HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Parts

HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Parts

Every part on this page is one HPE lists for the HPE MSA 2050 storage array: the compatible hard disk drives and solid state drives, with the 6-pack bundles and the self-encrypting drives, the SFP+ transceivers the SAN models need, the disk enclosures that grow the array, and the SAS cables for enclosures and SAS hosts. For the HPE MSA 2052, HPE’s MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists the same transceivers and SAS cables, the LFF and SFF disk enclosures and, in Version 23 or its earlier editions, the same drives apart from the self-encrypting ones and the 450GB 15K drive; HPE states that the MSA 2052 “does not offer a NEBS certified carrier-grade bundled solution”, and its QuickSpecs does not list the DC Power Carrier Grade enclosure. Every part ships tested or factory sealed. The drives have their own page: HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives.

HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Specifications

  • Form factor: HPE lists the array as “2U, SFF or LFF”: “2U rack height. 12 LFF or 24 SFF drive bays.”
  • Controllers: two per array, with “Four host ports per controller” and “8 GB cache per controller”. HPE notes that “The MSA 2050 does not support single controller configurations.”
  • Host connectivity: the SAN controller “supports 8Gb FC, 16Gb FC, 1GbE iSCSI or 10GbE iSCSI host connectivity”; the SAS controller “supports 6Gb and/or 12Gb SAS host connectivity”.
  • What each AC-powered MSA 2050 base model includes: the SFF or LFF array chassis and its two SAN or SAS controllers, “two AC power supplies, two .7m PDU cords (IEC C14), one rack-mount kit”. For the SAN models HPE notes “SFPs not included”, and for the SAS models “SFPs are not required with SAS Storage”. HPE adds that “TAA compliant MSA 2050 models each include 2x pre-installed HDDs” and that “No other MSA 2050 models include pre-installed HDDs.”
  • What each MSA 2052 includes: HPE describes the MSA 2052 as “a pre-configured bundle that includes an MSA 2050-branded LFF or SFF array chassis depending on model, two AC power supplies, two MSA 2050 SAN or SAS controllers, two 800GB Mixed Use SSDs, one Advanced Data Services LTU”.
  • Drives: “Maximum total HDDs per array 192 SFF / 96 LFF”, the same for SSDs; “Max raw capacity per array 614.4TB SFF / 1344TB LFF”.
  • Expansion: “0-7 enclosures” on a 6Gb SAS drive enclosure interface, “up to the maximum of 8 total enclosures” with the array itself; HPE’s table lists “LFF/SFF array/enclosure mixing” as “Supported”.
  • Serviceability: “All MSA 2050 models support hot plug expansion and replacement of redundant controllers, enclosures, fans, power supplies, and I/O modules”, and “Hot add expansion of disk enclosures is also supported.”
  • Self-encrypting drives: the MSA 2050 QuickSpecs lists self-encrypting SSDs and HDDs; the MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists SEDs as “Encryption not supported”.

Order the transceivers with a SAN array, and the licence before you mix drive types. HPE states that MSA 2050 SAN controllers “do not ship with any SFPs” and that each “can be configured with 2 or 4 SFPs” — at least one SFP+ 4-pack is required — and that a mix 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.

What Is on This Page, and What Is Not

The parts below are the orderable hardware options from HPE’s MSA 2050 QuickSpecs, grouped as HPE groups them: drives, SFP+ transceivers, disk enclosures and SAS cables. The MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists the same transceivers and SAS cables, the LFF and SFF disk enclosures and, in Version 23 or its earlier editions, the same drives apart from the self-encrypting ones and the 450GB 15K drive. Three things HPE lists are deliberately not here. The array models themselves (the MSA 2050 SAN and SAS arrays, their TAA-compliant models and the MSA 2052 bundles) are complete systems, not parts. The fibre channel and direct attach copper host cables are generic switch-side cabling that depends on the switch at the other end, so they are not carried as MSA parts; the SAS cables are, because HPE lists them for one job each: the Mini SAS High Density to Mini SAS cables “are used to connect 6Gb SAS initiator to MSA 2050 SAS controller”, the Mini-SAS HD 4x cables “are used to connect 12Gb SAS initiator to MSA 2050 SAS controller”, and the 1m and 2m External Mini SAS cables are for “connecting a MSA 2050 controller to a disk enclosure if a longer cable is needed”. And the three Smart Array controllers HPE lists under “SAS Controllers/HBAs” install in the server, not in the array, so they are server parts rather than MSA parts.

Choosing the Right HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Parts

  • Transceivers are for the SAN models only. HPE: “MSA SFPs are for use only with MSA 2050 SAN Controllers”, and “MSA SAS controllers do not require SFP modules.” On a SAN array, “Controllers must be configured identically. Number and type of transceivers in each controller must be the same.” Within a controller, “SFP in Host Port 1 must match SFP in Host Port 2” and “SFP in Host Port 3 must match SFP in Host Port 4”, and HPE adds that the SAN controller allows customers to “create their own Combo Controller by mixing FC and iSCSI SFPs”. For 10Gb iSCSI, the “user can use DAC cables instead of SFPs”.
  • Disk enclosures come cabled for the short run. “Each disk enclosure includes one rack-mount kit and two 0.5m MiniSAS to MiniSAS cables.” HPE’s rule is “Add up to 7 additional disk enclosures”, and the LFF and the SFF enclosure each “can be connected to either the MSA 2050 SFF or LFF dual controller systems”; the 1m and 2m External Mini SAS cables are the longer option. The third enclosure, the DC Power Carrier Grade SFF model, is in HPE’s words “a special model disk enclosure designed for use with NEBS compliant MSA 2050 configurations”, with “dual -48VDC-power supplies”; the MSA 2052 QuickSpecs does not list it.
  • Mixing SSDs and HDDs needs a licence on the MSA 2050. HPE: “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.” “All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license on the MSA2050 array.” The suite “can be purchased as an option on the MSA 2050” and “is included as a standard feature on the MSA 2052”; it is software and is not listed here.
  • Self-encrypting drives work only when every drive is one. “All drives within the MSA 2050 array must be self-encrypted drives (SEDs) to enable the encryption feature.” HPE also states that “SEDs can be used in a non-SED environment, but will not be encrypted unless all drives in the array are SEDs.” The MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists no SED options.
  • Upgrading from an earlier MSA. 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.”

Complete Your HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Build

HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Parts FAQ

Which drives fit the HPE MSA 2050 and MSA 2052?
The 12G SAS drives HPE lists for the MSA 2050, in SFF (2.5in) and LFF (3.5in) form factors: 15K and 10K Enterprise HDDs, 7.2K Midline HDDs, Mixed Use and Read Intensive SSDs, 6-pack HDD bundles and, on the MSA 2050, self-encrypting drives. HPE states that "MSA HDDs and SSDs drives are for use with MSA Storage Systems only." 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. The full list is on the HPE MSA 2050 / 2052 Drives page.

Does the MSA 2050 come with SFP transceivers?
No. HPE states that "MSA 2050 SAN Controllers do not ship with any SFPs", that each SAN controller "can be configured with 2 or 4 SFPs", and that at least one SFP option must be selected with a SAN array. The SAS models need none: "MSA SAS controllers do not require SFP modules." The four SFP+ 4-packs HPE lists are on this page.

How many disk enclosures can I add to an MSA 2050?
Up to 7. HPE states "Add up to 7 additional disk enclosures" and that the array grows "up to the maximum of 8 total enclosures", LFF and SFF mixed. That takes it to 192 SFF or 96 LFF drives and a stated maximum raw capacity of 614.4TB SFF or 1344TB LFF. Each enclosure includes one rack-mount kit and two 0.5m MiniSAS to MiniSAS cables.

What is the difference between the MSA 2050 and the MSA 2052?
HPE describes the MSA 2052 as "a pre-configured bundle that includes an MSA 2050-branded LFF or SFF array chassis depending on model, two AC power supplies, two MSA 2050 SAN or SAS controllers, two 800GB Mixed Use SSDs, one Advanced Data Services LTU". On the MSA 2050 the Advanced Data Services Suite is an option. The MSA 2052 QuickSpecs lists SEDs as "Encryption not supported", so the self-encrypting drives on this page are MSA 2050 options.

Do I need a licence to mix HDDs and SSDs in an MSA 2050?
Yes, when both are used as capacity tiers. HPE states that "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", and that "All SSD configurations and SSD Read Cache extension do not require a license on the MSA2050 array". The MSA 2052 includes the suite as a standard feature.

Can I upgrade an MSA 2040 to an MSA 2050?
HPE lists that path: "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". HPE adds that "Certain limitations are applicable." The drives and disk enclosures on these pages are the ones HPE lists for the MSA 2050 itself.

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