Cisco UCS-HD6T7KL4KM= Enterprise Hard Drive: Technical Specifications and Deployment Best Practices

​​Architectural Overview of the UCS-HD6T7KL4KM=​​

The Cisco UCS-HD6T7KL4KM= is a ​​6TB 7.2K RPM Nearline SAS-3 HDD​​ designed for mid-tier storage workloads in Cisco’s Unified Computing System (UCS) environments. Optimized for read-intensive operations, it features a ​​3.5-inch form factor​​ with dual-port SAS-3 (12 Gbps) connectivity, targeting virtualization, backup repositories, and distributed file systems. Key specifications include:

• ​​Interface​​: SAS-3 (12 Gbps), backward-compatible with SAS-2
• ​​Cache​​: 256 MB DRAM with Partial Power Loss Protection (PPL)
• ​​MTBF​​: 2.0 million hours (24/7 operation at 40°C ambient)
• ​​Workload Rating​​: 180 TB/year (Cisco Validated)
• ​​Encryption​​: FIPS 140-2 Level 2 AES-256 via Cisco Storage Media Encryption

​​Cisco-Specific Engineering Enhancements​​

The drive incorporates proprietary technologies to optimize integration with Cisco UCS platforms:

• ​​Adaptive Vibration Compensation (AVC)​​: Reduces performance degradation in dense configurations by ​​35%​​ through real-time vibration damping algorithms.
• ​​RAID QuickRebuild​​: Pre-configured firmware profiles for UCS S3260 servers reduce RAID-6 rebuild times to ​​6 hours​​ (vs. 9 hours for generic drives).
• ​​UCS Manager Health Analytics​​: Embedded sensors provide predictive failure alerts via Cisco Intersight, improving uptime by ​​22%​​ in clustered deployments.

Cisco’s benchmarks demonstrate ​​210 MB/s sustained throughput​​ for sequential reads (1M blocks), outperforming standard SAS-3 drives by ​​15%​​.

​​Compatibility and System Requirements​​

​​Validated platforms​​:

• ​​Servers​​: UCS S3260 Storage Server, UCS C240 M5/M6
• ​​Storage Controllers​​: Cisco 12G SAS Modular RAID with 512e Advanced Format
• ​​Hypervisors​​: VMware ESXi 7.0U3, Red Hat Ceph Storage 5.3

​​Deployment prerequisites​​:

• ​​Power​​: 12V DC (6.8W idle, 10.2W active)
• ​​Cooling​​: 180 LFM airflow (drive bay ambient ≤40°C)
• ​​Firmware​​: UCS Storage Manager 3.2(1d)+ for T10 PI (Protection Information)

​​Performance Benchmarks and Optimization​​

​​Workload-specific metrics​​:

• ​​VMware VMFS-5​​: 28,000 IOPS (64K random reads, 80/20 R/W ratio)
• ​​Hadoop HDFS​​: 800 TB/day ingest rate (128 MB block size)
• ​​Backup Repositories​​: 95% deduplication efficiency with Cisco HyperFlex Boost

​​Optimization strategies​​:

1. Enable ​​Write Cache Mirroring​​ via storcli /c0/e252/s0 set wc=on for mission-critical writes.
2. Align ​​Advanced Format​​ sectors using sg_format --format --size=4096 /dev/sg0.
3. Configure ​​Cisco I/O Scheduler​​ to prioritize metadata operations in Ceph clusters.

​​Installation and Maintenance Guidelines​​

​​Physical installation​​:

• ​​Drive Trays​​: Cisco TRAY-3.5-AVC= with vibration-dampening rails (torque to ​​0.6 N·m​​)
• ​​Hot-Swap Protocol​​: Allow ​​30-second spin-down​​ (enforced by UCS Storage Manager 3.2+)
• ​​Firmware updates​​:

ucs-storage-controller –drive 0 –update –url ftp://10.1.1.1/hd6t7kl4km_3.2.1d.bin  

​​Addressing Critical Operational Concerns​​

​​Q: Reducing performance degradation in high-vibration environments?​​

1. Activate ​​AVC Pro Mode​​ via smartctl -l ssd /dev/sda.
2. Limit adjacent drive activity to 50% during rebuild operations.
3. Replace trays every ​​5 years​​ per Cisco TAC guidelines.

​​Q: Resolving SAS-3 “PHY Reset” errors in scaled deployments?​​

1. Use ​​Cisco CAB-SAS-12G-SR=​​ cables (max 2m length) with EMI shielding.
2. Disable ​​Link Power Management​​ with sas2ircu 0 set lpm=off.
3. Update controller firmware to 3.2(1f)+ for improved error recovery.

​​Q: Compatibility with third-party JBODs?​​
Certified for HPE StoreEasy 1650 via Cisco SAS Interop Mode 2.3.

​​Security and Compliance Features​​

• ​​Crypto Erase​​: Instant sanitization via sg_sanitize –crypto –format /dev/sg0 (≤5 seconds).
• ​​FIPS 197 Compliance​​: Validated for U.S. federal deployments requiring encrypted media.
• ​​Secure Boot​​: Firmware signature enforcement via Cisco Trust Anchor Module.

​​Procurement and Authenticity Verification​​

Authentic UCS-HD6T7KL4KM= drives are available via [“UCS-HD6T7KL4KM=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/).

​​Verification steps​​:

1. Validate ​​Cisco Unique Device Identifier (UDI)​​ with sg_vpd –page=0x83 /dev/sg0.
2. Execute ​​Firmware Checksum Verification​​: ucs-storage-controller –drive 0 –verify.
3. Perform ​​Media Integrity Scan​​: badblocks -nsv -b 4096 /dev/sda.

​​Strategic Value in Mid-Tier Storage​​

The UCS-HD6T7KL4KM= fills a niche for enterprises balancing cost and performance in warm storage tiers. Its 6TB capacity and RAID QuickRebuild features make it ideal for regional hospitals archiving PACS data or retail chains managing distributed POS backups. However, the drive’s 7.2K RPM spindle speed limits its appeal for latency-sensitive applications like real-time analytics. While Cisco’s AVC technology addresses vibration issues common in dense configurations, the lack of NVMe-oF support positions it as a transitional solution in markets rapidly adopting all-flash arrays. For organizations standardized on Cisco UCS, it offers reliable integration—but its longevity depends on Cisco’s ability to bridge legacy HDD architectures with emerging storage-class memory technologies. The ultimate question isn’t whether it performs today, but whether it can adapt to tomorrow’s software-defined storage paradigms without becoming obsolete.