and dependable performance in data-heavy workloads while maintaining a practical power profile for continuous operation.
• Near-Line SAS (NL-SAS) with 12Gb/s SAS interface: Tailored for storage systems that value density and reliability, NL-SAS combines the benefits of SAS performance with long-term archival-friendly operation, enabling efficient streaming, backups, and sequential data access in enterprise environments.
• Hot-swappable design for minimal downtime: Engineered for rapid drive replacement in compatible storage enclosures, this drive minimizes service interruption in busy data centers and home labs alike, keeping critical workloads online during maintenance.
• Non-volatile memory cache and data integrity features: The drive incorporates non-volatile memory concepts to enhance data protection and caching efficiency, improving read/write acceleration and ensuring data integrity even during power fluctuations or unexpected events.

Technical Details of Lenovo 18 TB NL-SAS 3.5" HDD

• Capacity: 18 TB
• Form Factor: 3.5-inch internal hard drive
• Interface: 12 Gbit/s SAS
• Drive Speed: 7200 RPM
• Drive Type: NL-SAS (Near-Line SAS)
• Hot-Swappable: Yes
• Storage System Device Supported: Yes
• Cache/Memory: Non-volatile memory cache characteristics
• Designed For: Enterprise storage systems, data centers, backups, archives

How to install Lenovo 18 TB NL-SAS 3.5" HDD

• Prepare the environment: Before installation, ensure you have an ESD-safe workspace and follow your data center’s safety and rack-mount guidelines. Verify that your storage enclosure, server, or NAS backplane supports NL-SAS drives and a 12Gb/s SAS interface.
• Power down or enable maintenance mode: If your enclosure supports hot-swapping, you may replace the drive without powering down the system. If not, shut down the host following standard procedures and disconnect power to prevent any risk of damage.
• Identify a suitable bay: Locate an available hot-swappable drive bay that matches a 3.5-inch form factor. Remove the tray or sled, if applicable, and prepare it for the new drive.
• Insert the drive: Align the Lenovo 18 TB NL-SAS drive with the bay and slide it into the backplane until it seats firmly. Reattach the drive tray, securing any screws or latches as required by your enclosure guidelines.
• Reconnect and power on: Reconnect any data and power cables as necessary or simply allow the hot-swap backplane to recognize the new drive. Access your storage management software to verify the drive is detected, initialize if required, and add it to the appropriate pool or RAID configuration. Run SMART or health checks to confirm normal operation.
• Verify operation and monitor: In the storage management interface, confirm the drive shows healthy status, monitor SMART attributes if available, and monitor for any alarms. Once initialized, allocate the drive to a logical volume or pool, and begin using the capacity immediately.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What does NL-SAS mean, and how does it differ from traditional SAS? A: NL-SAS stands for Near-Line Serial Attached SCSI, designed for high-capacity, cost-efficient storage with the reliability of SAS. It is optimized for sequential workloads, streaming backups, and archival tasks, offering dense capacity and solid performance in storage systems. While SAS is often used for high IOPS workloads, NL-SAS emphasizes sustained throughput and long-term storage efficiency, making it a strong choice for archival and backup roles in enterprise environments.
• Q: Is this drive suitable for NAS, SAN, or DAS deployments? A: Yes. The Lenovo 18 TB NL-SAS drive is designed for enterprise storage environments and can be used in NAS, SAN, or DAS configurations that support 3.5-inch NL-SAS drives and a 12Gb/s SAS backplane. It’s ideal for large-capacity storage pools, backups, and archival arrays within data centers or business networks.
• Q: Can I hot-swap this drive in a live system? A: In compatible enclosures and storage systems, this drive supports hot-swapping, enabling drive replacement without powering down the entire system. Always follow your enclosure manufacturer’s hot-swap procedures to ensure data integrity and system stability.
• Q: What performance characteristics can I expect from this 18 TB NL-SAS drive? A: With a 7200 RPM rotational speed and a 12Gb/s SAS interface, you can expect steady sequential throughput suitable for data streaming, backups, and archival operations. The large 18 TB capacity reduces the need for frequent expansion, while the NL-SAS design prioritizes reliability and density for long-running workloads.
• Q: Does this drive include non-volatile cache or memory features? A: The product description notes the presence of non-volatile memory-related performance and data protection features. This typically contributes to improved caching behavior and data integrity during writes and power events, enhancing overall reliability under enterprise workloads.
• Q: What kind of systems is Lenovo’s 18 TB NL-SAS drive intended for? A: It is intended for enterprise storage arrays, rack-mounted storage solutions, and storage servers that require high capacity, reliable NL-SAS performance, and seamless integration into storage pools, backups, and long-term archival strategies.