Unleashing Enterprise Performance: HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD with Smart Carrier and PLP for ProLiant Gen9/Gen10 Servers

HPE 1.6TB 2.5-Inch SFF Digitally Signed Firmware PLP SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use SSD for ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 Servers

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of enterprise IT, storage solutions must deliver high performance, reliability, and security to meet the demands of modern data centers. The HPE 1.6TB 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF) Digitally Signed Firmware Power Loss Protection (PLP) SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use Solid State Drive (SSD) is engineered to address these needs for HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers. This SSD combines robust performance, advanced security features, and enterprise-grade durability, making it an ideal choice for mixed-use workloads such as databases, virtualization, and transactional systems. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the SSD’s specifications, features, benefits, and compatibility, offering insights into why it is a strategic storage solution for enterprise environments.

Product Overview

The HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD (part numbers include 804631-B21, 804631-H21, 804631-K21, 804631-X21, 805383-001, and LK1600GEYMV-SC) is a hot-swappable solid-state drive designed for HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers. It features a 2.5-inch small form factor, a SATA-6Gbps interface, and a Smart Carrier (SC) design, ensuring seamless integration and ease of maintenance. With a capacity of 1.6 terabytes, this SSD is optimized for mixed-use applications, balancing read and write performance to support a wide range of enterprise workloads.

Key Specifications

Device Type: Solid State Drive (SSD) - Hot-Swap

Capacity: 1.6 TB

Form Factor: 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF)

Interface: SATA-6Gbps

Plug Type: Hot Pluggable

Carrier Type: HPE Smart Carrier (SC)

Workload Type: Mixed Use (MU)

Features:

Digitally Signed Firmware (DS)

Power Loss Protection (PLP)

Platform Supported: HPE ProLiant Rack/Tower/BladeSystem Servers/Synergy

Height: 0.6 inches (15 mm)

Endurance DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day): 3.0

Performance Metrics:

Drive Transfer Rate: 6 Gb/sec (external)

Max Sequential Reads Throughput: 535 MiB/s

Max Sequential Writes Throughput: 360 MiB/s

Random Read Avg. Latency (4KiB, Q1): 115 µs

Random Write Avg. Latency (4KiB, Q1): 50 µs

Random Read IOPS (4KiB, Q=16): 64,000

Random Write IOPS (4KiB, Q=16): 23,000

Max Random Read IOPS (4KiB, Q=32): 671,000

Max Random Write IOPS (4KiB, Q=32): 23,000

4KiB Random 70% Read / 30% Write (Q=32): 44,000 IOPS

4KiB Random 50% Read / 50% Write (Q=32): 34,000 IOPS

These specifications highlight the SSD’s ability to deliver high performance and reliability for demanding enterprise applications.

Features and Technologies

The HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD incorporates advanced features that enhance its performance, security, and usability in enterprise environments.

1. Digitally Signed Firmware (DS)

HPE’s Digitally Signed Firmware ensures that the SSD’s firmware originates from a trusted source, preventing unauthorized access and protecting against firmware-based cyberattacks. This security feature is critical in enterprise environments where data integrity and system reliability are paramount. The digitally signed firmware undergoes rigorous validation, providing assurance that the drive operates as intended without vulnerabilities.

2. Power Loss Protection (PLP)

The Power Loss Protection feature safeguards data integrity during unexpected power outages. PLP uses onboard capacitors to provide temporary power, allowing the SSD to complete in-flight write operations and flush data to non-volatile memory. This capability minimizes the risk of data loss or corruption, making the SSD suitable for mission-critical applications where uptime and data reliability are essential.

3. Smart Carrier (SC) Design

The HPE Smart Carrier enhances drive management and maintenance. It includes:

System Status LED Icons: Indicate the drive’s operational status.

Spinning Activity Ring: Reflects data-writing activity.

Do-Not-Remove Button: Illuminates to prevent accidental drive removal during operation, reducing the risk of data loss.

Blue Locator LED: Can be activated remotely to guide technicians to the specific drive tray, simplifying maintenance in dense server environments.

The Smart Carrier’s intuitive design streamlines troubleshooting and reduces downtime, improving IT efficiency.

4. Mixed Use (MU) Workload Optimization

The SSD is engineered for mixed-use workloads, offering a balance of read and write performance. With an endurance rating of 3.0 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD), it can handle repeated write cycles while maintaining consistent read speeds. This makes it ideal for applications such as:

Databases: High IOPS and low latency for transactional processing.

Virtualization: Efficient handling of virtual machine workloads.

Transactional Systems: Reliable performance for e-commerce and financial applications.

The mixed-use optimization ensures versatility across various enterprise use cases.

5. High Performance and Low Latency

The SSD delivers impressive performance metrics, including up to 535 MiB/s sequential read throughput and 64,000 random read IOPS (4KiB, Q=16). Its low latency (115 µs for random reads and 50 µs for random writes at Q1) ensures rapid data access, enhancing application responsiveness. These characteristics make the SSD well-suited for data-intensive workloads like big data analytics and cloud computing.

Benefits for Enterprise Environments

The HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD offers several advantages that make it a compelling choice for enterprise IT infrastructure.

1. Enhanced Performance

With high IOPS, low latency, and robust sequential throughput, the SSD accelerates data access and processing, improving overall server performance. This is particularly beneficial for applications requiring fast data retrieval and real-time processing, such as database management and virtualized environments.

2. Improved Reliability

Backed by over 3.35 million hours of testing and qualification, HPE SSDs are designed for exceptional reliability. The inclusion of PLP and digitally signed firmware further enhances data integrity and system stability, reducing the risk of downtime and data loss.

3. Scalability and Compatibility

The SSD is compatible with a wide range of HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers, including DL, ML, BL, and XL series, as well as Synergy platforms. Its 2.5-inch SFF design allows for high storage density, enabling enterprises to scale storage capacity within existing server chassis. The hot-swappable design facilitates easy upgrades and maintenance without disrupting operations.

4. Cost-Effective Storage Solution

The SSD’s mixed-use optimization provides a cost-effective balance between performance and endurance, making it suitable for mid-range storage needs. Enterprises can achieve high performance without the higher costs associated with write-intensive SSDs, optimizing their storage investments.

5. Advanced Security

The digitally signed firmware and Smart Carrier features enhance security by preventing unauthorized firmware modifications and reducing human error. These capabilities are critical for protecting sensitive data and maintaining compliance with industry regulations.

Compatibility with HPE ProLiant Servers

The HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD is designed for seamless integration with HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers. Compatible models include:

HPE ProLiant DL Series: DL120 Gen9, DL160 Gen9, DL180 Gen9, DL20 Gen9, DL320e Gen8, DL360 Gen9, DL360p Gen8, DL380 Gen9, DL380p Gen8, DL385p Gen8, DL388 Gen9, DL580 Gen9, DL60 Gen9, DL80 Gen9, and more.

HPE ProLiant ML Series: Various models supporting 2.5-inch SFF drives.

HPE ProLiant BL Series: BL420c, BL460c, BL465c, BL660c (Gen8 and Gen9).

HPE ProLiant XL Series: XL230k, XL170r, XL190r, XL220a, XL230a, XL250a (Gen9 and Gen10).

HPE Synergy: Compatible with Synergy compute modules.

Other Platforms: Supports Microsoft Azure Stack configurations.

This broad compatibility ensures that the SSD can be deployed across diverse HPE server environments, from small businesses to large enterprise data centers.

Use Cases

The HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD is well-suited for a variety of enterprise applications, including:

Big Data Analytics:

High IOPS and low latency support rapid data processing and analysis.

Cloud Computing:

Reliable performance for scalable, multi-tenant environments.

Database Applications:

Efficient handling of transactional and analytical workloads.

Virtualization:

Optimized for virtual machine storage, ensuring smooth operation of multiple VMs.

Data Warehousing:

High capacity and performance for storing and querying large datasets.

Transactional Systems:

Fast response times for e-commerce, financial, and ERP systems.

These use cases demonstrate the SSD’s versatility and ability to meet the demands of diverse enterprise workloads.

Comparison with Other HPE SSDs

To understand the positioning of the HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD, it’s helpful to compare it with other HPE SSD offerings:

Read Intensive (RI) SSDs (e.g., HPE VK1600GEYJU-SC):

Endurance: ~0.3–1.0 DWPD

Use Case: Read-heavy workloads like archival storage or content delivery networks.

Performance: Lower write IOPS and endurance compared to mixed-use SSDs.

Cost: Generally more cost-effective for read-centric applications.

Write Intensive (WI) SSDs (e.g., HPE MO1600JEFPC-SC):

Endurance: >10 DWPD

Use Case: Write-heavy workloads like high-frequency trading or log processing.

Performance: Higher write IOPS but at a premium cost.

Cost: More expensive due to higher endurance and performance.

Mixed Use (MU) SSDs (e.g., the subject of this article):

Endurance: 3.0 DWPD

Use Case: Balanced read/write workloads like databases and virtualization.

Performance: Offers a balance of read and write performance at a moderate cost.

Cost: Cost-effective for mixed workloads, bridging the gap between RI and WI SSDs.

The HPE 1.6TB Mixed Use SSD strikes an optimal balance for enterprises requiring versatile storage without the higher costs of write-intensive drives.

Installation and Maintenance

Installing the HPE 1.6TB SFF SATA-6Gbps Mixed Use SSD is straightforward due to its hot-swappable design and Smart Carrier features. Key steps include:

Verify Compatibility:

Confirm that the target HPE ProLiant Gen9 or Gen10 server supports 2.5-inch SFF SATA SSDs.

Power Down (if not hot-swapping):

For non-hot-swap scenarios, power off the server to avoid data loss.

Insert the SSD:

Align the SSD with the drive bay and insert it into the Smart Carrier slot until it clicks into place.

Monitor Status:

Use the Smart Carrier’s LED indicators to verify proper installation and operation.

Configure RAID:

Use HPE’s Intelligent Provisioning or Smart Array Controller to configure RAID settings if required.

For maintenance, the Smart Carrier’s diagnostic LEDs and HPE SmartSSD Wear Gauge compatibility allow IT administrators to monitor drive health and predict potential failures, enabling proactive replacements.

Conclusion

The HPE 1.6TB 2.5-inch SFF Digitally Signed Firmware PLP SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use SSD is a robust, secure, and high-performing storage solution for HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers. Its combination of advanced features—such as digitally signed firmware, power loss protection, and Smart Carrier design—ensures reliability, security, and ease of management. With optimized performance for mixed-use workloads, broad server compatibility, and a cost-effective balance of endurance and speed, this SSD is an excellent choice for enterprises seeking to enhance their data center capabilities.

Whether powering databases, virtualized environments, or transactional systems, the HPE 1.6TB Mixed Use SSD delivers the performance, scalability, and resilience needed to meet the demands of modern IT infrastructure. For businesses leveraging HPE ProLiant servers, this SSD represents a strategic investment in storage that drives efficiency and supports long-term growth.