Western Digital: World's first hard disk drive with 22TB storage launched in India, know other features.

The Western Digital 22TB HDD, the Ultrastar DC HC570, has officially launched in India, marking a significant milestone as the world's first conventional magnetic recording drive to reach the 22TB capacity mark. Available through Western Digital's national distributors and Tech Data India, the Ultrastar DC HC570 pushes the boundaries of data-center storage with a suite of advanced technologies packed into a single drive.

Western Digital 22TB HDD: What Makes the Ultrastar DC HC570 Stand Out

The Ultrastar DC HC570 is a Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) hard disk drive built on CMR drive architecture with support for ePMR (Energy Assisted PMR) technology. Four key innovations power this drive:

• OptiNAND — an iNAND embedded flash drive integrated with the HDD controller to boost performance and capacity.
• Energy Assisted PMR (ePMR) — uses assisted writing to achieve higher areal density without sacrificing reliability.
• ArmorCache — protects DRAM cache data during unexpected power-loss events in both Write Cache Enabled (WCE) and Write Cache Disabled (WCD) modes.
• HelioSeal — helium-sealed enclosure that reduces drag, heat, and power consumption across all ten platters.

Areal Density and Platter Architecture

Western Digital uses Aerial Density Leadership Technology to squeeze 22TB onto ten disks of 2.2TB each, a ten-platter stack that sets a new benchmark for capacity per drive. This architecture directly reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) for cloud operators and enterprises that depend on high-capacity drives at scale.

ArmorCache: Data Security in Both Write Modes

One of the standout safety features of the Ultrastar DC HC570 is its dual-mode data protection:

1. WCE Mode (Write Cache Enabled): ArmorCache actively protects the DRAM cache so no data is lost if the drive experiences an emergency power-off.
2. WCD Mode (Write Cache Disabled): The drive ensures all user data residing in DRAM is fully protected during a sudden power loss, and the drive automatically operates with WCE to maintain performance.

In both modes, users get consistent performance combined with robust data security — a critical requirement for enterprise and data-center deployments.

India Launch: Availability and Key Quote

Speaking at the India launch, Khalid Wani, Senior Director – Sales, India, Western Digital said: “We are excited to introduce the world's first 22TB CMR HDD in India. We are continually working to help meet the industry's capacity demands, as well as support the growing data center economy for decades to come.”

The drive is available for purchase through Western Digital's national distributors and Tech Data India.

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