MSA 2040 - Unable to create diskgroup with SSD

[sanjayrao-redha]

I have a MSA 2040 in my lab. It was configured with 14 10K drives and 14 15K drives. We want to switch over to the SSDs. The spinning drives have been removed and 6 SSD drives were put into the bays. All old diskgroups and storage pools were deleted before the other drives were removed. Now the system has only 6 SSDs.  When I try to create a diskgroup with just SSDs, I am unable to do so because the "Add diskgroup" is grayed out. I found out from the HPE MSA guide that 

"If the first disk group is provisioned with SSDs and the system does not have the Performance Tier license installed, then the system will expect to be provisioned as an all-flash array and allow only SSDs to be used in all other disk groups."​

What do I have to do to be able to create the diskgroup without installing the "Performance Tier License"?

[sanjayrao-redha]

I did a factory reset on the MSA. But the "Add Disk Group" is still grayed out.

[sanjayrao-redha]

After the reset, the configuration wizard took me to the create new diskgroup screen and I Was able to create a "Linear" disk group. When I tried to pick "Virtual", the disks were grayed out. Any insight into this is appreciated.

For now the disk group has been created. 

[ArunKKR]

Hi Sanjay,

From MSA 2040 quickspecs sheet:

Creation of an SSD Performance Tier for both read and write capabilities requires a Performance Auto Tiering License (D4T79A/ D4T79AE). The Performance Auto Tiering License is not required in Linear Storage configurations not utilizing Virtual Storage Disk-Groups and Pools.

I believe that the below message is from MSA 2050 SMU guide and not MSA 2040:

"If the first disk group is provisioned with SSDs and the system does not have the Performance Tier license installed, then the system will expect to be provisioned as an all-flash array and allow only SSDs to be used in all other disk groups."

The concepts vary in MSA generations.

MSA 2040 supports both linear and virtual pools/disk groups.

MSA 2050 supports just virtual pools / disk groups.

MSA 2050 does allow all flash array with out license. However, MSA 2040 does not allow it in virtual Pool configuration. You could make use of linear vdisk/pool configuration for SSDs in MSA 2040.

The only major feature that you might be losing out with out license would be thin provisioning.