Drive configuration in HP DL380 Gen 9
Hello
I was hoping for some advice on drives and configuration for a server I want to spec up.
The server is an HP DL380 Gen 9. part number: 826684-B21
The RAID card in the controller is a HP Smart Array P440ar/2GB FBWC 12Gb 1-port Int SAS Controller
(726736-B21).
I want to put a second internal drive cage for additional storage. But the RAID controller only supports 8 connections (the bay already in there)
I have been told a SAS expander card will do this for me (part number: 727250-B21): I understand this will allow me to fulfil 16 connections... is this correct?
I would like to run 5 times 1.2 TB 10K SAS drives in a RAID 1+0 (with one spare) in drive cage 1. This will be for the operating systems of 4-5 virtual servers (DC, File, Exchange and SQL (SQL DB and logs will be on a different array). I have been led to believe that 10K drives will suffice for this job and to ensure I have a lot of memory. is this true? I think single or dual port drives makes no difference in this config? Also, what about 6G or 12G... I have seen 2 part numbers 781518-B21 and 718162-B21 and the price is pretty much identical. Do I need 12G because the raid controller is 12G?
On the second drive cage I wanted to run 2 arrays. 2 * 480GB SATA SSD's in RAID 1 (twice over) and a hot spare (5 drives in total). 1 array for SQL log files and 1 for SQL Database. Having separate RAID arrays was recommended for the SQL application.
Obviously SATA SSD are about half the price of SAS SSD's! I have read differing opinions. Is this a false economy? I thought running the SATA drives (they will be HP enterprise SATA drives) in a mirror would be ok... I understand they can have problems in RAID 5-6 configurations?
Thanks for any help
I was hoping for some advice on drives and configuration for a server I want to spec up.
The server is an HP DL380 Gen 9. part number: 826684-B21
The RAID card in the controller is a HP Smart Array P440ar/2GB FBWC 12Gb 1-port Int SAS Controller
(726736-B21).
I want to put a second internal drive cage for additional storage. But the RAID controller only supports 8 connections (the bay already in there)
I have been told a SAS expander card will do this for me (part number: 727250-B21): I understand this will allow me to fulfil 16 connections... is this correct?
I would like to run 5 times 1.2 TB 10K SAS drives in a RAID 1+0 (with one spare) in drive cage 1. This will be for the operating systems of 4-5 virtual servers (DC, File, Exchange and SQL (SQL DB and logs will be on a different array). I have been led to believe that 10K drives will suffice for this job and to ensure I have a lot of memory. is this true? I think single or dual port drives makes no difference in this config? Also, what about 6G or 12G... I have seen 2 part numbers 781518-B21 and 718162-B21 and the price is pretty much identical. Do I need 12G because the raid controller is 12G?
On the second drive cage I wanted to run 2 arrays. 2 * 480GB SATA SSD's in RAID 1 (twice over) and a hot spare (5 drives in total). 1 array for SQL log files and 1 for SQL Database. Having separate RAID arrays was recommended for the SQL application.
Obviously SATA SSD are about half the price of SAS SSD's! I have read differing opinions. Is this a false economy? I thought running the SATA drives (they will be HP enterprise SATA drives) in a mirror would be ok... I understand they can have problems in RAID 5-6 configurations?
Thanks for any help
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I didnt suggest creating a gig, I dropped my phone and pressed a few buttons picking it up!
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Phew, that's a relief... a gigs project did sound like a fair amount of work :)
Thanks again for replying Andy.
Thanks for your opinion on the SAS 10K disks... I was thinking that but it's great to see you feel the same.
I am considering SATA SSD's instead of SAS SSD's to save cost... I would love to go for HP Fusion but don't want to increase cost.
The factory installed P440 controller will be responsible for the 5 * 1.2TB (OS array) in a RAID 1+0
Having considered your advice I want to install a second p440 (726736-B21) which is listed as a PCi Express, I think it is identical to the installed card and I believe the server can fit both...?
In the second array card I will create a RAID 1 array for log files as per your advice, using spinning disks, AND create a RAID 1 using the following SATA SSD's for the database; the part number I currently like: 764927-B21 is available at a very good price. Do you think this drive is suitable for the application? (30-40 users reading and writing to an ERP database, I thought the IOPS from an SSD would improve performance of DB)
Thanks again for replying Andy.
Thanks for your opinion on the SAS 10K disks... I was thinking that but it's great to see you feel the same.
I am considering SATA SSD's instead of SAS SSD's to save cost... I would love to go for HP Fusion but don't want to increase cost.
The factory installed P440 controller will be responsible for the 5 * 1.2TB (OS array) in a RAID 1+0
Having considered your advice I want to install a second p440 (726736-B21) which is listed as a PCi Express, I think it is identical to the installed card and I believe the server can fit both...?
In the second array card I will create a RAID 1 array for log files as per your advice, using spinning disks, AND create a RAID 1 using the following SATA SSD's for the database; the part number I currently like: 764927-B21 is available at a very good price. Do you think this drive is suitable for the application? (30-40 users reading and writing to an ERP database, I thought the IOPS from an SSD would improve performance of DB)
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Thank you Andy
Yes you are correct... I could fit 8 spinning drives (OS array and SQL logs array with spares) into drive cage 1 plugged into the supplied P440.
Then that seems like a good option of Software RAID on cage 2 for the SATA SSD's running the SQL database. Can i expect the same sort of performance as the hardware RAID of the 440?
I don't expect it to be an exceptionally high write environment, it is an ERP system. Either way I can swallow the price of a replacement drive if it came to it.
Andy thank you very much, my spec has changed considerably from start to finish and I am much more confident now with the spec. The above question is my last
Yes you are correct... I could fit 8 spinning drives (OS array and SQL logs array with spares) into drive cage 1 plugged into the supplied P440.
Then that seems like a good option of Software RAID on cage 2 for the SATA SSD's running the SQL database. Can i expect the same sort of performance as the hardware RAID of the 440?
I don't expect it to be an exceptionally high write environment, it is an ERP system. Either way I can swallow the price of a replacement drive if it came to it.
Andy thank you very much, my spec has changed considerably from start to finish and I am much more confident now with the spec. The above question is my last
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thank you for all your help. Brilliant help Andy
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brilliant level of knowledge and help, thank you Andy
ASKER
Thank you for your help, I am glad you replied as I had researched a number of questions in the area and found your answers on those questions to be very good.
You have addressed a number of concerns and I appreciate that.
I will take your advice on using spinning disks for transactions logs. Do you fell it is worth using SSD for the SQL database (there will be a balance of reading and writing). Would SATA SSD in a RAID 1 be ok (480GB disks) or do you feel SAS is the only way to go for SSD's in any sort of RAID?
Do you have any concerns regarding using 4 times 1.2TB 10K SAS disks in a RAID 1+0 configuration for the virtualisation of 4 servers? SOmeone suggested I would be better off with 15K disks but the largest 15K disks are 600MB. I understood that with a lot of memory I wouldnt have a problem that they were 10K disks?
thank you again for your time and help
I appreciate the advice on the RAID controller and will also take your advice on a second P440 card instead of the expander card. I wish I could cut down to under 8 drives but I don't see it as a possibility with the numerous arrays requested.