5.1 HPE MSA Gen7 Hardware: Models, Controllers, Drives & Expansion
Key Takeaways
HPE MSA Gen7, launched in December 2024, includes the MSA 2070, MSA 2070 Flash Bundles, MSA 2072 Hybrid-Flash and TAA-compliant MSA 2070 models.
Every MSA Gen7 array has two controllers with 4 host ports each (8 per array); single-controller configurations are not supported.
Host connectivity is 16Gb or 32Gb Fibre Channel, 10/25GbE or 10GBASE-T iSCSI, or 12Gb SAS, depending on the model.
An array scales to 9 expansion enclosures, 240 SFF or 120 LFF drives and 7.37 PB raw, with 48 GB of data cache plus system memory per array.
The MSA 2072 includes two 1.92 TB read-intensive SSDs and the Advanced Data Services license; self-encrypting drives are supported only on MSA 2070 models.
HPE MSA Gen7 Hardware
Quick Answer: The HPE MSA Gen7 is HPE's entry-level, dual-controller block array. The family is the MSA 2070 (LFF or SFF, every host protocol), MSA 2070 Flash Bundles (12 read-intensive SSDs included), the MSA 2072 Hybrid-Flash (SFF, two 1.92 TB SSDs and the Advanced Data Services license included) and TAA-compliant MSA 2070 models. Each array has two controllers and 8 host ports, supports 16/32Gb FC, 10/25GbE or 10GBASE-T iSCSI, or 12Gb SAS, and scales to 9 expansion enclosures and 7.37 PB raw.
Where the MSA fits
HPE positions the MSA as an affordable, simple shared-storage array for small and midsize businesses, remote offices and departmental clusters. HPE notes it has been the leading shared storage for HPE ProLiant servers for more than 25 years. The MSA is block-only, managed locally, and designed to be customer-installable, self-repairable and self-upgradable.
The Gen7 model family
| Model | Form factor | Host interfaces | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA 2070 | 2U, 12 LFF or 24 SFF bays | 16Gb FC, 32Gb FC, 10/25GbE iSCSI, 10GBASE-T iSCSI or 12Gb SAS | Array only; Advanced Data Services (ADS) Suite optional |
| MSA 2070 Flash Bundle | 2U SFF | 16Gb FC, 32Gb FC or 10/25GbE iSCSI | Twelve factory-integrated read-intensive SSDs (23 TB or 46 TB bundles) |
| MSA 2072 Hybrid-Flash | 2U SFF | 16Gb FC, 32Gb FC, 10/25GbE iSCSI, 10GBASE-T iSCSI or 12Gb SAS | Two factory-integrated 1.92 TB read-intensive SSDs plus one ADS license |
| TAA-compliant MSA 2070 | 2U SFF | FC, iSCSI or SAS | Requires at least six factory-integrated drives |
| HPE Smart Choice bundles | 2U SFF | FC, iSCSI or SAS | Preconfigured all-flash bundles with up to 92 TB raw included |
The FC and 10/25GbE iSCSI models ship without transceivers (Smart Choice bundles excepted); you order four or eight SFPs. The 10GBASE-T and 12Gb SAS models do not need SFPs.
Controller architecture
| Feature | MSA Gen7 value |
|---|---|
| Controllers per array | 2 (dual controllers are mandatory) |
| Host ports | 4 per controller, 8 per array |
| Cache | 48 GB of data (read/write) cache plus system memory per array |
| Read cache extension | Up to 8.34 TB (7.6 TiB) of SSD read cache per array |
| RAID engine | RAID offload ASIC and processor |
| Cache protection | Battery-free backup with supercapacitors and a flash memory card |
| Expansion ports | 12Gb SAS |
| Hot-plug parts | Controllers, drives, fans, power supplies and I/O modules |
Active-active by pool
The controllers run an active/active, dual-pool design. Pool A is owned by controller A and pool B by controller B, and both controllers serve I/O at the same time. The array can also be set up active/passive with a single pool. Hosts use multipathing with ALUA (Asymmetric Logical Unit Access): paths through the controller that owns a volume's pool are optimized, and paths through the partner controller are non-optimized. If a controller fails, its partner takes over its pool. HPE states that single-controller operation exists only in this failover state; you cannot buy a single-controller MSA Gen7.
Write cache protection
Writes are acknowledged once they are in cache and mirrored to the partner controller. If power fails, supercapacitors keep the controller running long enough to copy cache contents to a flash memory card. Because there are no batteries, there is no battery to monitor, age out or replace.
Drives and enclosures
| Drive type | Capacities in the Gen7 QuickSpecs |
|---|---|
| SFF SSD | 1.92, 3.84 and 7.68 TB |
| LFF SSD | 1.92 TB |
| SFF 10K SAS HDD | 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 TB |
| LFF 7.2K midline SAS HDD | 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 TB |
| Self-encrypting SSD (SED) | SFF 1.92, 3.84, 15.36 and 30.72 TB; LFF 1.92 TB |
| Self-encrypting HDD (SED) | SFF 2.4 TB; LFF 12 TB |
SSDs give the highest performance, 10K SAS HDDs balance performance and cost, and 7.2K midline HDDs give the lowest cost per TB. Self-encrypting drives are supported only on MSA 2070 and TAA-compliant MSA 2070 models, not on Flash Bundles or the MSA 2072.
Expansion
- Add 0 to 9 expansion enclosures: the 2U 12-drive LFF enclosure or the 2U 24-drive SFF enclosure. LFF and SFF enclosures can be mixed.
- Each enclosure has two I/O modules and connects with mini-SAS HD cables to the array's expansion ports or to the previous enclosure.
- Maximum drives: 240 SFF or 120 LFF.
- Maximum raw capacity: 7.37 PB with all-SFF high-capacity SSDs, or 2.88 PB all-LFF (24 TB drives).
- Drives and enclosures can be hot-added.
Performance
HPE's internal benchmarks for MSA Gen7 list 783,000 random read IOPS, 227,000 random write IOPS, 14.1 GB/s segmented sequential reads and 9.6 GB/s segmented sequential writes. HPE also states up to 2x the random IOPS and 30% more sequential bandwidth than Gen6. Real results depend on drives, RAID, hosts and workload, so size with HPE's tools rather than quoting peak numbers.
Gen7 compared with Gen6
| Area | Gen6 (MSA 1060, 2060, 2062) | Gen7 (MSA 2070, 2072) |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 2020 | December 2024 |
| Random IOPS | Baseline | Up to 2x |
| Sequential bandwidth | Baseline | Up to 30% more |
| Fibre Channel | 16Gb | 16Gb and 32Gb |
| Online controller and drive firmware updates | Not a Gen6 feature | New in Gen7, through MSA Smart Components |
| Drive protection | MSA-DP+ introduced | MSA-DP+ continued |
Gen6 and Gen7 share the same drive carriers, so HPE describes them as MSA Gen6/Gen7 carriers. Customers with Gen6 arrays remain supported, but a new design should specify Gen7.
Design example
A medical clinic has a three-host VMware cluster, about 60 TB of data and a modest budget. The architect proposes an MSA 2072 16Gb FC SFF array: the two included 1.92 TB SSDs and the ADS license enable a performance tier, 10K SAS drives hold active virtual machines, and an LFF expansion enclosure of 7.2K midline drives holds image archives. Two FC switches give each host one path to each controller. A later replica at a second clinic would use Remote Snap, licensed on both arrays (section 5.3).
Common exam traps
- Single-controller MSA: not supported in Gen7.
- SED on an MSA 2072: not supported; choose an MSA 2070.
- "The MSA 2072 needs an extra license for tiering": the ADS license is included.
- Expansion limit: 9 enclosures, not unlimited.
A customer asks for an HPE MSA Gen7 with a single controller to save cost at a branch office. How should the architect respond?
Order an MSA 2070 with one controller now and add the second controller later
Explain that every MSA Gen7 requires two controllers; one controller runs alone only after a failover
Order an MSA 2072, which is the model that ships with a single controller
Use the MSA 2070 Flash Bundle, which is the single-controller variant
A customer requires self-encrypting drives in a new HPE MSA Gen7 array. Which model family must the architect choose?
MSA 2072 Hybrid-Flash with included SSDs
MSA 2070 Flash Bundle with 12 SSDs
Any HPE Smart Choice all-flash bundle
MSA 2070 or TAA-compliant MSA 2070
What is included with every HPE MSA 2072 Hybrid-Flash storage system?
Two 1.92 TB read-intensive SSDs and one ADS license
Twelve read-intensive SSDs and no software licenses at all
A single controller and a half-height LTO-9 tape drive
Two 24 TB midline HDDs and a Remote Snap license for the partner array
What are the expansion limits of a single HPE MSA Gen7 array?
3 expansion enclosures and a maximum of 96 SFF drives
Unlimited enclosures when 32Gb FC controllers are installed
Up to 9 expansion enclosures, for 240 SFF or 120 LFF drives in total
Up to 16 JBOF expansion shelves connected through 100GbE switches
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.