HP Proliant ML350p Gen8 enquiry

[aftech]

I am going to buy a HP Proliant ML350p Gen8 for my home to use as a NAS and to run DHCP  and a few VMs. The one I'm looking at has 2.5" caddys with no drives in currently. I have 3.5" NAS drives I'd be putting in. If I buy 3.5" caddys like these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143272670148 would that work okay?

Thank you.

[support_s]

System recommended content:

1. HPE ProLiant ML350p Gen8 Server - System Manageability

2. HPE Proliant ML350p Gen8 Server User Guide

Please click on "Thumbs Up/Kudo" icon to give a "Kudo".

Thank you for being a HPE valuable community member.

[aftech]

Cannot find anything from 2.5" caddy to 3.5" caddy

[Suman_1978]

Hi,

I would recommend to gothrough the QuickSpecs and see the compatibility for drive cages.  Page#34.
NOTE:Mixing of SFF and LFF drive cages is not allowed.
NOTE:Additional Hot Plug Drive Cages require a separate Smart Array controller for each drive cage.

Cabling Storage

Thank You!
I work with HPE but opinions expressed here are mine.
Recent Support Video Releases

[Suman_1978]

Hello @aftech 

Let me know if you were able to resolve the issue.

If you have no further query and you are satisfied with the answer then kindly mark the topic as Solved so that it is helpful for all community members.

Thankyou
Suman

[aftech]

@Suman_1978 

Could I not just put my SSD and 2 3..5" Seagate Ironwolf NAS drives in the side of the case then?

[Suman_1978]

Hi,

Never tried this configuration our selves.

Thank You!
I work with HPE but opinions expressed here are mine.
Recent Support Video Releases

[DVT7125]

I did something very similar with 2.5 in HDD to 1.5 in SSDs in an ml350 gen 6, so I can't see why it would not work on a newer ml and just 3.5 to 2.5.

DVT

[pchops]

---

@aftech wrote:

@Suman_1978 

Could I not just put my SSD and 2 3..5" Seagate Ironwolf NAS drives in the side of the case then?

---

The problem is that there is not a practical way to mount 3.5" hard drives without using an LFF drive cage. Sure, you could probably somehow mount them vertically in the removable drive bays, but I'm not sure I would trust my data with that configuration. IMHO, you might be better off looking for an ML350p Gen8 unit with an LFF drive cage for the NAS drives (or if the deal on the SFF model is too sweet to pass up, swap out the SFF drive cage with an LFF drive cage). Then, you could use a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter to also install the SSD in the LFF drive cage (or you could find an alternate mounting location for the SSD -- not ideal, but less risky than cobbling together a mount for spinning rust drives).

However, just be aware that the SFF and LFF drive cages require Smart Carrier (SC) sleds for each drive for proper operation (Smart Array drive LED control). Also, the use of non-HPE drives may cause increased fan speed (and the increased noise level that comes along with that).