HPE MSA 1040: 2-Port 10G iSCSI Dual Controller SFF Storage (E7W04A)

Engineered for SMBs and growing IT shops, the HPE MSA 1040 2-port 10G iSCSI Dual Controller SFF Storage (E7W04A) delivers enterprise-grade storage capabilities at a budget-friendly entry point. Building on the proven performance of the MSA family, this compact array simplifies consolidation and virtualization initiatives by providing robust data services, straightforward management, and scalable capacity as workloads evolve. With dual controllers and native 10-gigabit iSCSI connectivity, the MSA 1040 helps you deploy resilient storage for databases, virtual machines, and file services without the complexity or cost of larger enterprise arrays.

• Affordable consolidation and virtualization: a budget-friendly entry point that brings many MSA 2040 capabilities to smaller environments, helping you centralize storage for servers and virtualization hosts.
• High availability and performance: dual-controller architecture ensures failover protection and consistent throughput for demanding workloads such as databases and virtual machines.
• Dense, flexible storage with SFF bays: 2.5-inch drive bays enable compact, scalable configurations that fit into small data centers or edge deployments.
• Easy management for IT generalists: familiar HP tooling and seamless integration with ProLiant and BladeSystem environments, making storage administration straightforward.
• Future-ready growth and efficiency: scalable capacity with efficient energy use, designed to adapt as virtualization, backup, and file services expand.

Technical Details of HPE MSA 1040 2-port 10G iSCSI Dual Controller SFF Storage

• Dual-controller architecture delivering high availability and fault tolerance
• Front-end connectivity: 2-port 10 Gb iSCSI
• Drive bays: SFF (2.5-inch) storage bays for dense configurations
• Supported drives: SATA and SAS drives within the MSA ecosystem
• Management: HP storage management tools compatible with ProLiant and BladeSystem environments
• Primary use cases: entry-level storage consolidation, virtualization, databases, and file services

How to install HPE MSA 1040

• Prepare the rack space, mount the MSA 1040 in a standard 19-inch rack, secure the chassis, and connect power and grounding as required.
• Connect the management and data networks: attach the 10 Gb iSCSI ports to your SAN or network switch, configure VLANs as needed, and power on the unit.
• Access the management interface via the default network endpoint or through HP management software; initialize the array and set administrative credentials.
• Create storage pools and volumes, configure iSCSI targets, and map them to your host servers to begin provisioning storage for workloads.
• Establish data protection policies and replication if required, and integrate with your virtualization platform (VMware, Hyper-V, or others) for seamless VM storage and migrations.
• Monitor performance, health, and capacity utilization through the built-in management dashboards, and plan future expansion by adding compatible drive enclosures or upgrading drives.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the primary use case for the HPE MSA 1040? It is designed for entry-level storage consolidation and virtualization, offering enterprise-like capabilities at a lower price point suitable for small to mid-size IT environments.
• Does the MSA 1040 support dual controllers? Yes, the dual-controller architecture provides high availability and redundancy to protect mission-critical workloads.
• What network connectivity does it include? It features 2-port 10 Gb iSCSI front-end connectivity, enabling scalable, high-performance networked storage.
• What types of drives does it support? The MSA 1040 uses SAS/SATA drives in SFF (2.5-inch) bays, allowing dense configurations and flexible capacity choices.
• How can I expand capacity later? Capacity can be expanded by adding compatible drive enclosures or higher-capacity drives, with storage pools and volumes updated accordingly to maximize utilization.
• Is it suitable for virtualization environments? Yes, the MSA 1040 is well-suited for VMware, Hyper-V, and other virtualization platforms, delivering reliable VM storage and data services.