HPE MSA 1050 Drives
Every drive on this page is one HPE lists for the HPE MSA 1050 array: the compatible 12G SAS hard disk drives (HDDs), 15K and 10K Enterprise and 7.2K Midline in SFF and 7.2K Midline in LFF, and the Mixed Use and Read Intensive solid state drives (SSDs) in SFF and LFF, including LFF converter-carrier SSDs. HDD 6-pack bundles are listed after the single drives they contain. The page includes the drives that earlier editions of HPE’s MSA 1050 QuickSpecs list for the array and Version 19 does not: a 300GB 15K and 300GB and 900GB 10K Enterprise SFF HDDs, 1TB and 2TB 7.2K Midline SFF HDDs with a 12TB 6-pack of the 2TB, a 2TB 7.2K Midline LFF HDD, and 400GB Mixed Use SSDs in SFF and in an LFF converter carrier. Each of them has a note in the parts list naming the HPE editions that list it. Every drive ships tested or factory sealed.
HPE MSA 1050 Drive Specifications
- Interface: 12G SAS throughout. HPE states that “MSA HDDs and SSDs drives are for use with MSA Storage Systems only.”
- SFF HDDs (2.5in), Version 19: “15K: 600GB, 900GB” and “10K: 600GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB, 2.4TB” — Enterprise SAS singles, with 6-packs of the 600GB and 900GB 15K and the 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB 10K drives.
- LFF HDDs (3.5in), Version 19: “7.2K: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB” — Midline SAS singles, with 6-packs of the 8TB, 10TB, 12TB and 14TB drives.
- SFF SSDs, Version 19: “800GB, 960GB, 1.6TB, 1.92TB, 3.2TB” — Mixed Use at 800GB, 1.6TB and 3.2TB, Read Intensive at 960GB and 1.92TB.
- LFF SSDs, Version 19: “800GB, 960GB, 1.92TB” — the 800GB Mixed Use drive in a converter carrier, the 960GB and 1.92TB Read Intensive.
- From earlier editions: SFF 15K 300GB, SFF 10K 300GB and 900GB, SFF 7.2K Midline 1TB and 2TB, LFF 7.2K Midline 2TB, a 12TB SFF 6-pack of the 2TB Midline drive, and 400GB Mixed Use SSDs in SFF and LFF. HPE’s MSA 1050 QuickSpecs lists them between Version 1 and Version 12.
- Maximums: “96 SFF / 48 LFF” HDDs or SSDs per array and “Max raw capacity per array 307.2TB SFF / 672TB LFF”, which HPE reaches “with the addition of a maximum of three MSA 2050” disk enclosures.
- SSD read cache: “A maximum of 2 SSDs per pool can be added for read cache”, and HPE lists the “Max Read cache per array” as 4TB.
Check the licence before you mix SSDs and HDDs. HPE states that a system mixing the two “being used as a capacity Tier (excluding SSD Read Cache), will require the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU” — while “All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license”, so SSDs added only as read cache, up to two per pool, need none.
Which drive type does the MSA 1050 need?
HPE describes the three classes it lists for the MSA 1050 in one line each: “Solid-State Drives (SSDs) deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability”; “Enterprise-class SAS hard disk drives (10K/15K RPM) offer a balance of performance, capacity, and cost while delivering enterprise grade reliability”; and “Midline SAS hard disk drives (7.2K RPM) are optimized to provide the best ratio of capacity to cost”. The array tiers them the same way: “A Performance tier with SSDs”, “A Standard SAS tier with Enterprise SAS HDDs” and “An Archive tier utilizing Midline SAS HDDs”. On the MSA 1050 the 15K and 10K Enterprise drives are SFF, the 7.2K Midline drives are LFF (and, from earlier editions, SFF), and the SSDs come in both form factors. The form factor of the bays decides the rest: a 24-bay SFF chassis or enclosure takes the 2.5in drives, a 12-bay LFF chassis or enclosure the 3.5in drives, and HPE supports mixing LFF and SFF enclosures on one array.
| Drive class | Form factor | Capacities HPE lists | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise 15K SAS HDD | SFF (2.5in) | 300GB, 600GB, 900GB (the 300GB from earlier editions) | single drives; 6-packs of the 600GB and 900GB |
| Enterprise 10K SAS HDD | SFF (2.5in) | 300GB, 600GB, 900GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB, 2.4TB (the 300GB and 900GB from earlier editions) | single drives; 6-packs of the 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB |
| Midline 7.2K SAS HDD | SFF (2.5in) | 1TB, 2TB (earlier editions) | single drives; a 6-pack of the 2TB |
| Midline 7.2K SAS HDD | LFF (3.5in) | 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB (the 2TB from earlier editions) | single drives; 6-packs of the 8TB, 10TB, 12TB and 14TB |
| Mixed Use SAS SSD | SFF (2.5in) | 400GB, 800GB, 1.6TB, 3.2TB (the 400GB from earlier editions) | single drives |
| Read Intensive SAS SSD | SFF (2.5in) | 960GB, 1.92TB | single drives |
| Mixed Use SAS SSD, converter carrier | LFF (3.5in) | 400GB, 800GB (the 400GB from earlier editions) | single drives |
| Read Intensive SAS SSD | LFF (3.5in) | 960GB, 1.92TB | single drives |
Each 6-pack bundle holds six of a listed single drive, and HPE’s note on each bundle names the single it contains (the 7.2TB SFF bundle R0P85A, for example, “Contains 6 x MSA 1.2TB 12G SAS 10K SFF Enterprise HDDs (J9F48A)”); the parts list below carries those notes. Every bundle HPE lists for the MSA 1050 is a hard drive bundle, so the SSDs are single drives only.
Choosing the Right HPE MSA 1050 Drives
- Order by the MSA part number. HPE states that “MSA HDDs and SSDs drives are for use with MSA Storage Systems only”; a drive is an MSA 1050 drive if HPE lists it for the MSA 1050, so check its part number against this list. For an array upgraded in place, HPE states that “Owners of an MSA 1040 array are able to do data-in-place upgrades” to the MSA 1050, that this “protects the earlier investments in drives, and JBODs”, and that “Certain limitations are applicable.”
- Mixing classes is allowed; mixing SSDs and HDDs as capacity needs a licence. “Customers can mix SSD, SAS, and SAS MDL drives in the same array enclosure and disk enclosure”. A mix of SSDs and HDDs used as a capacity tier needs the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU, and HPE states that “This rule applies to the system level and therefore the license is required regardless of whether the drives are configured for auto-tiering within the same Pool”.
- Mixed Use or Read Intensive. HPE lists both SSD endurance classes for the MSA 1050: Mixed Use at 400GB, 800GB, 1.6TB and 3.2TB SFF and 400GB and 800GB LFF (the 400GB drives in earlier editions), Read Intensive at 960GB and 1.92TB in both form factors. The guide to Write Intensive, Mixed Use and Read Intensive SSDs explains what the class means for a write-heavy workload.
- An SSD can be read cache instead of capacity. “RAID 0 supported for Read Cache only”; “SSD read cache is a feature that extends the MSA controller cache”, “most effective for workloads that are high in random reads”, and HPE allows “A maximum of 2 SSDs per pool”. In HPE’s words, “All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license”.
- Size the disk group to the RAID level. “Maximum hard drive counts vary by RAID levels: 2 drive max for RAID level 1; max of 16 drives for RAID levels 5, 6, and 10.” The spindle speed guide covers the 15K, 10K and 7.2K choice, and the 512e guide explains the 512e and 512n in several HPE drive names.
Complete Your HPE MSA 1050 Build
- HPE MSA 1050 Parts — the MSA 2050 disk enclosures and the Mini-SAS and Mini-SAS HD cables
- HPE MSA Storage Parts — every MSA model with a parts page
- HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives — the 2000-series model HPE groups with the MSA 1050 (“MSA 1050/2050/2052”)
- HPE MSA 2040 / 2042 Drives — the MSA 1040/2040/2042 arrays, which HPE lists among the prior generations
- HPE MSA 1060 Drives — for an MSA 1060 array, which has its own drive list
- SAS vs SATA hard drives — every drive HPE lists for the MSA 1050 is SAS
HPE MSA 1050 Drives FAQ
Do MSA 1040 drives fit the MSA 1050?
HPE states that "Owners of an MSA 1040 array are able to do data-in-place upgrades" to the MSA 1050, that this "protects the earlier investments in drives, and JBODs", and that "Certain limitations are applicable"; it asks owners to review its Upgrading to the HPE MSA 1050/2050/2052 whitepaper before upgrading an MSA 1040, 2040 or 2042. A drive listed on this page is an MSA 1050 option; check the part number of any other drive against this list before ordering it for an MSA 1050.
Can I mix HDDs and SSDs in one MSA 1050?
Yes. HPE states that "Customers can mix SSD, SAS, and SAS MDL drives in the same array enclosure and disk enclosure". When SSDs and HDDs are both used as a capacity tier, the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU is required; HPE states that "All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license".
Are the MSA 1050 SSDs mixed use or read intensive?
Both. HPE lists 12G SAS Mixed Use SSDs at 400GB, 800GB, 1.6TB and 3.2TB SFF and 400GB and 800GB LFF (converter-carrier drives; the 400GB drives in earlier editions), and 12G SAS Read Intensive SSDs at 960GB and 1.92TB in both SFF and LFF. The SSDs are sold as single drives; every 6-pack HPE lists for the MSA 1050 is an HDD bundle.
What is the largest drive for the MSA 1050?
HPE lists a 14TB 7.2K Midline LFF HDD, a 2.4TB 10K SFF HDD and a 3.2TB Mixed Use SFF SSD as the largest of each kind. HPE lists the array at a maximum of 96 SFF or 48 LFF drives and a raw capacity of 307.2TB SFF or 672TB LFF with three MSA 2050 disk enclosures added.
Does the MSA 1050 take 15K drives?
Yes, in SFF. HPE lists the 600GB and 900GB 12G SAS 15K SFF Enterprise HDDs as single drives and as the 3.6TB and 5.4TB 6-pack bundles, which contain six of each, and earlier editions of its MSA 1050 QuickSpecs also list a 300GB 15K SFF drive. HPE describes its Enterprise-class SAS hard disk drives (10K/15K RPM) as offering "a balance of performance, capacity, and cost".
Why do some drives here carry a note naming earlier HPE editions?
Because HPE listed them for the MSA 1050 in those editions. Each of these drives carries a note in the parts list naming the versions of HPE's MSA 1050 QuickSpecs (a00005875enw) that list it. They are the 300GB 15K and 300GB and 900GB 10K SFF HDDs, the 1TB and 2TB SFF and 2TB LFF Midline HDDs, a 12TB SFF 6-pack and the 400GB Mixed Use SSDs.
Can I use SSDs as read cache in an MSA 1050?
Yes. HPE states that "RAID 0 supported for Read Cache only", that SSD read cache "extends the MSA controller cache", and that "A maximum of 2 SSDs per pool can be added for read cache". SSD read cache does not need the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU.
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