HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline R0Q61A

HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline 7.2K LFF (3.5in) M2 R0Q61A

The HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline 7.2K LFF (3.5in) M2 Hard Disk Drive (HDD), identified by part number R0Q61A, is a high-capacity, reliable storage solution specifically designed for HPE Modular Smart Array (MSA) storage systems. This drive offers an excellent balance between cost-effectiveness, substantial storage capacity, and dependable performance, making it a strong choice for businesses dealing with growing data volumes.

Technical Specifications

The R0Q61A is a traditional spinning disk drive (HDD) engineered for capacity-centric storage within HPE’s MSA portfolio. It integrates seamlessly into MSA arrays, leveraging their advanced features for data management and protection.

Key technical specifications include:

• Capacity: 12TB (Terabytes) – Provides significant storage space for large datasets, enabling organizations to manage vast amounts of information efficiently.
• Interface: SAS 12Gb/s – This 12 Gigabit per second Serial Attached SCSI interface delivers high bandwidth, facilitating efficient data transfer and access within the MSA array.
• Rotational Speed (RPM): 7.2K (7200 RPM) – Categorized as a “Midline” or “Nearline” drive, its 7200 RPM spindle speed offers a good balance of performance for applications that require consistent data access without the extreme speed demands of high-performance (10K/15K RPM) drives or SSDs.
• Form Factor: LFF (Large Form Factor) 3.5-inch – This physical size allows for higher capacities per drive compared to 2.5-inch drives, fitting into the larger drive bays of compatible HPE MSA enclosures.
• Workload: Midline – Midline SAS drives are optimized for workloads that require a blend of high capacity and solid reliability. They handle mixed read/write patterns effectively, making them more versatile than purely archival drives.
• Carrier Type: M2 Carrier – This refers to the specific hot-pluggable drive carrier designed for straightforward installation and removal in HPE MSA storage arrays, ensuring optimal compatibility and simplified maintenance.
• Reliability Features: As an enterprise-grade drive, it includes features for data integrity and reliability, essential for 24/7 data center operations.

Advantages

The HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline HDD (R0Q61A) offers several key benefits for enterprise storage environments:

• High-Capacity Storage: The 12TB capacity per drive significantly expands storage footprints, allowing businesses to store massive amounts of data without requiring an excessive number of physical drives or additional enclosures.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Midline SAS drives provide an attractive cost-per-gigabyte ratio, making them a more economical choice for large-scale data storage compared to higher-performance SAS drives or SSDs, especially for applications where raw capacity is a primary driver.
• Enterprise-Grade Reliability: Built to HPE’s rigorous standards, these drives are designed for continuous operation in demanding data center environments, offering robust reliability and consistent performance over their lifespan.
• Seamless MSA Integration: As an HPE-certified MSA drive, the R0Q61A ensures perfect compatibility and integration with HPE MSA storage systems. This means it fully leverages the array’s management, data protection (like RAID and snapshots), and tiered storage capabilities.
• Balanced Performance: The 7.2K RPM speed combined with the 12Gb/s SAS interface delivers ample performance for capacity-oriented workloads that still require efficient data access and throughput.

Applications

The versatility and high capacity of the HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline HDD make it suitable for a variety of enterprise applications:

• Data Archiving and Long-Term Retention: Ideal for storing large volumes of historical data, legal documents, and other information that needs to be retained for extended periods, meeting compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Backup and Recovery: Serves as a reliable and capacious target for backup operations, allowing organizations to store multiple generations of data backups economically.
• File and Print Servers: Excellent for general-purpose file storage, shared network drives, and print spooling, where large capacity is a primary requirement.
• Nearline Storage: Functions effectively as a “warm” data tier in multi-tiered storage strategies, providing readily accessible storage for data that is not frequently accessed but doesn’t require the ultra-high performance of primary storage.
• Big Data Analytics (Cold Tier): Can be used for storing vast quantities of raw or less frequently accessed data within big data environments, where cost-effectiveness and capacity are prioritized over immediate access speed.
• Digital Content Repositories: Suitable for storing large media files, such as video libraries, high-resolution images, and other digital assets.

Compatibility with HPE Servers

It’s important to clarify that the HPE MSA 12TB SAS 12G Midline 7.2K LFF (3.5in) M2 R0Q61A drive is designed for use within HPE MSA Storage Systems, not directly within HPE ProLiant servers. While HPE ProLiant servers can connect to MSA arrays, these specific drives are components of the MSA storage system itself.

The R0Q61A drive is compatible with the following HPE MSA Storage System models that support 12Gb/s SAS LFF drives and the M2 carrier:

• HPE MSA 1060 Storage Arrays: This drive fits into the Large Form Factor (LFF) enclosures of the MSA 1060 series, offering an affordable entry point for SAN storage.
• HPE MSA 2060 Storage Arrays: It’s compatible with the LFF enclosures of the more robust and feature-rich MSA 2060 series.
• HPE MSA 2062 Storage Arrays: Similar to the 2060, the 2062 also supports these LFF drives.