From nine cartridges to a petabyte-class archive
Dell PowerVault tape automation runs backup and archive lights-out, moving cartridges between slots and LTO drives. The 1U TL1000 autoloader suits a single server; the modular ML3 / ML3E library scales from a 40-slot 3U base to 280 slots and 21 drives across a 21U rack — up to 12.6 PB compressed with LTO-9.
Both take LTO-7/8/9 drives in SAS or Fibre Channel, with WORM media for immutability and AES-256 hardware encryption. It’s the lowest-cost, longest-lived and most ransomware-resilient tier — and it pairs naturally with disk backup for a disk-to-disk-to-tape design.
The PowerVault tape line-up
Previous-generation Dell tape — TL2000 (2U/24 slots), TL4000 (4U/48 slots) and ML6000 — is available refurbished for continuity and budget archives.
Disk-to-disk-to-tape
Restore fast from a dedup disk tier; keep cheap, air-gapped long-term copies on tape — the resilient modern backup pattern.
Why Dell PowerVault tape
Air-gapped against ransomware
A cartridge out of a drive is physically offline — no network path for malware to encrypt or delete it. Tape is the offline copy in the 3-2-1-1-0 rule.
Lowest £/TB for cold data
Tape media has a low one-off cost, idle cartridges draw no power, and restores incur no cloud egress fees — the cheapest long-retention tier by a wide margin.
Scales 9 slots to 280
From the 1U TL1000 to a 21U ML3 with up to 280 slots and 21 LTO-9 drives — add ML3E modules and drives as the archive grows.
WORM & AES-256
Write-Once-Read-Many media for immutable compliance archives, plus AES-256 hardware encryption (application- or library-managed) at rest on the cartridge.
Disk-to-disk-to-tape
Pair tape with a dedup disk tier (StoreOnce or backup software) so you restore fast from disk and keep cheap, air-gapped long-term copies on tape.
Sized & supported in the UK
We size slots, drives, interface and LTO media to your retention and window, integrate with Veeam, Commvault or Veritas, and support it UK-wide — new or refurbished.
Dell PowerVault tape — FAQs
What tape libraries does Dell PowerVault offer?
The current line is the 1U TL1000 autoloader (9 slots, one drive) for single-server backup, and the modular ML3 / ML3E library, which scales from a 40-slot 3U base to 280 slots and up to 21 LTO drives across a 21U rack. Both take LTO-7, LTO-8 and LTO-9 drives in SAS or Fibre Channel.
How much can a Dell ML3 tape library hold?
A single ML3 module holds 40 cartridges — 720 TB native (1.8 PB compressed) with LTO-9. Fully expanded to 280 slots it reaches 5.04 PB native, around 12.6 PB compressed at 2.5:1. The TL1000 holds nine cartridges, up to 162 TB native with LTO-9.
Which LTO generation should I use?
LTO-9 (18 TB native / 45 TB compressed per cartridge, 300 MB/s) is the current generation and the default for new deployments. LTO-8 and LTO-7 drives are supported for continuity with existing media. See our LTO generations guide for capacities and the read/write compatibility matrix.
How does tape protect against ransomware?
Tape gives you a physically offline, air-gapped copy that malware on the network can’t reach. Combined with WORM (write-once) media for immutability, it’s the strongest "last line of defence" — the offline copy in a modern 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy.
Does Dell PowerVault tape work with Veeam and Commvault?
Yes — Dell PowerVault tape libraries are supported by the major backup suites (Veeam, Commvault, Veritas and others), typically as a tape pool or archive tier behind a disk landing zone in a disk-to-disk-to-tape design.
What about older Dell tape (TL2000, TL4000, ML6000)?
The TL2000 (2U/24 slots), TL4000 (4U/48 slots) and ML6000 are previous-generation Dell tape automation, now available refurbished. They suit continuity with an existing estate or budget archives; for new deployments we recommend the current ML3 or TL1000. We’ll advise on the right fit.
Can I buy Dell tape refurbished?
Yes — earlier Dell tape libraries and ex-lease units are available re-certified, and refurbished LTO drives can run well below new. We’ll advise where refurbished tape fits versus current LTO-9 stock.
Can Servnet supply and configure Dell PowerVault tape UK-wide?
Yes — Servnet is a Dell partner. We size the library (slots, drives, interface, LTO media), integrate it with your backup software, and supply and support it UK-wide, new or refurbished. Contact sales@servnetuk.com or call 0800 987 4111.
Related storage, backup & archive
Size your PowerVault tape solution
Tell us your retention, dataset and backup window — we’ll spec the TL1000 or ML3, drives, interface and LTO media, integrate it with your backup software, and quote it (new or refurbished) with UK support.
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