HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives
Every drive on this page is one HPE lists for the HPE MSA 2050 array: 12G SAS hard disk drives (15K and 10K Enterprise and 7.2K Midline in SFF, 7.2K Midline in LFF), Mixed Use and Read Intensive solid state drives in SFF and LFF, and the self-encrypting (SED) SSDs and HDDs the MSA 2050 supports. The HPE MSA 2052 QuickSpecs, in Version 23 or its earlier editions, lists the same drives apart from the self-encrypting ones and the 450GB 15K drive. Single drives and 6-pack HDD bundles are both listed. The page includes the drives that earlier editions of HPE’s MSA 2050 QuickSpecs list for the array and Version 23 does not: 300GB and 450GB 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 2050 / 2052 Drive Specifications
- Interface: 12G SAS throughout. HPE states that “MSA HDDs and SSDs drives are for use with MSA Storage Systems only”, and that the arrays “support a wide variety of the MSA 3.5-inch LFF drives, and the MSA 2.5-inch SFF drives”.
- SFF HDDs (2.5in), Version 23: “15K: 600GB, 900GB” and “10K: 600GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB, 2.4TB” — Enterprise SAS.
- LFF HDDs (3.5in), Version 23: “7.2K: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB” — Midline SAS.
- SFF SSDs, Version 23: “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 23: “800GB, 960GB, 1.92TB”: the 800GB Mixed Use drive on a converter carrier, and the 960GB and 1.92TB Read Intensive drives.
- Self-encrypting drives: “SSDs: 800GB, 1.6TB”, “SFF 10K HDD: 1.2TB” and “LFF 7.2K HDD: 4TB”; HPE states that “All MSA SEDs are FIPS 140-2 compliant”.
- From earlier editions: SFF 15K 300GB and 450GB, 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 2050 QuickSpecs lists them between Version 1 and Version 16; the 450GB 15K drive is listed only in its table of NEBS-certified SKUs, in Versions 4 and 6 to 9.
- 6-pack bundles: six SFF bundles of 15K, 10K or 7.2K drives (the 7.2K one from earlier editions) and four LFF bundles of 7.2K Midline drives, from 3.6TB to 84TB per bundle.
- Maximums: “Maximum total HDDs per array 192 SFF / 96 LFF”, the same for SSDs; “Max raw capacity per array 614.4TB SFF / 1344TB LFF”.
Check the encryption and licence rules before you mix drives. HPE states that “All drives within the MSA 2050 array must be self-encrypted drives (SEDs) to enable the encryption feature” — the MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists SEDs as “Encryption not supported” — and that a mixture of SSDs and HDDs used as capacity tiers “will require the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU” on the MSA 2050, which the MSA 2052 includes as a standard feature.
Which drive type does the MSA 2050 need?
HPE describes the three classes it lists 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’s tiering uses the same three: “A Performance tier with SSDs”, “A Standard SAS tier with Enterprise SAS HDDs” and “An Archive tier utilizing Midline SAS HDDs.” On the MSA 2050 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 states that “SFF and LFF Array enclosures and Disk Enclosures can be mixed without limitations.”
| Drive class | Form factor | Capacities HPE lists | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise 15K SAS HDD | SFF (2.5in) | 300GB, 450GB, 600GB, 900GB (the 300GB and 450GB 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 |
| Self-encrypting Mixed Use SSD | SFF (2.5in) | 800GB, 1.6TB | single drives, MSA 2050 only |
| Self-encrypting SAS HDD | SFF 10K and LFF 7.2K | SFF 1.2TB; LFF 4TB | single drives, MSA 2050 only |
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. HPE lists no SSD or self-encrypting 6-pack for the MSA 2050. The MSA 2052 arrives with SSDs already fitted: “Two pre-installed 800GB Mixed Use SSDs”, which HPE says “can be optionally deployed either as read cache, or as an SSD virtual disk group for tiered storage.”
Choosing the Right HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives
- Match the part number to this list. These are the drive options HPE’s MSA 2050 QuickSpecs prints, in Version 23 and in its earlier editions, and the MSA 2052 QuickSpecs, in Version 23 or its earlier editions, lists the same drives apart from the self-encrypting ones and the 450GB 15K drive. For drives that come across from an earlier array, HPE states that “Owners of an MSA 2040, MSA 2042 and MSA 1040 array can do data-in-place upgrades to the MSA 2050 array”, which “protects the earlier investments in drives, and JBODs”, and adds that “Certain limitations are applicable.”
- Mixing classes is allowed; mixing SSDs with HDDs usually needs a licence. “Customers can mix SSD, Enterprise SAS, and SAS Midline (MDL) drives in the same array enclosure and disk enclosure”, but “Configurations which have a mixture of both SSDs and HDDs within the same system being used as a capacity Tier (excluding SSD Read Cache), will require the Advanced Data Service Suite LTU.” HPE adds: “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.” The MSA 2052 includes the suite.
- Self-encrypting drives only encrypt a whole array. “All drives within the MSA 2050 array must be self-encrypted drives (SEDs) to enable the encryption feature.” HPE states both that “There cannot be a mixture of encrypted and non-encrypted drives within the same array” and that “SEDs can be used in a non-SED environment, but will not be encrypted unless all drives in the array are SEDs.” HPE’s SEDs are “certified by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE) as meeting the Level 2 security requirements for cryptographic modules”. The MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists SEDs as “Encryption not supported”.
- Mixed Use or Read Intensive. HPE lists both SSD endurance classes in both form factors, and the self-encrypting SSDs are Mixed Use. The Mixed Use vs Read Intensive guide explains what each class means for write-heavy workloads.
- SSDs as read cache. HPE: “RAID 0 supported for Read Cache only”, and “A maximum of 2 SSDs per pool can be added for read cache.” Read cache needs no licence: “All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license on the MSA2050 array.” For the hard drive tiers, the spindle speed guide covers the 15K, 10K and 7.2K choice.
Complete Your HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Build
- HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Parts — SFP+ transceivers, disk enclosures and SAS cables, with every drive
- HPE MSA Storage Parts — every MSA model with a parts page
- HPE MSA 1050 Drives — the MSA 1050, which HPE groups with the MSA 2050 and 2052
- HPE MSA 2040 / 2042 Drives — arrays HPE lists for data-in-place upgrades to the MSA 2050
- HPE MSA 2060 / 2062 Drives — arrays HPE lists for remote replication with the MSA 2052
- SAS vs SATA hard drives — every drive HPE lists for the MSA 2050 is SAS
HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives FAQ
Do MSA 2040 drives work in an MSA 2050?
HPE states that "Owners of an MSA 2040, MSA 2042 and MSA 1040 array can do data-in-place upgrades to the MSA 2050 array" and that this "protects the earlier investments in drives, and JBODs", adding that "Certain limitations are applicable." For a replacement or an added drive, match the part number to the MSA 2050 options on this page.
Can I mix HDDs and SSDs in one MSA 2050?
Yes. HPE states that "Customers can mix SSD, Enterprise SAS, and SAS Midline (MDL) drives in the same array enclosure and disk enclosure". When SSDs and HDDs are both used as capacity tiers the MSA 2050 needs the Advanced Data Services Suite LTU; all-SSD configurations and SSD read cache do not. The MSA 2052 includes that suite.
Does the MSA 2052 support self-encrypting drives?
No. The MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists SEDs as "Encryption not supported", and its drive list has no SED options. On the MSA 2050, "All drives within the MSA 2050 array must be self-encrypted drives (SEDs) to enable the encryption feature."
Are the MSA 2050 SSDs mixed use or read intensive?
Both. HPE lists 12G SAS Mixed Use SSDs at 400GB, 800GB, 1.6TB and 3.2TB in SFF and 400GB and 800GB in LFF on a converter carrier (the 400GB drives in earlier editions), Read Intensive SSDs at 960GB and 1.92TB in SFF and LFF, and Mixed Use self-encrypting SSDs at 800GB and 1.6TB in SFF. The MSA 2052 ships with two 800GB Mixed Use SSDs pre-installed.
What is the largest drive for the MSA 2050?
HPE lists a 14TB 7.2K Midline LFF HDD, a 3.2TB Mixed Use SFF SSD and a 2.4TB 10K Enterprise SFF HDD. With up to seven disk enclosures the array reaches 192 SFF or 96 LFF drives and a stated maximum raw capacity of 614.4TB SFF or 1344TB LFF.
What is in an MSA 2050 6-pack drive bundle?
Six of one listed single HDD, named in HPE's note on the bundle: R0P85A, for example, "Contains 6 x MSA 1.2TB 12G SAS 10K SFF Enterprise HDDs (J9F48A)". HPE lists five SFF bundles of 15K and 10K Enterprise drives, a sixth of 2TB 7.2K Midline SFF drives in earlier editions, and four LFF bundles of 7.2K Midline drives from 48TB to 84TB; there is no SSD or self-encrypting 6-pack.
Why do some drives here carry a note naming earlier HPE editions?
Because HPE listed them for the MSA 2050 in those editions. Each of these drives carries a note in the parts list naming the versions of HPE's MSA 2050 QuickSpecs (a00008276enw) that list it. They are the 300GB and 450GB 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; the 450GB 15K drive appears in HPE's table of NEBS-certified SKUs.
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