Hard Drives
Buy SAN and storage array hard drives by array family and OEM part number rather than by capacity alone: Dell, for example, documents its SC5020 as shipping with and supporting Dell Enterprise Plus drives, which is why array drives are matched by array family and by the number of the drive they replace. Open the Dell EqualLogic, Dell Compellent, Dell PowerVault, NetApp or HPE Nimble drive page, then match capacity, speed and form factor; array drives come as 10K and 15K SAS and 7.2K nearline SAS in 2.5- and 3.5-inch sizes. SAS vs SATA explains the interface difference.
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Dell H3PN0-NEW 8TB 7.2K NL SAS 3.5" 12Gbps SED FIPS Hard Drive | ST8000NM010AAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock - Dell 7RCGV-NEW 2TB 7.2K NL SAS 3.5" 12Gbps ISE Hard Drive | Seagate ST2000NM0155Availability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell W8FW5 2TB 7.2K SATA 2.5" 6Gbps Hard Drive | Seagate ST2000NM0018Availability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- EMC 118000785 8TB 7.2K NL SAS 3.5" 12Gbps Hard Drive | WD HUS728T8TAL5200Availability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: EMC Corporation Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Western Digital WUH721414AL4204 14TB 4Kn SE SAS Hard Drive | HGST 0F31002Availability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Western Digital Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Sun Oracle 7065489 4TB 7.2K SAS 3.5" 6Gbps Hard Drive | Hitachi HUS724040ALS640Availability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Sun Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- NetApp X422A-R5 600GB 10K SAS 2.5" 6Gbps Hard DriveAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: NetApp Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell EqualLogic 02R3X-EQL 600GB 15K SAS 3.5" 6Gbps Hard Drive | ST3600057SSAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell Compellent 05J9P-CML 900GB 10K SAS 2.5" 6Gbps Hard Drive | ST9900805SSAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell EqualLogic 05J9P-EQL 900GB 10K SAS 2.5" 6Gbps Hard Drive | ST9900805SSAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell 0950479-01 500GB 7.2K SATA 3.5" 3Gbps Hard Drive | Seagate ST3500514NSAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
- Dell 0F9W8 4TB 7.2K NL SAS 3.5" 12Gbps Hard Drive | Toshiba MG04SCA40ENAvailability: Available by QuoteManufacturer: Dell Condition: Refurbished 1 Year WarrantyRequest PricingOut of stock
Why array drives differ from server drives
A storage array accepts the drives its maker has qualified for it, and each maker documents the rule for its own family:
| Array family | What the maker requires of a replacement drive | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
| Dell EqualLogic PS Series | Dell-provided drives only, in carriers keyed to specific array models, matching the array's drives in type, speed and spin rate | PS6210 Hardware Owner's Manual |
| Dell Compellent SC Series | Dell Enterprise Plus drives | SC5020 Owner's Manual |
| NetApp DS shelves | A drive the shelf supports, as listed in the NetApp Hardware Universe; NetApp recommends loading its Disk Qualification Package before the swap | NetApp DS224C and DS212C drive replacement procedure |
| HPE Nimble Storage | A replacement drive ordered from HPE, fitted into the array's drive carrier | HPE Nimble Storage hardware guide |
Sector size can differ as well. A NetApp knowledge base article shows a normal ONTAP drive at 520 bytes per sector and the same drive reported as failed once it is set to 512, so a drive formatted for a server is not a drop-in spare for a NetApp shelf.
Buy the drive version made for your array and match its capacity, speed and form factor to the drive it replaces. Matching SSDs are under storage array SSDs, carriers under array drive trays, and every other spare under storage array components.
SAN hard drive questions
- Can I use a regular server hard drive in a SAN array?
- Usually not, because array makers support only drives they have qualified. Dell limits PS Series arrays to Dell-provided drives and controls drive firmware only on those, NetApp requires a drive its shelf supports in the Hardware Universe, and HPE's Nimble replacement procedure calls for a drive ordered from HPE. Buy the array maker's drive version, matched on capacity, speed and form factor.
