0B47062 Western Digital 10TB 7.2K RPM SATA-6GBPS 3.5inch Enterprise HDD

Western Digital 0B47062 10TB Ultrastar DC HA340 Enterprise Hard Drive Overview

The Western Digital 0B47062 10TB 7.2K RPM SATA-6Gbps Ultrastar DC HA340 is engineered for high-capacity, enterprise-level data storage environments. Built with a robust 256MB cache and leveraging 512e sector formatting, this 3.5-inch hard drive is part of the renowned Ultrastar data center family, offering superior performance, reliability, and scalability. Designed for use in servers, storage arrays, and high-availability enterprise applications, this drive excels in scenarios requiring consistent throughput, long operational life, and energy efficiency.

Technical Specifications and Key Features

Storage Capacity and Sector Format

With a massive 10TB capacity, the Western Digital 0B47062 model offers an ideal solution for enterprises managing large-scale datasets. The 512e (512-byte emulation) sector format allows for broader compatibility with legacy systems while supporting the larger sector sizes needed for modern storage architectures. This combination facilitates improved error correction and higher data integrity during write and read cycles.

Spindle Speed and SATA Interface

This Ultrastar DC HA340 model spins at 7,200 RPM, striking a balance between performance and power consumption. It utilizes the SATA-6Gbps (Serial ATA 3.0) interface to provide fast and efficient data transfer rates, enabling sustained throughput ideal for high-load enterprise environments. The SATA III interface is backward compatible with earlier SATA versions, making integration into existing systems seamless.

Buffer Size and Data Throughput

Equipped with a substantial 256MB buffer (cache), the drive ensures smooth and efficient handling of frequent read/write operations. This high-capacity cache contributes to minimized latency and reduced access time, particularly beneficial in data-intensive workloads such as virtualization, cloud computing, and big data analytics. The drive supports sustained transfer rates up to 255 MB/s, making it a strong performer in its class.

Use Cases and Application Scenarios

Data Center Storage Arrays

One of the primary use cases for the Western Digital 0B47062 10TB Ultrastar DC HA340 is its deployment in storage arrays within data centers. With its enterprise-grade endurance and high MTBF (mean time between failures), this drive ensures reliable, long-term data retention and access. It’s designed for 24x7 operation, ideal for environments with non-stop workloads that demand uninterrupted access to critical data.

Cloud Infrastructure and Hosting Services

Cloud storage providers and web hosting services benefit significantly from the scalability and efficiency offered by this drive. The 10TB capacity allows for denser storage configurations, reducing physical footprint and operational costs. Furthermore, the 7.2K RPM spindle speed and SATA interface make it ideal for low-latency applications and storage tiering within virtualized environments.

Enterprise Backup and Archiving

The drive’s large storage capacity makes it ideal for backup and archival solutions. Enterprises looking to safeguard large volumes of data can deploy multiple Ultrastar DC HA340 drives in redundant storage architectures such as RAID configurations. The 512e sector format ensures compatibility with most backup software and hardware platforms, simplifying integration and management.

Enterprise-Grade Reliability and Durability

Workload Ratings and MTBF

The Western Digital Ultrastar DC HA340 series is engineered for up to 550TB/year workload rating, significantly higher than consumer-grade HDDs. This ensures the drive can withstand intensive workloads over a longer operational lifespan. It also features a high MTBF rating, typically over 2 million hours, which minimizes the risk of unplanned downtimes and lowers TCO (total cost of ownership).

Enhanced Vibration Protection

To maintain performance consistency and operational stability, the drive integrates RV (Rotational Vibration) sensors and vibration safeguard technology. These enhancements protect the drive from environmental disruptions common in multi-drive rack-mounted systems, preserving data integrity and performance in densely packed arrays.

Error Correction and Data Integrity

Advanced error correction technologies such as ECC (Error Correction Code) and internal firmware safeguards ensure data is written and retrieved without corruption. Western Digital also implements dual-stage actuators for precise read/write head positioning, further enhancing reliability in enterprise workloads where data accuracy is critical.

Form Factor, Compatibility, and Deployment Flexibility

Standard 3.5-Inch Form Factor

As a 3.5-inch form factor drive, the WD 0B47062 Ultrastar DC HA340 is compatible with most standard enterprise chassis, enclosures, and storage cabinets. This ensures easy deployment across a variety of hardware setups without requiring proprietary components or specialized mounting equipment.

Plug-and-Play Integration

The SATA 6Gbps interface provides widespread compatibility across modern servers, NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices, and JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) systems. The drive supports hot-swapping functionality in compatible systems, enabling maintenance and upgrades without service interruption.

Broad OS and Software Support

The drive functions seamlessly with major operating systems including Windows Server, Linux distributions (such as Red Hat, Ubuntu Server, CentOS), and virtualization platforms like VMware, Hyper-V, and Proxmox. It is also certified with a range of storage controller brands and RAID card manufacturers.

Performance Benchmarks and Comparative Analysis

Sustained Sequential Performance

The drive delivers up to 255 MB/s of sustained data throughput in sequential read/write operations, making it an efficient choice for bulk data transfers, streaming backups, and sequential file processing. It compares favorably with similar 7.2K RPM drives in its class, often outperforming competitors in random IOPS and latency under mixed workloads.

Energy Consumption Efficiency

Designed with power efficiency in mind, this drive consumes approximately 6.8 watts during read/write operations and as little as 5.2 watts at idle. The balance between performance and power consumption makes it suitable for large-scale deployment where thermal and energy constraints are a concern.

Noise and Thermal Characteristics

The drive operates at a typical acoustic output of 28 dBA during idle and up to 30 dBA during seek operations, making it relatively quiet for enterprise drives. It is built to function optimally within an operating temperature range of 5°C to 60°C, with integrated thermal monitoring and control features to prevent overheating.

Western Digital’s Ultrastar Product Line and Technology

Legacy and Evolution of the Ultrastar Series

The Ultrastar brand, inherited from Hitachi's high-reliability enterprise HDDs, represents Western Digital’s commitment to delivering dependable storage solutions for mission-critical environments. Over the years, the Ultrastar lineup has grown to include models with helium-sealing technology, higher RPM speeds, and dual-port SAS variants.

Western Digital Reliability Enhancements

Features like dual-stage actuators, fly-height control, and thermal fly-height control (TFC) are hallmark traits of the Ultrastar line. These technologies work together to ensure each drive maintains consistent performance even as environmental conditions shift or workloads fluctuate.

Certifications and Quality Assurance

The Ultrastar DC HA340 0B47062 is backed by stringent quality control processes and extensive testing certifications. Western Digital tests these drives under enterprise stress conditions, ensuring a low annual failure rate (AFR) and consistent MTBF ratings.

Data Protection and Security Features

Advanced Encryption Options

Although this particular SKU does not feature self-encrypting drive (SED) capabilities, other Ultrastar models support AES 256-bit encryption. For organizations requiring hardware-based security, options within the Ultrastar family can provide compliant and efficient data protection.

Secure Erase and Sanitization Support

The 0B47062 model supports secure erase commands and Sanitize Device feature sets under the SATA protocol. These allow data administrators to perform complete data purges in compliance with industry standards, including NIST and ISO data destruction requirements.

Cost-Effectiveness and Lifecycle Management

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

With its balance of capacity, durability, and energy efficiency, the WD Ultrastar 0B47062 significantly reduces TCO. The extended service life and low failure rate minimize replacement costs, while the drive's performance per watt ratio ensures operational savings in cooling and power.

Deployment in RAID and Redundant Systems

The drive is fully compatible with RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. It is frequently used in mirrored or parity-based storage environments where fault tolerance and performance optimization are critical. Enterprises benefit from predictable behavior and low URE (Unrecoverable Read Error) rates in RAID arrays built with Ultrastar drives.

Warranty and Vendor Support

The Western Digital 0B47062 typically ships with a 5-year limited warranty, reflecting the manufacturer’s confidence in product reliability. Additionally, it is supported by WD's enterprise-level technical support services, which include advanced replacement options and real-time troubleshooting resources.

Deployment in Niche Enterprise Environments

Video Surveillance and Media Archives

In high-resolution video surveillance environments where continuous recording and retrieval are required, the Ultrastar DC HA340’s large buffer and sustained transfer rates make it ideal. Media production companies also use such drives for storing raw footage, rendering files, and archival assets.

Big Data and Analytics Platforms

Businesses working with machine learning, AI, and analytics platforms benefit from the 10TB capacity for staging large datasets and logs. The combination of speed and reliability helps maintain data pipeline continuity in Hadoop clusters and NoSQL environments.

Scientific Research and Medical Imaging

In sectors such as genomics, medical diagnostics, and atmospheric sciences, the drive’s reliability and capacity are essential for storing terabytes of sensitive data. Its compatibility with advanced data processing platforms ensures efficient handling of high-throughput workloads in real-time scenarios.