HPE LTO-10 75TB RW Cust LBL 20 Crtg - Q2080AL

HPE Q2080AL LTO-10 75TB Ultrium Tape Cartridges

Overview

The HPE Q2080AL is a 20-pack of LTO-10 Ultrium tape cartridges with 75TB native capacity per cartridge. Each unit includes a custom label and protective case, designed for long-term archival storage and compliance-driven retention workflows. With a native transfer rate of 1.44 TB/hr, the Q2080AL addresses organizations managing multi-terabyte surveillance datasets, historical forensics, and regulatory retention mandates where sequential tape media reduces both per-gigabyte cost and power consumption versus disk-based alternatives.

Key Features

• 75TB Native Capacity: Single cartridge holds 1.5PB across 20 units — meaningful for 24/7 multi-site surveillance retention where you need to archive 3–5 years of footage without managing hundreds of individual tapes.
• 1.44 TB/hr Native Transfer Rate: Moves a full 75TB cartridge in roughly 52 hours uncompressed. When paired with LTO-10 hardware compression (typically 2.5:1 for video), write times drop to under 21 hours per cartridge — practical for overnight batch jobs or scheduled archive windows.
• AES 256-bit Encryption: Hardware-level encryption protects data in transit and at rest without imposing compute overhead on the host. Critical for HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX retention scenarios where encrypted tape must survive off-site transport or vault storage for years.
• FIPS 140-2 Level 1 Certification: Validates that encryption key handling and random-number generation meet federal cryptographic standards — required for government contracts, DOD-adjacent deployments, and regulated financial/healthcare archival.
• Custom Labeled with Cases: Each of the 20 cartridges arrives labeled and cased, eliminating handwriting errors and enabling barcode-driven inventory management. Cases protect tape from dust and mechanical damage during vault storage or transport.
• Limited Lifetime Warranty: Manufacturer warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for the cartridge lifespan — typical for media, not a length guarantee but confirms factory-new stock.

Integration & Compatibility

LTO-10 cartridges work with any LTO-10 or backward-compatible LTO-11 tape library or standalone drive. Surveillance VMS platforms (Milestone XProtect, Axis Companion, Genetec, Hanwha Wave) integrate tape export via standard LTFS (Linear Tape File System) or vendor-specific archival plugins. The Q2080AL is format-agnostic — supports H.265, H.264, MJPEG, or any video codec your system produces. Storage vendor libraries (Quantum, Spectra Logic, Fujifilm, IBM) recognize HPE LTO media without firmware or firmware-key negotiation issues. Encryption is transparent to the archival software — the drive encrypts on write, decrypts on read, no additional host-side configuration required.

What's in the Box

• 20x LTO-10 Ultrium 75TB RW Tape Cartridges
• 20x Protective Storage Cases
• 20x Custom Labels (pre-applied)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Q2080AL FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certified?

A: Yes. The cartridge itself carries FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certification for the AES-256 encryption engine, validated for federal and defense compliance work. Verify your tape drive is also FIPS-capable if you require end-to-end certification.

Q: How long does it take to write 75TB to a single Q2080AL cartridge?

A: At the native 1.44 TB/hr rate, roughly 52 hours uncompressed. With hardware compression enabled on the drive (typically 2.5:1 for video data), expect approximately 21 hours. Actual times depend on your LTO-10 drive model and compression ratio achieved by your video codec.

Q: Can I mix Q2080AL cartridges with older LTO-9 or LTO-8 tapes in the same library?

A: Yes. LTO-10 drives are backward-compatible — they can read and write LTO-9 and LTO-8 cartridges. However, you cannot write LTO-10 cartridges in a legacy LTO-9 drive. Plan your library hardware refresh accordingly if you're phasing in LTO-10.

Q: Does the Q2080AL include encryption keys or do I manage them separately?

A: Encryption keys are managed by the LTO-10 drive and the tape library or host system. The cartridge performs AES-256 encryption internally; no separate key distribution is required on the cartridge itself. Your tape drive and archival software handle key provisioning and rotation.

Q: What is the recommended storage environment for unused Q2080AL cartridges?

A: LTO tape requires cool, dry vault conditions (typically 16–25°C, 20–50% RH) to maximize lifespan. Store cartridges in their protective cases in climate-controlled media vaults. Avoid direct sunlight, high humidity, and temperature extremes. Manufacturer specifications typically project 30+ year lifespan under proper conditions.

Q: Is the Q2080AL suitable for surveillance data archival?

A: Yes. The combination of 75TB capacity, 1.44 TB/hr throughput, and AES-256 encryption makes it ideal for multi-site surveillance retention. A 20-pack (1.5PB total) can archive several years of multi-camera footage from distributed locations, with encrypted tape suitable for off-site or long-term vault storage.

Karl Wilson

The HPE Q2080AL represents a pragmatic shift for surveillance operations archiving 5+ years of multi-site footage. Compared to spinning disk NAS or cloud-bound retention, the 75TB native capacity per cartridge and 1.44 TB/hr throughput eliminate the per-gigabyte TCO grinding that kills large-scale on-premises archival. FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certification on the Q2080AL is non-negotiable if you're subject to federal, DOD-adjacent, or regulated industry (financial, healthcare) compliance audits — the cartridge encrypts at the hardware level, so your archival system doesn't bear the cryptographic burden.

Technical Highlights:

• 75TB Native Capacity: A 20-pack totals 1.5PB — enough to archive roughly 4–5 years of continuous multi-camera surveillance from a mid-sized enterprise without tape rotation math. At roughly $25–35 per TB annualized (hardware amortized), tape undercuts disk NAS by 70–80% for cold archive.
• 1.44 TB/hr Native Transfer Rate + Hardware Compression: Uncompressed writes take ~52 hours per cartridge; with LTO-10 drive compression (typically 2.5:1 on video), you're writing a full 75TB overnight into a 21-hour window. That's practical for nightly batch jobs without tying up production infrastructure during business hours.
• AES-256 Encryption + FIPS 140-2 Level 1: Encryption happens inside the drive; no host-side CPU overhead, no additional software licensing. Tape leaves your facility encrypted and stays encrypted in vault storage — critical for off-site transport where physical security alone isn't enough.

Deployment Considerations:

• LTO-10 drives are expensive (~$8k–15k per unit); the Q2080AL cartridge economics only work if you already own or plan to invest in LTO-10 hardware. If you're running legacy LTO-9 drives, backward compatibility means you can read old tapes, but you'll need hardware refresh to achieve LTO-10 economics.
• Vault storage environment is critical — temperature and humidity swings degrade archival lifespan. Budget for climate-controlled tape vault or off-site managed media service. A 20-pack stored in a hot warehouse loses 10+ years of rated lifespan.

The Q2080AL is the right choice for enterprise surveillance operators managing petabyte-scale retention under compliance or cost-per-GB pressure, particularly those with existing LTO infrastructure or the capital to deploy it. If your retention is under 2 years and your facility lacks tape library hardware, disk NAS simplifies management — but at 3–5 year retention windows on multi-site systems, tape economics and encryption-at-rest confidence make the Q2080AL the harder-to-beat option.