Proliant Servers - Retired

[JL98]

I am still using some "retired" proliant servers and I'm looking for some information about :
1) HDD size limitations on 2500R & 6500R Servers - I'm using Smart Array Controllers - Smart 2P in 2500R & Smart Array 3200 in 6500R
2) Using Hot Swap Trays - WideUltra3 SCSI

Thanks,
JL98

[JL98]

One last bit of info .........

I am currently using 36.4 GB in the 6500R & 2500R Servers and would like to go to 72 GB if they'll support them.


Thanks,

JL98

[NMory]

JL:

The best way to know if the smart arrays are going to support your drives is by looking at their quickspecs:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/North_America/90002.html


For example for the 3200 you can check the quickspec here:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10262_na/10262_na.html

ans just scroll down to know wich are the supported protocols, speeds, and the drives

LN

[NMory]

You can also try that with the quickspecs of each one the servers that you have:

You can find them in this link:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/North_America/90013.html

Regards,

LN

[JL98]

LN,
Thanks for your input.
I am looking for information on HDD "size" limitations on these Servers and Controllers.
I saw where they can support up to 15 HDD's but there was nothing in regards to the "maximum size" thta they will allow to be used.
I'm asking because it seems to me that our 2500R would only "see" the 36.4 GB HDD's as 18GB or approx. half of the HDD size in the Array Config Software.

The 6500R PIII Xeon Server is my main focus and what the "maximum size" HDD's that it will support are.
I thought that I had seen a Matrix on Compaq / HP's web site that said up 72 GB HDD's for the 6500's but now I cannot find that link again.

Thanks,

JL98

[NMory · Accepted solution]

JL:

For the 6500: this are the drives supported:

the protocol supported is
Wide-Ultra SCSI â 3 â Hot Plug

with the 1-inch drives
Max supported 18.2-GB 10,000 rpm
and up to 7 disks

With the 1.6-inch drives
Max supported 36.4-GB 10,000 rpm
and up to 5 disks


Maximum Storage Capacity â (SCSI Attached)
Internal: 182 GB (5 x 36.4-GB hot pluggable drives)
External: Over 1.4 TB hot plug SCSI storage
Total: 1.53 TB
Maximum Storage Capacity â (External StorageWorks Enclosure Attached)
Internal: 182 GB (5 x 36.4-GB hot pluggable drives)
External: 3.057 TB (12 x 14 x 18.2-GB hot pluggable drives)
Total: 3.239 TB
Maximum Storage Capacity â (External RAID Array 4000 Attached)
Internal: 182 GB (5 x 36.4-GB hot pluggable drives)
External: Over 8-TB hot plug SCSI storage
Total: 8.13 TB


You can find this info on the quickspecs...

I don't know if this is the link that you are refering to but it doesn't include those type of hardrives and servers:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/drives-enclosures/docs/index.html

ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/proliantstorage/drives-enclosures/hotplug.pdf



Here is the link for the quickspecs of the 2500R:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/ProLiant2500r/quickspecs.html

Under the Options section under Hard Drives you will see the supported Hard Drives...


LN

[JL98]

LN,
Thanks for your speedy replys and effort.
I guess that I'll have to expand externally to get additonal HDD space then if 36.4GB is the maximum size HDD supported.



Thanks again,

JL98

[Dean Malandris]

I'm curious about the hard drive size limit too. I have a 7000 which I'd like to build into a file server. I know the general idea is that you're limited to 36GB drives, but is that more due to that fact that those were the biggest drives you could get at the time, and it was a physical limitation rather than an electrical one?

In other words, is there anything stopping me from getting six drives 1" high of say 73GB each and filling a bay with them to get me over 400GB?

[NMory]

Dean:

I understand your point, and you can try them, but there is nothing written that tells you that they are supported. The thing is that if something happends to one of the drives, you know how this works, if there is no written paper that the drives are supported on your server probably you will get no warranty on failure for your disk because of that, and/or maybe you will. But just to avoid those kind of situations is recommended to use what it is said to be supported.

Again if you still want to try it, to get the best performance on this new HDs, you might want to make sure your controller card runs at the same SCSI speeed and protocol as your HDs, you can by an additional one that can support these drives, and also make sure to update all the component's firmwares and drivers to the latest versions (HDs, SCSI Controllers, System board, etc).

LN