HPE Hard Drives: Choose the Right One for Better Server Performance
June 9, 2021

HPE Hard Drives: Choose the Right One for Better Server Performance

HPE hard drives are designed to deliver maximum performance, data security, compatibility, and reliability across HPE servers and storage platforms. This makes them the preferred disks for many workloads in both large enterprises and small businesses. HP server hard drives are trusted for multiple applications in 24-7 operational environments that require reliable functionality, and they usually offer great value to the users from their proven performance. HPE hard drives undergo industry-leading testing and intense qualification to eliminate O/S and firmware incompatibilities and ensure it’s suitable for any HP server needs.

Let’s take a closer look at the significant features and advantages of SSD, SAS and SATA hard drives to help you choose an HP hard drive that meets your requirements.

SSD

Solid State Drives (SSD) are storage drives that use an NAND flash memory chip and controller, unlike HDDs that use rotating mechanical parts. They are the latest in hard drive technology across the computer industry. Unlike other types, SSDs don't usually consist of moving components. Also, they don't store data using magnetism but rather use the flash memory technology.

HPE SSD hard drives have integrated circuits and semiconductor devices that store data permanently unless it’s erased over time. SSD drives size ranges from 120GB to 2TB, and the HP SSD hard drive price is usually 2-4 times higher than the cost of other drives due to their high read and write performance. Experts tend to use SSDs for their operating systems. Solid-state drives are also efficient in gaming and business operations.

Key features of SSDs
  • Great reliability
  • Cool running
  • Ultra-lightweight
  • Energy efficient
  • High speeds
  • Sound of silence-no moving parts

    • Advantages of SSDs
  • Fast
  • Lower access time and latency
  • More durable
  • Less susceptible to shock
  • Use less power

    • SAS

    SAS or SCSI (Small computer system interface) drive is the most popular hard drive currently deployed in server environments globally. This type of hard drives is the most obsolete with the latest features that make them the best choice for workstations and professionals. A SCSI drive is a point-to-point computer interface that connects peripheral devices like hard drives, CD drives, scanners, and printers.

    The peripheral devices are connected to the SAS hard drive by a 50-pin ribbon connector. SAS devices can either connect externally or internally, and they have to be terminated at the end. Additionally, a single motherboard connects 7-15 devices with standard interface technology.

    In network servers, SCSI allows setting up several drives to minimize loss of data. SCSI drives work with multiple computer systems, and most items can connect to them at once. They are often used with RAID arrays and come in various types that can accommodate different data transfer speeds and computer sizes.

    HP SAS hard drives are the only disks that have proved to be faster than SSDs. The high speeds of SAS drives are due to their increased output/input per second (ability to read and write data quickly). HPE SAS hard drives typically operate at an average rate of 1200Mb per second with a maximum throughput of 12 Gb/second.

    Key features of SAS
  • High speed
  • Allows a maximum communication of 65535 devices
  • High performance and capacity
  • Supports hot swapping
  • High command latency
  • Eliminates issues with clock skew and termination

    • Advantages of SAS

  • Extremely fast
  • Reliable
  • Have better flexibility and scalability in arrays
  • Suitable for storing and transferring huge amounts of data
  • Can run for more extended periods (24/7 operations)

    • SATA

    SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) is the primary interface for most computers. SATA drives have spinning platters and a needle that usually writes data in sectors on the platters. These hard drives are relatively fast, with an average interface rate of 6GB/s and a throughput of 600 MB/s.

    SATA hard drive sizes range between 500GB to 16 TB, and they are relatively cheaper. You can get a SATA hard drive if you do not need high reads and writes and also if you’re looking for cheap storage. Their storage capacity varies a lot, so you need first to identify the drive’s capacity and the size you need.

    Data in a SATA disk is physically written, and it can be fragmented. This means that different sectors can be spread in various parts of the drive resulting in slower performance. SATA drives are vulnerable to sudden movements and shock as they consist of moving parts.

    Key features of SATA
  • High storage capacity
  • Faster data transfer speed
  • Long-lasting
  • Internal-external interface
  • Supports hot swapping

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    Advantages of SATA

  • Large disk sizes
  • Relatively cheap
  • Lower power consumption
  • SATA cables are flexible and thinner
  • Higher transfer rate

    • What are the differences between SSD, SATA, and SAS?

    SATA drives tend to last longer compared to the relatively short lifespan of SSDs. HPE SAS hard drives are the fastest and most reliable, but don't offer higher storage capacity if compared to SATA drives. Also, SAS drives are more complicated and tend to be expensive. They are the best for servers and large workstations with 24-7 operations.

    SSD drives lack moving parts in their structure, and all their data is stored in a non-volatile flash memory, unlike SATA drives. This means they don't have the read-write needle, and they are relatively faster than SATA.

    Hard drive specifications and performance

    When you’re looking for an HP hard drive for your server, you’re likely to encounter many different disk specifications. It’s critical to understand the key specifications of hard disk drives to get the right one for your data center.

  • Seek time and latency- The access time determines how fast a disk can find and read a particular sector. Seek time is usually how long the read-write head takes to position itself on the right track, while the latency period is the time taken by the sector to move under the head. So a shorter seek time indicates good hard drive performance.
  • Rotational speed- This is the delay period waiting for the rotation of a drive to bring the required sector under the head. It’s measured in revolutions per minute (RPM) and depends on the disk's rotational speed.
  • Data transfer rate- It’s known as throughput-how fast a drive can transfer data once it’s found. This varies according to how fast the disk is rotating and the location and density of the data.
  • ECC (Error correction code)- Hard drives have built-in error correction mechanisms. Modern disks use unique high-speed controller hardware for efficient error detection and correction.
  • Buffer/cache size- Cache is mostly referred to as a buffer by many manufacturers. Hard drive performance is typically improved by caching, usually through reducing the number of seeks and transfers from the hard drive. Cache buffers are ideal for speeding access times and throughput.
  • Power consumption- This has become a critical factor in many servers. The smaller form factor hard drives tend to use less power than the larger hard drives.

    • From the ability to deliver maximum performance without compromising reliability, HP hard drives are designed to meet the needs of hot data. The HPE server enterprise drives usually accelerate data transfer speeds, improve the server response time, and power more transactions in a second. On reliability, they are backed by more than 2.4 million hours of rigorous testing processes.

    Usage recommendations

    If you take good care of your hard drives, they will serve you longer. Although they are not indestructible, they will protect all your data as long as they can if you use them properly. Check out some useful tips below to ensure that your hard drive is properly maintained to avoid the loss of valuable data.

  • Keep your operating system up to date for better reliability and performance
  • Only install trustworthy software
  • Defragment your hard drive
  • Remove all unnecessary programs
  • Use your hard drive in a system that satisfies the server requirements
  • Check the HP server hard drive compatibility with your server
  • Protect your servers and hard drive by performing regular virus checks

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    HPE hard drives are ideal for mission-critical and I/O intensive applications due to their reliability to high-level performance. When in need of a SATA, SAS, or SSD hard drive for an HP server, choose the one that fits the technical, budget, and capacity requirements. Also, you are not limited to getting only one hard drive as servers can support several disks at a time. Adding a hard drive to the HP ProLiant server is one of the significant ways to boost your server efficiency. Carefully browse through all the features of the hard drives before you purchase a product, or contact our team to get more information on HP hard drives available on ityuda.com. We are always ready to help you make an informed decision depending on the size you want, how much you can spend, and the reason behind replacing your HP hard drive as well as choose the right server for your business needs.

    Filed in: hard drives, hp hard drive, hpe hard drive, hpe sas drives
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