WD Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server

The WD Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server is built for data centers that demand extreme density, flexibility, and reliable performance in Software-Defined Storage (SDS) environments. With dual high-performance Intel Xeon Scalable processors, this server is designed to manage diverse workloads—from virtualization and analytics to backup and cloud-native applications—without compromising on speed or capacity. The Serv60+8 blends a dense, scalable storage architecture with robust compute power, delivering a ready-to-deploy platform for modern SDS deployments. It’s engineered to grow with your business, offering a flexible mix of drives, memory, and networking to optimize cost, efficiency, and performance. Whether you’re consolidating storage for a hyper-converged cluster or building a dedicated storage node, the Serv60+8 is designed to handle demanding workloads with efficiency, reliability, and enterprise-grade manageability.

• High-density hybrid storage architecture: 60 hot-swappable 3.5-inch drive bays plus 8 NVMe bays enable massive capacity alongside fast flash-assisted caching for accelerated data access and lower latency in SDS workloads.
• Dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors: Powerful multi-core CPUs deliver exceptional compute performance for virtualization, data analytics, enterprise databases, and software-defined storage operations.
• Flexible memory and drive configurations: Customizable RAM and storage options let you tailor the system to your workload profile, balancing performance, cost, and footprint.
• Hybrid storage performance with caching and tiering: NVMe-backed caching and tiering capabilities boost hot data throughput while HDDs provide cost-effective capacity for cold data, optimizing total cost of ownership.
• Enterprise-grade reliability and manageability: Redundant hot-swappable power supplies, scalable cooling, and comprehensive remote management (Redfish/ILO/iDRAC) ensure maximum uptime and easy administration in data centers.

Technical Details of WD Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server

• Chassis and form factor: 4U rackmount design with 60 x 3.5-inch drive bays and 8 NVMe slots, enabling dense storage footprints without compromising airflow or serviceability.
• Processors: Dual Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs (configurable by SKU) to meet demanding SDS, virtualization, and data-intensive workloads.
• Memory: High-capacity DDR4 memory support with multi-channel bandwidth to accelerate analytics, databases, and in-memory workloads.
• Storage options: Hybrid storage approach combining high-density HDDs for capacity with NVMe for fast cache and tiering to speed hot data access.
• Networking and expansion: Flexible networking options with PCIe expansion and Ethernet adapters to sustain high-throughput data movement in clustered environments.
• Power and cooling: Redundant hot-swappable power supplies and modular cooling design to maintain performance and uptime under load.
• Management and security: Integrated enterprise management interfaces for remote monitoring, firmware updates, alerts, and health checks; security features aligned with data-center best practices.
• Operating environment: Designed for data-center reliability, with support for SDS software stacks, virtualization platforms, and enterprise storage workloads.

How to Install WD Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server

Deploying the Serv60+8 is designed to be straightforward for data-center administrators. Follow these high-level steps to bring your SDS-ready storage server online and tuned for performance:

• Prepare your data center rack space, ensure proper clearance for airflow, and connect to a secure management network.
• Rack the server into a compatible 4U chassis, securing rails and ensuring stable weight distribution for safe operation.
• Install the relevant drives (HDDs and NVMe) according to the chassis documentation, ensuring proper seating and cooling clearance around the drive bays.
• Connect power and network cables, including management interfaces, and power on the system to begin POST checks.
• Enter the system management interface (via iDRAC/ILO/Redfish) to verify hardware health, CPU/core visibility, memory recognition, and drive detection.
• Configure BIOS/firmware for optimal performance with your SDS stack, including memory profiles, PCIe slot allocation, and storage controller modes as required by your software-defined storage deployment.
• Initialize the storage topology in your SDS or virtualization software, create storage pools, and allocate tiered storage if you’re leveraging hybrid caching.
• Install or attach your SDS software stack (such as a software-defined storage controller) and apply the latest firmware updates for the chassis, controllers, and drives.
• Set up redundancy and monitoring: confirm redundant power supplies, verify temperature and fan metrics, and establish alert thresholds for proactive maintenance.
• Perform a thorough validation: run workload simulations, test failover scenarios, and monitor I/O latency, throughput, and SDS performance to ensure the system meets your SLA requirements.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the WD Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server best used for? It is designed for high-density, software-defined storage deployments, delivering scalable compute and storage to support SDS clusters, virtualization, data analytics, backup, and enterprise storage workloads in data centers.
• How is storage organized in this server? The system combines a large number of HDDs for capacity with NVMe drives for caching or tiering, enabling fast access to hot data while keeping overall storage cost-efficient.
• What kind of processors does it use? The Serv60+8 utilizes dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors, with configuration options to balance performance, memory bandwidth, and budget for diverse SDS environments.
• What management features are included? Enterprise-grade remote management interfaces are supported (such as Redfish, iLO/ILO, or similar), allowing monitoring, alerting, firmware updates, and remote diagnostics from a single pane of glass.
• Is this server suitable for 24/7 operation? Yes. It is built for data-center reliability with redundant power supplies, hot-swappable components, and robust cooling designed to keep uptime high under continuous workloads.
• Can I customize memory and storage configurations? Yes. The Serv60+8 is designed to accommodate a range of memory capacities and drive configurations to fit varying SDS and virtualization requirements.