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I have a CentOS/Xen VM server running on a PE T710 with a PERC 6/i, which has a 6 disk RAID 10 + 1 hot spare. The chassis only holds 8 3.5" disks, and so I'm looking for an aftermarket (used/eBay) DAS. (My boss basically allocates me no budget).

I'd love to get an MSA70 (I could do with an MSA50, but it's too loud for a small office environment). They're a whole lot cheaper than any 2.5" PowerVault.

A P800 controller is significantly cheaper than a PERC 6/E, and it's compatible with the MSA70.

Before I commit to this configuration, my question is: Will I be able to manage the P800 controller at runtime? I have OMSA installed on dom0 to manage the chassis and PERC, but will the HP management software play nicely with OMSA?

Would a PERC 6/E connect to and recognize the MSA70 in the first place?

I know this is a non-standard, non-supported configuration, but due to budget constraints we don't have a Dell support contract. Any ideas for an alternate configuration in the same budget ($500ish) would be appreciated.

s.co.tt
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Yes, you will be able to manage the Smart Array P800 controller via its BIOS utility (ORCA) as well as within the operating system using the hpacucli array management utility.

Don't install the full HP management suite. Use Dell OMSA since that's the real hardware you're using. Just download the array utility for your specific operating system (which edition of CentOS?).

But beyond that, you can also connect the StorageWorks MSA70 to any SAS HBA or RAID controller that can accommodate the SAS SFF-8088 connections.

The problem is in things like firmware updates... Due to the way the firmware for HP disks and enclosures is delivered, you'd need to connect to an HP controller in order to bring the (presumably used) MSA70 up-to-date.

Also see: Driving an HP Storage Array From a non-HP Server

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ewwhite
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  • Thanks a lot for the quick response. I was indeed concerned about installing the full HP mgt suite, but administering the card from the CLI is good enough for me. It's CentOS 6, patched up to .3 IIRC. And good point about the firmware updates. I am going to get the P800 anyhow, but good to know for the future. – s.co.tt May 16 '13 at 17:47