Description
HPE MSA 1050 10GbE iSCSI Dual Controller LFF Storage
The HPE MSA 1050 10GbE iSCSI Dual Controller LFF Storage is a purpose-built, affordable SAN solution designed for small to mid-size businesses that demand modern, shared storage without breaking the bank. This entry-level storage array brings flash-ready performance to price-sensitive environments, enabling you to start with reliable HDDs and scale toward flash acceleration as your workloads demand it. Built for simplicity and robustness, the MSA 1050 delivers enterprise-grade data protection, flexible expansion, and streamlined management in a compact, energy-efficient package.
- Dual controller architecture for high availability and non-disruptive maintenance. The MSA 1050 uses two controllers to keep workloads online even during maintenance or in case of component failure, reducing downtime and preserving service levels.
- 10 GbE iSCSI connectivity provides fast, shared access to storage over standard Ethernet networks, improving performance for virtualization, databases, backups, and collaboration workloads.
- LFF drive bays offer generous capacity and cost-effective expansion options. The array accommodates a mix of SAS and SATA HDDs to balance performance, density, and total cost of ownership, with flexible provisioning for growth.
- Flash-ready design means you can add solid-state acceleration or tiered storage later without replacing the entire array, delivering improved IOPS and lower latency as you evolve your workloads.
- Designed as an affordable SAN that scales with your business. The MSA 1050 combines essential data-protection features, straightforward management, and compatibility with common virtualization platforms to simplify deployment and daily operations.
Technical Details of HPE MSA 1050 10GbE iSCSI Dual Controller LFF Storage
- Form factor: LFF (Large Form Factor) storage array suitable for standard rack deployments in data centers or server rooms.
- Controllers: Dual controllers providing redundancy and high availability, enabling non-disruptive maintenance and improved fault tolerance.
- Networking: 10 GbE iSCSI connectivity for fast networked storage access across hosts and virtualization clusters.
- Drive support: Supports SAS and SATA drives within LFF bays, enabling flexible configurations that balance capacity and performance.
- RAID and data protection: Supports common RAID levels and data-protection features such as snapshots and replication to safeguard critical data (licensing may apply).
- Management and compatibility: Includes an intuitive management interface with compatibility for popular virtualization platforms such as VMware and Hyper-V, simplifying provisioning, monitoring, and day-to-day storage tasks.
How to install HPE MSA 1050
- Prepare your rack: Mount the MSA 1050 in a standard rack, ensuring proper airflow and clearance for serviceability. Verify power and network outlets are easily reachable and labeled.
- Connect power and networking: Attach redundant power cables and connect the 10 GbE iSCSI interfaces to your storage network or core switch fabric. Ensure the management port is reachable for initial setup.
- Power on and access management: Boot the array and access the onboard management interface using the default IP address or serial console. Authenticate and begin the initial configuration wizard.
- Configure network and access: Define iSCSI initiators, set up IP addresses for management and data networks, and establish access controls to restrict host connectivity as needed.
- Create storage pools and volumes: Initialize drive shelves, configure RAID protection levels suitable for your data protection policy, and create LUNs or volumes mapped to your hypervisor hosts.
- Integrate with hosts: Connect your VMware, Hyper-V, or other virtualization environments to the new LUNs, configure multipathing if required, and verify performance and access from hosts.
- Enable data protection and replication: If applicable, configure snapshot policies and enable any replication features to protect critical data across sites or tiers.
- Monitor and fine-tune: Use the management console to monitor health, performance, and utilization, adjusting cache, tiering (if available), and alerting thresholds as workloads evolve.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the HPE MSA 1050 best suited for? It is an affordable, entry-to-mid-level shared storage array designed for small to mid-sized businesses that need reliable SAN access for virtualization, backups, and general storage workloads while keeping costs under control.
- Can I start with hard drives and move to flash later? Yes. The MSA 1050 is described as flash-ready, meaning you can begin with HDDs and add flash acceleration or tiered storage as your performance needs grow, without replacing the entire system.
- What networking protocol does it use? The MSA 1050 uses 10 GbE iSCSI connectivity to deliver fast, networked storage access for hosts and virtualization platforms.
- Does it support virtualization environments? Yes. The MSA 1050 is designed to integrate with popular virtualization platforms such as VMware and Hyper-V, offering straightforward provisioning of LUNs and volumes for virtual machines.
- What about data protection? The array provides standard RAID protection and features like snapshots and replication (licensing may apply) to guard against data loss and enable recovery options.
- Is it scalable? The MSA 1050 is built to be an affordable entry-level SAN with room to grow. It supports expansion through compatible shelves and additional drives, allowing capacity and performance to increase as your workloads expand.
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