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Re: SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

 
Stephen Hoar
New Member

SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

Hi - We'd prefer to use existing 53xx hosts rather than NetRAID-4M's in a mixed hardware environment.

We're using the current 3.4x f/w for our 5304 SmartArrays - now identified as 'HP Compaq SmartArray' - Question is:

Can we get full performance [ie have the on-disk write-cache enabled] if we use some of our HP P1166A/P2473A [ie fujitsu MAN3184MC - we have quite a few of these] drives with these hosts?

Drives have or will have f/w [A7E]HP06.

Thank you.
4 REPLIES 4
John Marinov
Frequent Advisor

Re: SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

I think the cache is turned off because it isn't battery backed. 5300 series array controllers have a battery backed cache. Data won't be lost if you lost power. If you turned on the drive cache and had a power failure, you would lose writes.
Stephen Hoar
New Member

Re: SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

Hi - our 530x hosts have battery-backed cache.

Must admit I thought they all did.
Chanler Childs
Frequent Advisor

Re: SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

Correct, the 5300 has battery backed cache, the hard drives themselves do not. You can turn the disk caches back on, with plenty of warning screens to make you think twice about it.

Only you know your enviornment, I can't say if its a good idea or not, but it can be done.
Stephen Hoar
New Member

Re: SmartArray 53xx w/ HP [fujitsu] HD's?

Chanler Childs - Hi - no, you can't enable write-cache for non-Compaq-firmware drives when using 530x firmware pre-3.4 [we've tried this].

You can of course enable write-cache for Compaq drives; but our interest is in using a bunch of existing HP-firmware fujitsu MAN3xxx-series HD's - we just want to know whether this is in fact practical [using a 'HP' firmware 3.4x for the SmartArray 530x'] before going through the hassle of breaking up existing arrays, & etc & etc