HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Drives
Every drive on this page is one HPE lists for the HPE MSA 2070 and HPE MSA 2072 arrays, the MSA Gen7 generation: 12G SAS hard disk drives (10K Enterprise in SFF, 7.2K Midline in LFF), Read Intensive solid state drives in SFF and LFF, and the self-encrypting (SED) SSDs and HDD bundles the MSA 2070 supports. Singles and 6-pack bundles are both listed. Every drive ships tested or factory sealed.
HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Drive Specifications
- Interface and carrier: 12 Gb SAS throughout, on “MSA Gen6/Gen7 drive carriers”. HPE states the media options “are compatible with MSA Gen 6 and Gen7 Storage Systems only”.
- SFF HDDs (2.5in): “10K: 1.2 TB, 1.8 TB, 2.4 TB” — Enterprise 10K SAS, singles and 6-packs.
- LFF HDDs (3.5in): “7.2K: 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB, 20 TB, 24 TB” — Midline 7.2K SAS, singles and 6-packs.
- SFF SSDs: “1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68 TB” Read Intensive; the 6-pack SSD bundles are “only offered as options for MSA 2070 Flash Bundle arrays models”.
- LFF SSD: “1.92 TB” Read Intensive.
- Self-encrypting SSDs: “SFF: 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 15.36 TB, 30.72 TB” and “LFF: 1.92 TB”, FIPS encrypted.
- Self-encrypting HDDs: “SFF: 2.4 TB” and “LFF: 12 TB”, which HPE notes are “Sold in 6-pack bundles only”.
- Maximums: “240 SFF / 120 LFF (array + 9x drive enclosures)” drives per array; “Max raw capacity per array 7.37 PB (All SFF) / 2.88 PB (All LFF)”.
Check the generation before you buy. HPE states that the MSA Gen7 drive options “are compatible with MSA Gen 6 and Gen7 Storage Systems only” and that media “available prior to MSA Gen6 are not compatible with MSA Gen 6 or Gen7 Storage Systems” — so a drive from an older MSA carries over only if it is on this page’s list, and a self-encrypting drive only brings encryption when every drive in the array is SED.
Which drive type does the MSA 2070 need?
HPE describes the three classes it lists for MSA Gen7 in one line each: “Solid-State Drives (SSDs) deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability”; “Enterprise-class SAS hard disk drives (10K 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”. On the MSA Gen7 the 10K Enterprise drives are SFF, the 7.2K Midline drives are LFF, and the Read Intensive 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 attaching LFF and SFF enclosures to either base array.
| Drive class | Form factor | Capacities HPE lists | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise 10K SAS HDD | SFF (2.5in) | 1.2 TB, 1.8 TB, 2.4 TB | single drives and 6-packs |
| Midline 7.2K SAS HDD | LFF (3.5in) | 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB, 20 TB, 24 TB | single drives and 6-packs |
| Read Intensive SAS SSD | SFF (2.5in) | 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68 TB | single drives; 6-packs for Flash Bundle arrays only |
| Read Intensive SAS SSD | LFF (3.5in) | 1.92 TB | single drive |
| Self-encrypting SSD (FIPS) | SFF and LFF | SFF 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 15.36 TB, 30.72 TB; LFF 1.92 TB | single drives |
| Self-encrypting HDD (FIPS) | SFF and LFF | SFF 2.4 TB; LFF 12 TB | 6-packs only |
Each HDD and SSD 6-pack bundle holds six of a listed single drive, and HPE’s note on each of those bundles names the single it contains (the 7.2TB SFF bundle R0Q65A, for example, “Contains 6 x MSA 1.2 TB 12G SAS 10K SFF Enterprise HDDs (R0Q55A)”); the parts list below carries those notes. The two self-encrypting HDD 6-packs have no single behind them, because HPE sells those drives “in 6-pack bundles only”. And the two SFF SSD 6-packs are not an option for every array: HPE offers them “as capacity expansion options for MSA 2070 Flash Bundles only”.
Choosing the Right HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Drives
- Match the generation, not just the array. HPE states the Gen7 media options “are compatible with MSA Gen 6 and Gen7 Storage Systems only” and “are not compatible with MSA Storage Systems prior to Gen6”; in the other direction, “HDD and SSD media options available prior to MSA Gen6 are not compatible with MSA Gen 6 or Gen7 Storage Systems”. A drive from an earlier MSA is a Gen7 drive only if HPE lists it in the MSA Gen7 QuickSpecs, as this page does; check its part number against this list.
- Mixing classes is allowed; mixing HDDs with SSDs usually needs a licence. “Customers can mix SSD, Enterprise SAS, and SAS Midline (MDL) drives in the same array configuration”, and “An Advanced Data Services Suite License is required when mixing HDDs and SSDs within the same configuration, except when using SSDs exclusively as SSD Read Cache”.
- Self-encrypting drives only encrypt a whole array. “All drives within an MSA array must be self-encrypted drives to enable the encryption feature”. HPE adds that mixing SED and non-encrypting drives “is supported but not recommended”, that “Encryption is unavailable while both drive types are installed in the same system, even if allocated to different drive pools”, and that non-encrypting drives added to a system with encryption enabled “will not be usable”. SED drives are supported on the MSA 2070 and MSA 2070 TAA-compliant models, not on the Flash Bundles or the MSA 2072.
- Read Intensive is the only SSD endurance class HPE lists here. Every MSA Gen7 SSD option is Read Intensive; HPE lists no Mixed Use or Write Intensive SSD for this array. The DWPD guide explains what the class means for write-heavy workloads.
- Keep an MSA-DP+ disk group to one drive type. HPE’s MSA-DP+ description states that “All disks in an MSA-DP+ disk group must be the same type (enterprise SAS, for example), but can have different capacities, provided the range of difference does not exceed a factor of two”. The SSD vs HDD guide covers the performance side of that choice.
Complete Your HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Build
- HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Parts — SFP transceivers, drive enclosures, SAS cables, DC power supply and the bezel lock kit
- HPE MSA Storage Parts — every MSA model with a parts page
- HPE MSA 2060 / 2062 Drives — the MSA Gen6 drive list, the generation before Gen7
- SAS vs SATA hard drives — every drive HPE lists for the MSA Gen7 is SAS
HPE MSA 2070 / 2072 Drives FAQ
Do MSA 2060 drives fit the MSA 2070?
HPE names MSA Gen6 as the generation before Gen7 and lists the MSA 1060/2060/2062 among the prior generations; its Gen7 QuickSpecs states the Gen7 media options "are compatible with MSA Gen 6 and Gen7 Storage Systems only" and that the arrays use "MSA Gen6/Gen7 drive carriers". A drive listed on this page is a Gen7 option; check the part number of any other drive against this list before ordering it for an MSA 2070.
Can I mix HDDs and SSDs in one MSA 2070?
Yes, with a licence in most cases. HPE states that "Customers can mix SSD, Enterprise SAS, and SAS Midline (MDL) drives in the same array configuration" and that "An Advanced Data Services Suite License is required when mixing HDDs and SSDs within the same configuration, except when using SSDs exclusively as SSD Read Cache". The MSA 2072 includes that licence; the MSA 2070 does not.
Which MSA 2070 models take self-encrypting drives?
The MSA 2070 and the TAA-compliant MSA 2070. HPE lists SED support for those models only and states that the MSA 2070 Flash Bundle and MSA 2072 arrays support all drive options "excluding self-encrypting drive (SED) options". To enable encryption, every drive in the array must be SED.
Are the MSA 2070 SSDs read intensive or mixed use?
Read Intensive. Every SSD HPE lists for the MSA Gen7 - the SFF 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB and 7.68 TB, the LFF 1.92 TB and the FIPS-encrypted SED models up to 30.72 TB - is a 12G SAS Read Intensive drive. HPE lists no Mixed Use or Write Intensive SSD for this array.
What is the largest drive for the MSA 2070?
HPE lists a 30.72 TB self-encrypting SFF SSD, a 7.68 TB Read Intensive SFF SSD without encryption, and a 24 TB 7.2K Midline LFF HDD. With nine drive enclosures the array reaches 240 SFF or 120 LFF drives and a stated maximum raw capacity of 7.37 PB (all SFF) or 2.88 PB (all LFF).
Why are some MSA 2070 drives sold only as 6-packs?
Because HPE lists them that way. The self-encrypting HDDs (2.4 TB SFF and 12 TB LFF) are "Sold in 6-pack bundles only", and the SFF SSD 6-packs are offered "as capacity expansion options for MSA 2070 Flash Bundles only". The other HDD and SSD options are listed as single drives, with 6-pack bundles of the same drives alongside them.
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