Dell KP48N 1TB 7.2K RPM Near Line SAS 12GBPS 2.5inch Internal Hard Drive.

DELL 1TB 7200RPM Nearline SAS Internal Hard Drive with Hybrid Tray

The DELL 1TB Nearline SAS hard drive delivers enterprise-class storage capacity in a compact 2.5-inch form factor, mounted in a 3.5-inch hybrid carrier for seamless server integration. Built with 12Gbps SAS interface and 7,200 RPM rotational speed, this drive is tailored for reliable, high-capacity storage in PowerEdge and PowerVault systems. Its hybrid tray design allows effortless installation and replacement, providing IT administrators with a practical solution for enterprise-level workloads.

Technical Breakdown

• Manufacturer: Dell
• Part Numbers: KP48N / 400-ALUL
• Device Type: Internal Nearline SAS Hard Drive
• Storage Capacity: 1TB
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps
• Spindle Speed: 7,200 RPM
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch in 3.5-inch hybrid tray

Technical Specifications of the Dell KP48N

The technical details of the KP48N demonstrate its suitability for professional IT environments.

Core Specifications

• Capacity: 1TB
• Interface: 12Gbps SAS
• Spindle Speed: 7,200 RPM
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch
• MTBF: Designed for enterprise-grade reliability

Key Features of the DELL 1TB SAS HDD

• 1TB capacity designed for nearline and archival storage
• SAS 12Gbps interface ensuring high-speed data access
• 2.5-inch form factor mounted in a 3.5-inch hybrid carrier
• 7,200 RPM spindle speed balancing efficiency and performance
• Hybrid tray compatibility for seamless integration with Dell servers

Designed for Enterprise Environments

The DELL KP48N / 400-ALUL hard drive is optimized for nearline storage applications, where massive capacity, reliability, and data accessibility are crucial. With support for PowerEdge rack servers and PowerVault storage arrays, it provides a robust foundation for businesses seeking scalable and dependable storage.

Performance Advantages

This enterprise drive delivers up to 1.2Gbps external transfer rate and optimized access time, supporting read-intensive and archival workloads. With a 7,200 RPM spindle speed, it maintains steady throughput while balancing energy consumption, making it suitable for large-capacity environments.

Enterprise Applications

• File and object storage in business environments
• Backup and archival systems
• Low-cost storage tier for big data
• Capacity-optimized data warehousing
• Long-term compliance storage

Compatibility with Dell Servers and Storage Systems

This DELL 1TB Nearline SAS drive is fully compatible with an extensive list of PowerEdge servers and PowerVault arrays. The hybrid tray ensures a secure fit for 3.5-inch bays, while still utilizing the efficiency of a 2.5-inch disk design.

Supported Server Models

• PowerEdge R320, R410, R415, R420
• PowerEdge R510, R515, R520
• PowerEdge R610, R710, R720, R720xd
• PowerEdge T310, T320, T410, T420
• PowerEdge T610, T620, T710

Compatible PowerVault Storage Arrays

• PowerVault MD3200
• PowerVault MD3200i

Durability and Reliability

Enterprise environments demand high reliability and longevity. This DELL hard drive is engineered to handle 24/7 operational workloads, ensuring stable operation for nearline storage, cold data, and archival purposes. Its robust design reduces the risk of failure, delivering consistent performance over its lifecycle.

Hot-Swap and Hybrid Carrier Benefits

The hybrid tray design allows the 2.5-inch drive to fit seamlessly into 3.5-inch bays, making it hot-swappable in supported Dell systems. This functionality enables administrators to perform drive replacements without shutting down the server, ensuring continuous uptime and system availability.

Efficiency in Data Centers

Nearline SAS drives like the DELL 1TB 7.2K balance capacity with efficiency, offering low cost per gigabyte while minimizing energy usage. By consolidating high-capacity storage into a compact drive, businesses can reduce power and cooling expenses across large-scale data centers.

Advantages for IT Operations

• Lower operational costs due to energy-efficient design
• Scalable storage with hot-plug capability
• Reduced downtime during upgrades or replacements
• Long-term data retention for compliance-heavy industries

Nearline SAS Technology Benefits

Unlike SATA drives, Nearline SAS HDDs provide superior reliability, dual-port capability, and enhanced data integrity. The 12Gbps SAS interface ensures faster throughput compared to traditional SATA drives, making it ideal for enterprises requiring scalability and continuous access.

Enterprise Workload Optimization

The DELL Nearline SAS 1TB drive is optimized for sequential read/write tasks, making it suitable for archiving, backups, and large file transfers. While not designed for intensive transactional workloads like SSDs or 15K RPM drives, it offers affordable large-scale storage with enterprise reliability.

Practical Use Cases in Business Environments

Enterprises often require different tiers of storage depending on workload demands. The DELL 1TB SAS hard drive is particularly effective in use cases where capacity and cost efficiency take priority over ultra-fast I/O performance.

Industry-Specific Applications

• Healthcare: Archiving patient records and medical imaging
• Finance: Long-term data retention for compliance
• Media: Storing raw footage, graphics, and digital assets
• Education: Hosting academic research archives and digital libraries
• Retail: Housing transaction records and customer analytics

Scalable Storage for Growing Needs

With its hybrid tray configuration and 1TB storage size, businesses can scale storage infrastructure incrementally. IT departments can add drives as needed, maintaining a balance between performance, cost efficiency, and expansion flexibility.

Summary of Specifications

• Capacity: 1TB
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch in 3.5-inch hybrid carrier
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps
• Spindle Speed: 7,200 RPM
• Transfer Rate: 1.2Gbps (external)
• Compatibility: PowerEdge servers, PowerVault arrays

Enterprise-Level Storage Solution

In modern IT environments, storage requirements continue to grow at an exponential pace. Enterprises must handle massive volumes of structured and unstructured data, ensure rapid retrieval, and provide secure long-term storage. The Dell KP48N fits neatly into this landscape by combining large capacity, stable performance, and proven reliability. Whether deployed in a data center, private cloud, or enterprise storage server, this drive addresses the dual challenge of scalability and dependability.

Highlights at a Glance

• 1TB storage capacity optimized for enterprise storage arrays
• 12Gbps Near Line SAS interface for high-speed, reliable data transfers
• 7,200 RPM spindle speed for stable throughput and responsive operations
• 2.5-inch compact form factor supporting high-density deployments
• Enterprise-grade durability tested for continuous 24/7 operation

Understanding Near Line SAS Technology

Near Line SAS (NL-SAS) is a storage technology designed to bridge the gap between traditional SATA drives and high-performance SAS drives. While SATA offers affordability and capacity, SAS ensures superior reliability and advanced features. NL-SAS combines the best of both worlds, delivering SATA-like capacity with SAS-level enterprise functionality. The Dell KP48N leverages this hybrid approach, making it a practical choice for organizations seeking cost-effective yet enterprise-ready drives.

Advantages of NL-SAS Over SATA

• 12Gbps bandwidth ensures faster throughput than SATA’s limited 6Gbps
• Dual-port connectivity enhances redundancy and failover support
• Enterprise error recovery reduces the risk of data corruption
• Better vibration tolerance in multi-drive enclosures
• Superior MTBF compared to consumer-class alternatives

Use Cases for NL-SAS Drives

Organizations deploy NL-SAS drives like the KP48N in scenarios where data capacity and reliability outweigh raw IOPS performance:

• Large-scale archiving and backup repositories
• Data warehousing with high read/write demands
• Cloud storage platforms requiring redundancy
• Enterprise content management systems
• Long-term compliance and regulatory storage

Performance Details

The 12Gbps interface ensures smoother operations, especially in multi-drive arrays. With 7200 RPM spindle speed, it offers predictable throughput for sequential and mixed workloads. It is particularly well-suited for medium-intensity enterprise tasks like analytics, email servers, and archival data access.

Power Efficiency

The 2.5-inch form factor consumes less energy compared to larger 3.5-inch alternatives. Lower power consumption reduces operational costs, particularly in data centers where hundreds or thousands of drives operate continuously.

Benefits of the Dell KP48N Hard Drive

Reliable Enterprise Storage

The KP48N is designed for mission-critical workloads. Its reliability stems from Dell’s enterprise engineering, which ensures stable performance in high-demand environments. IT teams benefit from minimal downtime and consistent data access.

Seamless Scalability

Because it integrates seamlessly into Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell storage arrays, organizations can scale storage infrastructure by adding more drives without interrupting service delivery.

Energy Savings and Density

The compact design and low power consumption make it an excellent fit for organizations looking to optimize rack space and reduce heat output. Increased density means more storage per server rack, improving efficiency.

Enterprise Applications of the KP48N

Business Servers

From database hosting to ERP applications, the KP48N provides sufficient capacity and steady performance. It can support small to mid-sized transactional environments without the higher cost of SSD storage.

Cloud and Virtualization

The rise of virtualized workloads demands resilient storage solutions. This drive provides the bandwidth necessary for VM hosting and hybrid cloud platforms.

Backup and Archiving

Enterprises relying on long-term storage require reliability above all else. The KP48N provides the confidence businesses need for archival storage, compliance, and recovery operations.

Physical Characteristics

• Drive Type: Internal enterprise-class HDD
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch small form factor
• Spindle Speed: 7,200 RPM
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps

Compact Form Factor Advantage

The 2.5-inch form factor ensures that businesses can maximize storage density in their server environments. Compared to larger drives, it allows IT teams to fit more drives in less rack space.

Cooling and Thermal Management

Compact drives generally produce less heat and are easier to cool in dense environments. This reduces strain on cooling systems and contributes to data center sustainability goals.

Best Use Cases for Dell KP48N

Data Centers

Large data centers demand high-density drives that run reliably 24/7. The KP48N delivers consistent uptime, reduced power consumption, and scalability for such environments.

Corporate IT Infrastructure

Organizations looking to modernize their IT infrastructure find the KP48N a suitable choice. It provides a scalable platform for databases, storage arrays, and virtual machines.

Compliance and Archival Storage

Many industries must retain data for regulatory compliance. The KP48N’s capacity, error correction, and durability make it a reliable choice for compliance-driven archival storage systems.

Disaster Recovery and Backup

Incorporating the KP48N into disaster recovery systems ensures fast and secure data restoration when needed most, minimizing downtime for critical services.