OWC Mercury Pro LTO Thunderbolt 3 Tape Storage with Backup User Manual
- October 30, 2023
- OWC
Table of Contents
MERCURY PRO LTO
Thunderbolt 3 LTO Archiving Solution
Assembly Manual & User Guide
ASSEMBLY MANUAL
& USER GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Hardware:
– Any Mac or PC with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4/Thunderbolt (USB-C)
Operating System:
– macOS 10.14.6 or later
– Windows 10/11 or later, Server 2016 and 19 or later
– Linux with Thunderbolt System Support
Supported Storage Media:
– LTO-7
– LTO-7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-6 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-5 Cartridges (Read)
– LTO-8
– LTO-8 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-M7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-7 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-9
– LTO-9 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– LTO-8 Cartridges (Read / Write)
– (1) 2.5 or 3.5-inch SATA or SAS drive
1.2 PACKAGE CONTENTS
1.3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
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 subject to
limitations.
General Use Precautions
– To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside: 41º — 95º
F (operating) or -4º — 140º F (non-operating)
– After properly unloading any mounted cartridge, 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.
– Do not use the device near other electrical appliances such as televisions,
radios or speakers.
Doing so may cause interference which will adversely affect the operation of
the other products.
– Do not place the device near sources of magnetic interference, such as
computer displays, televisions or speakers. Magnetic interference can affect
the operation and stability of hard drives.
– Do not place objects on top of the device.
– Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage.
Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of damage or
malfunction.
– Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the
device cool during operation.
Blocking the ventilation openings may cause damage to the device and cause an
increased risk of shortcircuiting or fire.
Safety Precautions
– Read this user guide carefully and follow the recommended steps for
assembly.
– Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the device. To avoid any risk of
electrical shock, fire, shortcircuiting or dangerous emissions, never insert
any metallic object into the device. If it appears to be malfunctioning,
please contact technical support.
– Never expose your device to rain or use it near water or in damp or wet
conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the drive, as they may
spill into its openings. Doing so increases the risk of electrical shock,
short-circuiting, fire or personal injury.
1.4 FRONT VIEW
- LTO Tape Drive – see Section 1.5 for details.
- Power LED – LED will display as white if there is power but no data connection, and as blue if there is both power and a data connection.
– Please do not power off the Mercury Pro LTO 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. If you need to disconnect from the host and/or power off the device, please use ArGest Backup or other LTO backup software to make sure all transfers are complete and then unmount the tape volume via Deck Controls.
1.5 LTO DRIVE FRONT PANEL
- 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.
- Ready light (green) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, display and SCD dot to provide drive status information.
- Encryption light (white) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, SCD, and SCD dot to provide drive status information.
- Fault light (amber) – used in conjunction with the other status lights, SCD, and SCD dot to provide drive status information.
- Single Character Display (SCD) – used in conjunction with the status lights and SCD dot to provide drive status information.
- SCD dot – used in conjunction with the status lights, and SCD to provide drive status information.
1.6 REAR VIEW
- DisplayPort – connect to a DisplayPort-compatible screen. Compatible with DisplayPort 1.4 and earlier.
- (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.
- Security slot – connect a security tether here.
- Power switch – power the device on or off here.
- AC IN – connect the included power cable here.
- Maintenance port – unused.
- 12Gb HD miniSAS connector – attach additional SAS devices here.
1.7 USAGE NOTES
General Notes and Recommendations
– Unlike HDDs, SSDs, and other types of formatted external media, LTO volumes
will not automatically appear in the Finder or in the ArGest ® Backup
software. Refer to the ArGest Backup User’s Guide or other LTO software for
detailed information on writing and reading LTO tapes.
– 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.
– 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 Mercury LTO Pro may not be totally
silent during Sleep.
Drivers for macOS, Windows, and Linux are available via the following links:
– macOS: https://download.owc.com/lto/mac
– Windows: https://download.owc.com/lto/windows
– Linux: https://download.owc.com/lto/linux
– ArGest Backup Information and downloads are available at:
https://www.argestsoftware.com/backup/
– The various status lights, SCD, and SCD dot on the LTO Ultrium’s front panel
are an important part of using this drive. These may be displayed in
combination to create different status conditions, display error
notifications, and more. We strongly encourage you to review and bookmark the
following links before using the drive, and to review them periodically.
– 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
Notes and Recommendations – Data Protection
– Please do not power off the Mercury 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.
Notes and Recommendations – 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
at or just above 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
LTO SOFTWARE
2.1 LTO DRIVERS AND SOFTWARE
Before your LTO unit is recognized by your system you will need to install
ATTO Express SAS HBA Drivers and optional LTFS support and diagnostic tools
For instructions on downloading and installing these tools, please download
the the Software Quick Start Guide for your operating system. These guides
give you instructions on how to download and install the ATTO Express SAS HBA
Drivers and LTFS support software.
– Mac:
go.owc.com/archivepro/macinstructions
– Windows:
go.owc.com/archivepro/wininstructions
To manage your LTO drive and backups you can use OWC ArGest Backup or other
LTO backup software.
INSTALLATION
3.1 INSTALLING A SATA OR SAS DRIVE (OPTIONAL)
The OWC Mercury 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
3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA or SAS drive form factors. Please follow the steps
below to install a drive.
- 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.
- 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.
- Locate the drive tray (red arrow – below left) and loosen the thumbscrew (red circle) until there is no resistance.
- Pull the drive tray up and out of its slot.
- Set the drive tray on the work surface as shown. Note: the highlighted screw holes are for 2.5-inch drives. The holes for 3.5-inch drives are highlighted in green (Step 7)
- Place the drive inside the drive tray (a 3.5-inch SATA drive 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 six of the included screws (three per side).
- 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.
- 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.
- Pick up the inner-chassis, re-align it with the outer case, then carefully slide it back into place.
- 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.
This concludes the SATA / SAS drive installation process.
SUPPORT RESOURCES
4.1 IBM SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR LTO DRIVE
The full range of device support information including items relating to
general usage, status and error codes, managing LTO media, use of cleaning
cartridges, and many others can be found here. If you’re having trouble and
are seeing multiple LED indicators on the front panel, please check these
resources first before contacting support; in many cases the answer you need
may be found there. More information available at IBM’s Support platform
4.2 TROUBLESHOOTING
If you’re having trouble connecting your Mercury Pro LTO 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: Remember that by design LTO volumes on a given tape will not
automatically mount or appear in the Finder the way other external media do in
macOS. LTO volumes have to be mounted and unmounted from the LTFS Controls in
OWC ArGest Backup software or via steps provided by your Backup software. If
you’re still having trouble making a basic connection between the host and
device, please contact our customer support team for assistance.
4.3 CONTACTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Phone: M–F, 8am–6pm CT 1.866.692.7100 (N. America) | +1.815.338.4751 (Int’l)
Chat: M–F, 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–5pm CT
www.owc.com/support
Email: Answered within 48 hours
www.owc.com/support
CHANGES:
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.
FCC STATEMENT:
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 armful 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.
WARRANTY:
The Mercury Pro LTO has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty if it was bundled with
drives. Mercury Pro LTO 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. COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS: 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. © 2022 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 is trademark 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.
OWCMANTB3LT – 2.19.2022
Documents / Resources
| OWC
Mercury Pro LTO Thunderbolt 3 Tape Storage with
Backup
[pdf] User Manual
Mercury Pro LTO Thunderbolt 3 Tape Storage with Backup, Mercury Pro LTO,
Thunderbolt 3 Tape Storage with Backup, Thunderbolt 3 Tape Storage, 3 Tape
Storage, Tape Storage, Storage
---|---
References
- go.owc.com/archivepro/macinstructions
- go.owc.com/archivepro/wininstructions
- Support
- Customer Service
- download.owc.com/lto/linux
- Backup – ArGest
- IBM Support: Fix Central
- IBM Documentation
- 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
- OWC Mercury Pro LTO - Up to 45TB of Archival Storage