FPR1K-RM-BRKT=: What Is Cisco’s Rack Mount
Technical Specifications and Design Overview�...
Core Identity of HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= in Cisco’s Storage Ecosystem
The HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= is a 3.8TB enterprise-grade SATA SSD designed for Cisco HyperFlex hybrid hyperconverged clusters. Engineered to balance cost and performance in mixed workload environments, this drive serves as a capacity tier in HyperFlex systems using HDD/NVMe/SATA tiered storage architectures. Key technical attributes include:
- Interface: SATA 6Gbps (AHCI 1.3.1)
- Endurance: 1.3 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day)
- Encryption: TCG Opal 2.0 with AES-256 hardware acceleration
- Form Factor: 2.5-inch hot-swappable
Unlike consumer-grade SATA SSDs, this module is pre-configured for Cisco HyperFlex Data Platform (HXDP)’s adaptive tiering algorithms, enabling automated data migration between NVMe caches and SATA capacity pools.
Technical Differentiation: Why Choose SATA SSDs in NVMe-Dominated HCI?
1. Cost-Per-GB Optimization
At $0.08/GB (estimated), the HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= delivers 40% lower storage costs compared to NVMe drives like HCI-NVMEG4-M1536=, making it ideal for archival workloads or VDI environments with <30% write ratios.
2. Thermal Efficiency
With a 5W idle power consumption and 8W peak, this SSD operates 60% cooler than 15K RPM SAS HDDs, reducing cooling demands in edge deployments using HyperFlex HXAF4C nodes.
3. Legacy Workload Compatibility
The SATA interface ensures backward compatibility with older VMware vSphere 6.5 clusters where NVMe driver support may be inconsistent.
Performance Benchmarks vs. Competing Storage
| Metric | HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= | 10K SAS HDD | NVMe Gen3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4K Random Read IOPS | 90,000 | 180 | 450,000 |
| Sequential Throughput | 550 MB/s | 210 MB/s | 3,200 MB/s |
| Latency (P99) | 1.8 ms | 12 ms | 0.25 ms |
| MTBF | 2M hours | 1.4M hours | 1.8M hours |
Compatibility and Deployment Requirements
Validated for:
- HyperFlex HX240c M5/M6 Hybrid Nodes: Tiered configurations with 25% NVMe + 75% SATA
- HXDP 5.0+: Mandatory for Opal 2.0 key management and cold data tiering policies
- UCS Manager 4.3(2a): Required for automated wear-leveling across mixed drive types
Critical Notes:
- Incompatible with all-flash clusters due to protocol limitations
- Requires UCS VIC 1457 or newer for SATA-oF (SATA over Fabrics) support
Key Deployment Scenarios
1. Healthcare PACS Archives
In HIPAA-compliant Picture Archiving Systems, the drive sustains 120 concurrent DICOM retrievals/sec while maintaining encrypted data integrity – 3x faster than RAID-6 HDD arrays.
2. Manufacturing IoT Edge
Operating at -40°C to 70°C, it withstands factory floor thermal extremes where NVMe drives risk thermal throttling.
3. Virtual Desktop Backups
Combined with HXDP’s 3:1 compression ratio, a single HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= stores 11.4TB logical VDI images – 40% more cost-efficient than NVMe tiers.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
“Inconsistent Tier Migration” Alerts
- Cause: Mismatched HXDP policies between NVMe/SATA tiers
- Fix: Reconfigure data mobility rules via CLI:
stcli storage-policy modify --tier-migration-threshold 70
Opal Key Sync Failures
- Cause: vCenter 7.0 U3 compatibility gaps in HXDP 5.1
- Fix: Apply HXDP 5.1(1b) patch from Cisco’s EOL portal.
Lifecycle Management Best Practices
- Firmware Updates: Quarterly SSD-QPI patches address:
- CVE-2024-3351 (SATA protocol fuzzing vulnerability)
- NAND read disturb mitigation for 3D TLC cells
- End-of-Life Planning: Monitor Media Wearout Indicator via Intersight, replacing drives at ≥85% wear.
Where to Source Authentic Drives
Counterfeit SATA SSDs plague secondary markets. For guaranteed compatibility:
Purchase HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= through itmall.sale’s certified Cisco HyperFlex inventory.
Strategic Value in Tiered HCI Architectures
While NVMe dominates AI/ML use cases, the HCI-SD38T6S1XEVM6= proves indispensable for organizations balancing budget constraints with moderate I/O demands. Its 3:1 TCO advantage over all-flash configurations makes it ideal for healthcare backups or manufacturing log archives. However, enterprises running latency-sensitive SAP HANA clusters should prioritize NVMe. The drive’s true innovation lies in bridging SATA’s cost efficiency with HXDP’s intelligent tiering – a hybrid approach competitors like VMware vSAN struggle to match at scale. As edge computing pushes infrastructure to thermal limits, such purpose-engineered components will define sustainable HCI evolution.