| Q1. |
What can you do with direct connect SAS storage for HP BladeSystem? |
| A1. |
Direct connect SAS storage for HP BladeSystem provides a flexible storage infrastructure. There are two storage configurations from which to choose:
With zoned direct attach storage, groups of drives of the MDS600 are ‘zoned’ directly to individual blade servers, appearing as local storage to that server.
Or use the flexible SAS architecture for inexpensive in-rack shared SAS storage using the MSA2000sa. |
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| Q2. |
What are the components of direct connect SAS storage for HP BladeSystem? |
| A2. |
The straight forward architecture of SAS storage for BladeSystem consists of the following components:
- HP Smart Array P700m controller in each server
- Redundant 3Gb SAS BL switches installed in the interconnect bays of the BladeSystem enclosure
- MSA2000sa (for shared storage) or MDS600 (for zoned direct attach storage) storage devices
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| Q3. |
What is the maximum capacity for each of the BladeSystem SAS storage options? |
| A3. |
With zoned direct attach storage, up to six MDS600 storage devices can be connected to a single BladeSystem enclosure. That means up to 420 TB of zoned direct attach SAS storage in just one rack.
With shared SAS storage, one pair of 3Gb SAS BL switches supports up to four MSA2000sa with 3 additional drive enclosures each. That means up to 192 TB of shared storage in just one rack. |
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| Q4. |
What are the key benefits of direct connect SAS storage for HP BladeSystem? |
| A4. |
Flexible
- Build local server storage on the fly with zoned direct attach capabilities
- Or enable low cost shared storage
- Quickly deploy and expand capacity within the rack
Simple, low cost SAS architecture
- Just a Smart Array P700m controller in each server, 3Gb SAS BL switches, and MSA2000sa or MDS600 storage devices
- Reduced complexity saves costs: implement simple in-rack shared or zoned direct attach SAS storage
- SAS storage architecture does not require storage expertise, bringing storage control to server administrators
High-performance SAS connectivity
- End-to-end 3 Gb/s SAS connectivity enables a high performance storage environment
- Storage is contained within the rack, providing a low-latency solution
- Smart Array P700m controller in each server ensures high throughput to MSA2000sa or MDS600 storage devices
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| Q5. |
What hardware management tools do I use? |
| A5. |
The same HP BladeSystem hardware management tools are used to monitor and manage the components of direct connect SAS storage.
HP Smart Array
- Familiar Smart Array technology of the Smart Array P700m Controller/512 MB enables support for RAID levels 0, 1, 1+0, 5 and RAID 6 with ADG. Optional battery-backed write cache.
- Advanced Data Guarding (RAID 6): This is the highest level of fault tolerance. It allocates two sets of parity data across drives and allows simultaneous write operations. This level of fault tolerance can withstand two simultaneous drive failures without downtime or data loss.
- Distributed Data Guarding (RAID 5): This allocates parity data across multiple drives and allows simultaneous write operations. It is recommended for up to 14 hard drives.
HP Systems Insight Manager
Receive pre-failure alerts with HP Systems Insight Manager. When drives installed in a MDS600 are used in conjunction with the Smart Array P700m Controller and Systems Insight Manager, the Smart Array firmware in HP hard drives enables extensive fault prediction capabilities. If potential problems develop in one of the drives, the Smart Array Controller, Systems Insight Manager and/or Smart hard disk drive lets you know in advance so you can have the drive replaced, before it fails, under warranty.
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