HPE Modular Smart Array (MSA) SAN Storage Package.

The HPE Modular Smart Array (MSA) SAN Storage Solution (combining K2Q36B SAN Dual Controller Base Array, E7Y71A LFF Expansion Enclosure, and K2P94B Enterprise Hard Drives) provides a high-availability, enterprise-class block storage package for small-to-medium businesses and departmental IT. Built on HPE’s proven MSA architecture, this Large Form Factor (LFF) SAN bundle delivers redundant dual-controller performance, high-density enterprise 12G SAS drive storage, and flexible host connectivity for virtualized workloads and critical database.

Description

Scale your enterprise storage infrastructure with confidence using the HPE Modular Smart Array (MSA) SAN Storage Package. Built to deliver low total cost of ownership (TCO) without sacrificing enterprise reliability, this hardware combination integrates a high-performance 2U LFF base SAN array, a high-density LFF expansion enclosure, and high-speed enterprise SAS drives.

Designed for demanding SMB applications, branch office deployments, and virtualized servers (VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V), this package delivers active-active controller architecture, simple management, and seamless array expansion.

Included Components & SKU Breakdown

HPE K2Q36B — SAN Controller Array Chassis (LFF): The main 2U storage chassis featuring dual active SAN controllers for continuous uptime, hardware redundancy, and flexible host connection protocols (Fibre Channel or iSCSI options).
HPE E7Y71A — MSA LFF Disk Expansion Enclosure: A 2U 12-bay Large Form Factor (3.5-inch) drive enclosure that connects directly to the base array via SAS expansion cables to instantly scale total raw storage capacity.
HPE K2P94B — 1.8TB 12G SAS 10K LFF Enterprise Hard Drive(s): Enterprise-class 3.5-inch 10,000 RPM SAS drives featuring 12Gb/s data transfer rates, low latency, and digitised firmware protection for high-IOPS enterprise storage demands.

Key Features & Benefits

Dual-Controller High Availability: Active/active dual SAN controller design eliminates single points of failure, ensuring continuous data access during hardware maintenance or controller failure.
Flexible Host Connectivity: Supports high-speed SAN interconnects (16Gb/8Gb Fibre Channel or 10GbE/1GbE iSCSI) to seamlessly fit into existing datacenter fabrics.
Scalable LFF Density: Utilizing 3.5-inch Large Form Factor bays allows cost-effective capacity growth using high-density enterprise drives.
Enterprise-Grade Data Protection: Built-in support for volume snapshots, remote replication, and automated storage tiering to optimize hot data placement across drive tiers.
Redundant Hot-Swappable Hardware: Hot-pluggable power supplies, cooling fan modules, controllers, and drive carriers ensure uninterrupted uptime.

Technical Specifications

Feature	Specification
Brand / Family	Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) MSA Storage
Component SKUs	K2Q36B (Array), E7Y71A (Enclosure), K2P94B (Drives)
Combined Form Factor	4U Total Rack Space (2U Base Array + 2U Expansion)
Controller Architecture	Dual Active Controllers (High Availability)
Drive Form Factor	3.5-inch Large Form Factor (LFF)
Drive Interface / Speed	12Gb/s SAS / 10,000 RPM Enterprise
Drive Capacity	1.8TB per K2P94B HDD
Host Connectivity	Fibre Channel (8Gb/16Gb) or iSCSI (1GbE/10GbE)
Expansion Protocol	6Gb/12Gb SAS Enclosure Interconnect
Power & Cooling	Redundant Hot-Swap Power Supplies (100–240V AC)
Management Platform	HPE MSA Management Utility (SMU / Web GUI), CLI

Ideal Applications

Virtualization Infrastructure: Optimized block storage array for VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, and Citrix deployments.
Database & OLTP Workloads: Fast 10K RPM SAS drive execution for transactional databases (Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle).
Centralized Enterprise Backup Target: High-capacity LFF configuration ideal for fast local disk backup and archiving targets.
Branch Office Datacenters: High-availability SAN footprint for regional sites requiring minimal IT intervention.