Dell 161-BCKY 12TB 7.2K RPM NL SAS-12GBPS 512e LFF Hot Plug HDD

Dell 161-BCKY 12TB SAS Hard Drive Features

The Dell 161-BCKY is a high-capacity 3.5-inch enterprise-class hard disk drive designed with a 12Gbps SAS interface, offering reliable performance and seamless integration with PowerEdge servers. Its combination of robust storage, enhanced cache memory, and efficient data transfer makes it ideal for demanding IT environments.

Key Specifications

• Brand: Dell
• Model Number: 161-BCKY
• Product Type: Hard Disk Drive with tray
• Capacity: 12 Terabytes
• Form Factor: 3.5-inch LFF
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps
• Cache: 256 MB
• Sector Size: 512e

Performance Details

Engineered to deliver smooth data operations, the Dell 161-BCKY provides dependable speed and consistency for enterprise workloads.

• Rotational speed of 7200 RPM
• Average latency: 4.16 ms
• Sustained transfer rates: 243 MB/s (read) and 255 MB/s (write)
• Typical seek times: 8.0 ms (read), 8.6 ms (write)
• Buffer size: 256 MB

Connectivity & Expansion

Equipped with a single SAS 12Gb/s interface, this enterprise hard drive ensures smooth data traffic and quick scalability. It is designed for hot-swap 3.5-inch bays, making maintenance and upgrades efficient.

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Servers

The Dell 161-BCKY 12TB SAS drive is validated to work seamlessly across a wide range of Dell PowerEdge rack and tower servers, ensuring excellent reliability and performance.

Supported Rack Servers

• PowerEdge R240, R250, R340, R350, R360
• PowerEdge R440, R450, R540, R550
• PowerEdge R640, R650xs, R660, R6615, R6625
• PowerEdge R6715, R6725, R740, R740xd
• PowerEdge R750, R750xs, R7515, R7525
• PowerEdge R760, R7615, R7625, R7715, R7725

Supported Tower Servers

• PowerEdge T350, T360
• PowerEdge T550, T560

Choose Dell 161-BCKY 12TB SAS Drive

This enterprise-grade hard disk drive is built for reliability, capacity, and data-intensive workloads. It supports mission-critical applications, backup storage, and virtualization tasks. With Dell’s proven hardware compatibility and server integration, IT managers can deploy this storage solution with confidence.

Main Advantages

• High-capacity 12TB storage for large datasets
• Fast data transfer rates with 12Gbps SAS interface
• Optimized for Dell PowerEdge servers
• Hot-swap compatibility for quick replacements
• Enterprise reliability for 24/7 operations

Ideal Use Cases

• Data centers handling massive storage requirements
• Virtualized server environments
• Backup and archiving solutions
• High-capacity enterprise applications

Dell 161-BCKY 12TB SAS 12Gbps 7.2K RPM NL Hard Drive Overview

The Dell 161-BCKY 12TB Nearline SAS hard drive is engineered for enterprise-grade storage environments requiring high-capacity, reliable, and scalable solutions. With a 12Gbps SAS interface, 7,200 RPM spindle speed, and a robust 256MB cache buffer, this 3.5-inch hot-plug drive delivers optimal performance for data-intensive workloads. Designed for compatibility with Dell PowerEdge servers, this model supports 512e sector formatting and is ideal for archival, backup, and tiered storage applications.

Enterprise SAS Drives vs. SATA Alternatives

SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) drives like the Dell 161-BCKY offer significant advantages over SATA in enterprise environments. With dual-port architecture, higher MTBF ratings, and superior command queuing, SAS drives are built for 24/7 operation in RAID arrays and mission-critical deployments. The 12Gbps SAS interface ensures faster data access and reduced latency compared to SATA 6Gbps, making SAS the preferred choice for data centers and virtualized infrastructures.

Reliability and Endurance for Business-Critical Workloads

The Dell 161-BCKY is designed with enterprise-grade reliability, featuring rotational vibration sensors, error recovery controls, and advanced firmware optimizations. With an MTBF rating exceeding 2 million hours and support for workload rates up to 550TB/year, this drive is ideal for continuous operation in demanding environments. Its Nearline classification balances cost-efficiency with robust endurance, making it suitable for secondary storage tiers without compromising data integrity.

Advanced Format 512e Sector Technology

The 512e sector format enhances storage efficiency and error correction capabilities. By emulating 512-byte sectors while physically writing 4K blocks, the Dell 161-BCKY achieves better compatibility with legacy systems while leveraging modern ECC algorithms. This format reduces overhead and improves performance in RAID configurations, especially when paired with Dell’s PERC RAID controllers.

Hot-Plug Functionality and Maintenance Efficiency

The hot-plug design of the Dell 161-BCKY allows for seamless drive replacement and upgrades without system downtime. This feature is critical in high-availability environments where uptime is paramount. IT administrators can swap drives in RAID arrays or JBOD enclosures while maintaining operational continuity, reducing maintenance windows and improving service-level agreements.

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Server Platforms

The Dell 161-BCKY is validated for use across multiple generations of Dell PowerEdge servers, including R740, R640, R540, and T640 models. Its firmware is optimized for Dell’s storage backplanes and RAID controllers, ensuring plug-and-play integration and full support for SMART diagnostics, predictive failure analysis, and thermal monitoring. This drive is also compatible with Dell’s OpenManage suite, enabling centralized management and health reporting.

Use Cases: Backup, Archival, and Tiered Storage

With its massive 12TB capacity and cost-effective NL-SAS architecture, the Dell 161-BCKY is ideal for:

• Backup Repositories: Storing daily, weekly, and monthly backups with fast restore capabilities
• Archival Storage: Long-term retention of compliance data, logs, and media assets
• Tiered Storage: Offloading cold data from SSD arrays to reduce TCO
• Virtual Tape Libraries: Integration into VTL systems for scalable backup infrastructure

Thermal and Acoustic Optimization

The Dell 161-BCKY is engineered with low acoustic emissions and efficient thermal dissipation. Its firmware includes adaptive fly-height control and dynamic seek optimization, reducing noise and heat generation during operation. This makes it suitable for densely populated server racks and storage enclosures where airflow and acoustics are tightly managed.

Security and Data Protection Features

While the Dell 161-BCKY does not include native SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) functionality, it supports host-based encryption and secure erase protocols. When paired with Dell’s RAID controllers and encryption modules, it can be integrated into secure storage architectures. The drive also supports TCG-compliant sanitization commands for decommissioning and data lifecycle management.

Firmware and SMART Monitoring

Dell’s proprietary firmware ensures optimal performance and compatibility with enterprise systems. The drive supports SMART attributes for predictive failure analysis, including reallocated sector count, spin-up time, and temperature thresholds. These metrics are accessible via Dell OpenManage and third-party monitoring tools, enabling proactive maintenance and minimizing unplanned outages.

Rotational Vibration Sensors and RAID Optimization

The inclusion of rotational vibration sensors allows the Dell 161-BCKY to maintain performance in multi-drive environments. These sensors detect and compensate for vibrations caused by adjacent drives, ensuring consistent IOPS and throughput. This feature is especially beneficial in RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10 configurations where drive stability impacts array performance.