0F59375 Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC590 26TB 7200RPM SAS 12GBPS 512MB 3.5inch Optinand Technology Data Center HDD

Western Digital Ultrastar 26TB Enterprise Hard Drive

Overview of Ultrastar DC HC590 Series

The Western Digital 0F59375 Ultrastar DC HC590 represents the pinnacle of high-capacity enterprise hard drive technology, specifically engineered for demanding data center environments. As part of Western Digital's flagship Ultrastar data center portfolio, the HC590 series delivers exceptional storage density, reliability, and performance characteristics essential for modern hyperscale computing, cloud infrastructure, and large-scale storage deployments. With capacities reaching up to 26TB, these drives utilize cutting-edge recording technologies to maximize data storage efficiency while maintaining the rigorous reliability standards required for 24/7 operation.

Core Technology and Innovation

OptiNAND Technology Integration

The 0F59375 Ultrastar DC HC590 incorporates Western Digital's revolutionary OptiNAND technology, which represents a significant architectural advancement in hard drive design. This innovative approach integrates an embedded iNAND UFS EFD (Embedded Flash Device) with the drive's firmware algorithm to enhance performance and reliability. Unlike hybrid drives, OptiNAND technology uses the NAND flash not as a cache but as a sophisticated storage repository for metadata that would traditionally be stored on the rotating media. This intelligent partitioning of data storage allows for more efficient write operations, improved areal density, and enhanced data protection capabilities, particularly during unexpected power loss scenarios.

Enhances Performance

Through the strategic implementation of OptiNAND technology, the HC590 achieves several performance benefits. The embedded flash memory stores critical metadata that would normally require multiple disk accesses, thereby reducing the time spent on mechanical positioning of the read/write heads. This results in improved sequential write performance and reduced latency for certain operations. Additionally, the technology enables more sophisticated error correction and recovery mechanisms, as the drive can store parity information and recovery data in the NAND flash, leading to faster error recovery procedures and reduced impact on overall system performance during maintenance operations.

Energy-Assisted

The 0F59375 DC HC590 utilizes Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) technology to achieve its remarkable 26TB capacity within a standard 3.5-inch form factor. EAMR builds upon conventional perpendicular magnetic recording by adding a precision energy source to the write head, which enables more stable magnetization of higher-density media. This technology allows for tighter data track spacing without sacrificing data integrity or reliability. The implementation of EAMR is precisely calibrated to work in harmony with the drive's mechanical components and firmware algorithms, ensuring consistent performance across the entire platter surface and throughout the drive's operational lifespan.

Key Specifications and Performance Metrics

Capacity and Form Factor

The Western Digital 0F59375 model offers a massive 26TB (26,000 GB) of storage capacity, making it one of the highest-capacity hard drives available in the commercial market. This enormous capacity is housed in a standard 3.5-inch form factor with dimensions of 101.85mm x 146.05mm x 26.1mm, ensuring compatibility with existing enterprise server and storage system infrastructure. The drive maintains a consistent physical profile despite its advanced internal architecture, allowing for seamless integration into high-density storage configurations where rack space optimization is critical.

Interface and Transfer Rates

Equipped with a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 12Gb/s interface, the Ultrastar DC HC590 delivers high-speed data transfer capabilities essential for enterprise environments. The dual-port capability of the SAS interface provides redundant data paths for increased availability and failover protection. With a sustained transfer rate of up to 267 MB/s, the drive ensures efficient data movement for both sequential and random workloads. The 12Gb/s interface is backward compatible with 6Gb/s SAS infrastructures, providing flexibility during technology refresh cycles and ensuring interoperability with existing storage area networks and direct-attached storage configurations.

Rotational Speed

Operating at 7200 RPM, the HC590 balances performance characteristics with power efficiency and acoustic output. This rotational speed provides optimal performance for capacity-optimized workloads while maintaining manageable thermal characteristics in dense storage deployments. The drive is equipped with a substantial 512MB data buffer, which serves to optimize command processing, reduce mechanical delays, and improve overall responsiveness. The large cache size is particularly beneficial for workloads with sequential access patterns and helps to maximize the effective performance of the high-speed SAS interface.

Reliability and Endurance Specifications

Western Digital engineers the Ultrastar DC HC590 to meet the extreme reliability demands of data center operation. The drive is rated for 2.5 million hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), representing exceptional operational longevity. With an annualized workload rating of 550TB per year, the HC590 can handle substantial data processing requirements throughout its service life. The drive is designed to withstand 300,000 load/unload cycles, ensuring durability in environments where drives may be frequently powered on and off or deployed in modular storage systems that undergo regular maintenance and reconfiguration.

Data Center Optimization Features

Power Efficiency

The 0F59375 Ultrastar DC HC590 incorporates sophisticated power management capabilities designed to optimize energy consumption in large-scale deployments. Features such as staggered spin-up help to manage in-rush current during system initialization, preventing power distribution issues in multi-drive configurations. The drive supports multiple power states, including active, idle, and standby modes, allowing storage system designers to implement power-proportional computing strategies that align energy usage with actual workload demands. These power optimization features contribute significantly to reducing total cost of ownership in environments where electricity consumption represents a substantial operational expense.

Advanced Data Protection and Security

Error Correction and Recovery Mechanisms

The 0F59375 HC590 employs sophisticated error correction code (ECC) algorithms capable of detecting and correcting a wide range of data integrity issues. The drive's firmware includes advanced recovery procedures that attempt to read data multiple times using varying parameters before declaring a sector unreadable. This multi-stage approach to error recovery maximizes data accessibility and minimizes the impact of media imperfections or transient read issues. The error correction capabilities are enhanced by the OptiNAND technology, which provides additional resources for storing parity information and recovery algorithms.

Security and Encryption Features

For environments requiring data-at-rest protection, the Ultrastar DC HC590 offers comprehensive security options including TCG Enterprise SSC (Trusted Computing Group Enterprise Storage Security Subsystem Class) compliance. The drive supports IEEE 1667 compliance for enhanced security protocol implementation. With optional hardware-based encryption using 256-bit AES algorithm, the HC590 can protect sensitive data while maintaining full performance characteristics. The encryption implementation includes cryptographic erase capabilities for rapid data sanitization during drive repurposing or decommissioning, providing an efficient alternative to physical destruction for compliance with data privacy regulations.

Workload Optimization and Application Suitability

Hyperscale and Cloud Storage Applications

The massive 26TB capacity and high reliability of the Ultrastar DC HC590 make it ideally suited for hyperscale computing environments and cloud storage infrastructure. In these applications, storage density directly impacts total cost of ownership, and the HC590's capacity advantage allows cloud providers to maximize storage per rack unit while maintaining performance service level agreements. The drive's power efficiency characteristics are particularly valuable in these environments, where energy consumption represents a significant operational expense. The robust error correction and vibration tolerance ensure consistent performance in densely packed storage servers that characterize modern cloud data centers.

Big Data and Analytics Workloads

For big data applications, including Hadoop distributions, object storage systems, and large-scale analytics platforms, the HC590 provides an optimal balance of capacity, performance, and cost. The drive's sustained transfer rates support efficient data processing for sequential workloads common in analytics environments, while the high capacity reduces the storage footprint required for massive datasets. The SAS interface ensures full-bandwidth utilization in multi-drive configurations, preventing interface bottlenecks during large-scale data processing operations. These characteristics make the HC590 particularly suitable for data lakes, archival storage, and other applications where capacity and throughput are prioritized over low latency.

Media Storage

In content delivery networks and media storage applications, the Ultrastar DC HC590 delivers the capacity required for massive content libraries while providing the performance necessary for simultaneous streaming to multiple clients. The drive's large cache helps to optimize content delivery for frequently accessed media, while the high sustained transfer rates ensure smooth data flow for high-bitrate 4K and 8K video content. The reliability specifications ensure minimal service interruptions in 24/7 content delivery environments, where drive failures can impact service quality and viewer experience.

Enterprise System Compatibility

The Ultrastar DC HC590 is designed for broad compatibility with enterprise storage systems, servers, and JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) enclosures from major manufacturers. The drive undergoes extensive compatibility testing with leading server platforms, storage arrays, and HBA (Host Bus Adapter) products to ensure seamless integration into existing infrastructure. The SAS 12Gb/s interface maintains backward compatibility with 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s SAS environments, providing investment protection during technology refresh cycles. This comprehensive compatibility ensures that the HC590 can be deployed across diverse enterprise environments without requiring significant infrastructure modifications.

Architecture for Scalable Capacity

The fundamental architecture of the Ultrastar DC HC590 is designed to support continued capacity growth through future technology iterations. The integration of OptiNAND technology provides a foundation for further innovations in areal density and performance characteristics. Western Digital's HelioSeal technology, which hermetically seals the drive interior with helium rather than air, reduces aerodynamic turbulence and enables the use of thinner platters and closer head-to-media spacing. This technology platform provides a clear pathway for future capacity increases while maintaining the reliability and performance characteristics required for enterprise storage applications.