HPE ProLiant XL230a Gen9 Drives
Genuine HPE hot-plug SmartDrive hard drives and solid state drives for the HPE ProLiant XL230a Gen9, new and refurbished. This tray has four 2.5-inch SmartDrive bays and one rule that decides the shape of the order: HPE requires the H240 controller when SAS drives are ordered, because the tray's embedded controller is a SATA part.
XL230a Gen9 Drive Specifications
- Bays: four hot-plug 2.5-inch SmartDrive bays per tray, numbered Drive 1 to Drive 4 across the front
- Maximum SAS capacity: 15.36TB, on four 3.84TB hot-plug SFF SAS drives
- Maximum SATA capacity: 8TB, on four 2TB hot-plug SFF SATA drives
- Maximum solid state capacity: 15.36TB, on four 3.84TB hot-plug SFF SSDs
- SAS requirement: HPE requires the H240 controller when SAS drives are ordered; the embedded Dynamic Smart Array B140i handles SATA only
- Listed here: 6G SAS and SATA midline SmartDrive hard drives at 500GB and 1TB, and 6G SATA Mainstream and Value Endurance SSDs from 100GB to 800GB
SAS drives are not a drop-in on this tray. HPE requires the H240 controller when SAS drives are ordered, because the embedded Dynamic Smart Array B140i handles SATA only. With four bays in total, the ceiling is 15.36TB on 3.84TB SAS or solid state drives and 8TB on 2TB SATA — so decide the interface before the capacity.
What Will Four Bays Actually Hold?
| Drive type | Largest documented drive | Four bays full |
|---|---|---|
| Hot-plug SFF SAS hard drive | 3.84TB | 15.36TB |
| Hot-plug SFF SATA hard drive | 2TB | 8TB |
| Hot-plug SFF solid state drive | 3.84TB | 15.36TB |
Four bays is the whole storage budget for a tray, so capacity per drive counts for more here than in a rack server with a dozen slots to fill. SAS and solid state reach nearly double the SATA ceiling, but SAS carries a condition SATA does not: the H240 has to be in the tray, on its riser and its cable. A SATA-only build runs on the embedded controller and leaves that riser free.
Choosing the Right XL230a Gen9 Drive
- Confirm which tray you have first. HPE notes there are various XL230a server trays, and the Non-Hot Plug Compute Tray, 785695-B21, cannot support Smart Array controllers.
- A SAS build costs more than the drives. The H240 Smart HBA and a Mini-SAS cable kit are part of it; a SATA build needs neither.
- Match the whole storage path. HPE's note is that the drive, the controller, the firmware and the backplane should run at the same transfer rate, or the system negotiates down to the slowest of them. The drives listed here are 6G parts in a tray built around a 12G hot-plug backplane.
- Endurance class, not capacity, sorts the SSDs. Value Endurance and Mainstream Endurance are HPE write-duty grades; both seat in the same bays.
- The carrier comes with the drive. Every part listed here is an SC SmartDrive, so the hot-plug carrier is part of the assembly rather than a separate purchase.
Complete Your XL230a Gen9 Build
The controller decides whether SAS is an option at all — see XL230a Gen9 storage controllers before committing to an array. Also available: networking adapters, or the full XL230a Gen9 parts listing. On the Gen8 tray in the same chassis instead? See XL220a Gen8 v2 drives. Background reading: SAS vs SATA and SSDs against hard disk drives, with every model under HPE parts by server model.
XL230a Gen9 Drives FAQ
How many drives does an XL230a Gen9 hold?
Four hot-plug 2.5-inch SmartDrive bays per tray. Maximum internal storage is 15.36TB on 3.84TB SAS drives or solid state drives, and 8TB on 2TB SATA drives.
Do I need a controller to use SAS drives in an XL230a Gen9?
Yes. HPE's note is that the H240 controller is required when ordering SAS drives. The embedded Dynamic Smart Array B140i is a SATA controller and will not drive them.
Can I run SATA drives without adding a controller?
Yes. The embedded SATA controller operates in AHCI mode by default, and the B140i FIO setting switches it into Dynamic Smart Array B140i mode so RAID and hot-plug features are available.
Are the drives listed for this tray 6G or 12G?
The part numbers listed here are 6G SAS and 6G SATA drives. The 12G hot-plug tray supports 12G drives as well, but a storage path negotiates down to its slowest component, so a 12G drive behind a 6G element runs at the slower rate.
What is the difference between Value Endurance and Mainstream Endurance SSDs?
They are HPE endurance classes rather than capacity or interface grades. Both are 6G SATA SmartDrive solid state drives that fit the same bays; the class describes how much write duty the drive is rated for.
Do XL230a Gen9 drives come with carriers?
Yes. Every drive listed is an SC SmartDrive part, which means it ships in the hot-plug carrier that fits the bay. There is no separate carrier to order.
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