HPE ProLiant ML350e Gen8 Drives
Genuine HPE hot-plug drives and solid state drives for the HPE ProLiant ML350e Gen8, new and refurbished, tested before shipping. Two things decide what fits: the cage on the front of the tower, and the controller behind it — the embedded Dynamic Smart Array B120i is a SATA controller, and HPE states a SAS controller is required to run the full eight-bay SFF or six-bay LFF cage.
ML350e Gen8 Drive Specifications
- Standard cage: four LFF non-hot-plug SATA bays, six LFF hot-plug bays, or eight SFF hot-plug bays, depending on how the tower was built
- SFF expansion: one or two more eight-bay SFF hot-plug cages (659484-B21) take a hot-plug SFF tower to 16 or 24 bays
- LFF expansion: one or two more six-bay LFF hot-plug cages (659485-B21) take a hot-plug LFF tower to 12 or 18 bays
- What each cage needs: HPE requires a Smart Array controller for every additional drive cage, and lists both a Smart Array controller and the redundant power supply option as requirements for the six-bay LFF cage
- Carriers: Gen8 SmartDrive (SC) hot-plug carriers, with 3.5-inch converter carriers available so a 2.5-inch drive or SSD can occupy an LFF bay
- Interface: SAS and SATA, with the document's maximum-capacity figures quoted against 3TB LFF drives and 1.2TB SFF SAS drives
The embedded controller is SATA only, and that decides more than the drive type. HPE states a SAS controller is required to run the full eight-bay SFF cage or the six-bay LFF cage, and a Smart Array controller is required for every additional cage after that. Four SATA drives on the embedded B120i is where a tower sits without one.
Which drive cage is on the front of your tower?
| Front end | Standard bays | Expands to | Drive size |
|---|---|---|---|
| LFF, non-hot-plug | 4 | Not expandable | 3.5-inch SATA |
| LFF, hot-plug | 6 | 12 or 18 with more LFF cages | 3.5-inch |
| SFF, hot-plug | 8 | 16 or 24 with more SFF cages | 2.5-inch |
The four-bay build is the one that does not grow: HPE documents both cage kits as additions to a hot-plug system, so a non-hot-plug tower stays at four drives. Between the other two the trade is the usual one — eighteen large bays carry more capacity per bay, twenty-four small ones carry more spindles, and an SFF drive will not seat in an LFF bay without a converter carrier.
Choosing the Right ML350e Gen8 Drive
- Check hot-plug against non-hot-plug first. It decides both the carrier you need and whether the tower can ever take more bays.
- The embedded controller is SATA only. A SAS drive needs a Smart Array SAS card in front of it, whatever bay it sits in.
- A 12G SAS drive runs at the platform's rate. HPE notes that the drive, the controller, the firmware and the backplane all negotiate down to the slowest of them, so a 12G drive on a 6G path runs at 6G.
- LFF for bulk, SFF for spindle count. Midline 3.5-inch drives carry the capacity per bay; enterprise 2.5-inch drives carry the higher rotational speeds and the larger bay count.
- Converter carriers put small drives in large bays. Several SFF drives and SSDs are listed in 3.5-inch converter carriers, which is how an LFF tower runs 2.5-inch media.
Complete Your ML350e Gen8 Build
The controller decides which drives work and how many — read ML350e Gen8 storage controllers before committing to an array, and power supplies if a six-bay LFF cage is in the plan. Also available: ML350e Gen8 memory, processors and networking adapters, or the full ML350e Gen8 parts listing. Background reading: SAS vs SATA hard drives and choosing the right spindle speed. Other models are indexed under HPE parts by server model.
ML350e Gen8 Drives FAQ
How many drives does an ML350e Gen8 hold?
The standard cage is four LFF non-hot-plug bays, six LFF hot-plug bays or eight SFF hot-plug bays. One or two additional cages take a hot-plug tower to 12 or 18 LFF bays, or 16 or 24 SFF bays.
Can I put SAS drives in an ML350e Gen8?
Yes, but only behind a SAS controller. The embedded Dynamic Smart Array B120i is a SATA controller, so a Smart Array P-series card or a SAS host bus adapter has to be in the server first.
Do I need a controller for each extra drive cage?
Yes. HPE states that a Smart Array controller is required for each additional drive cage and must be purchased with it. The six-bay LFF cage also calls for the redundant power supply option.
Does the ML350e Gen8 use 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives?
Either, depending on the cage fitted. A 2.5-inch drive only fits an LFF bay in a 3.5-inch converter carrier.
Can I add hot-plug bays to a four-bay ML350e Gen8?
No. Both drive cage kits are documented as additions to a hot-plug system, so a non-hot-plug four-bay tower stays at four drives.
Will a 12G SAS drive run faster in this server?
Not beyond what the rest of the path supports. The drive, controller, firmware and backplane all negotiate to a common rate, so the array runs at the slowest component in it.
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