E100D-HDD-SAS900G=: What Is It? How Does It Enhance Cisco UCS Storage Performance and Reliability?

​​Core Design and Target Applications​​

The ​​E100D-HDD-SAS900G=​​ is a ​​900GB 10K RPM SAS 12Gbps hard drive​​ engineered for Cisco’s UCS C-Series and S-Series servers. Unlike consumer-grade SATA drives, this enterprise-class HDD prioritizes ​​high IOPS, low latency, and mission-critical durability​​. Cisco’s product briefs position it as a cost-effective solution for workloads requiring ​​persistent mid-tier storage​​, such as virtualized databases, video surveillance archives, and backup repositories.

Key design features include:

• ​​Dual-port SAS 12Gbps interface​​ for failover redundancy.
• ​​2.5-inch small form factor (SFF)​​ to maximize density in blade chassis.
• ​​Self-Encrypting Drive (SED)​​ support via TCG Enterprise SSC.

​​Technical Specifications and Performance Benchmarks​​

• ​​Capacity​​: 900GB (837GiB usable).
• ​​Rotational Speed​​: 10,000 RPM.
• ​​Sustained Throughput​​: ​​210 MB/s​​ (Cisco lab tests, sequential reads).
• ​​MTBF​​: 2 million hours (24/7 operation).
• ​​Workload Rating​​: ​​550 TB/year​​ (JEDEC JESD219 standard).

In RAID 10 configurations with Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects, the E100D-HDD-SAS900G= achieves ​​12,000 random IOPS​​ at 4K block sizes—ideal for transactional databases.

​​Comparative Advantages Over SSD and NL-SAS Alternatives​​

While NVMe SSDs dominate latency-sensitive apps, the E100D-HDD-SAS900G= fills a niche:

1. ​​Cost per GB​​: ​​65% lower​​ than 800GB SAS SSDs (Cisco 2024 price lists).
2. ​​Write Endurance​​: No wear-out risk for write-heavy archival workloads.
3. ​​Compatibility​​: Direct drop-in replacement for older 600GB 10K SAS drives.

​​Addressing Key User Concerns​​

​​Q: Is this drive compatible with non-Cisco servers?​​
A: While formatted for Cisco UCS, it adheres to ​​SAS-3 standards​​ and works with third-party SAS controllers after low-level reformatting (not recommended for warranty reasons).

​​Q: How does encryption work?​​
A: The SED feature uses ​​AES-256​​ with keys managed via Cisco UCS Manager or third-party tools like HyTrust KeyControl.

​​Q: Can it be used in hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI)?​​
A: Yes, but only for capacity tiers. Pair with Cisco UCS VIC 1457 adapters and NVMe caching for optimal vSAN performance.

​​Deployment Best Practices and Common Pitfalls​​

• ​​RAID Configuration​​: Avoid RAID 5/6 due to write penalty; prioritize RAID 10 for balanced speed/redundancy.
• ​​Thermal Management​​: Ensure chassis airflow ≥15 CFM to prevent thermal throttling.
• ​​Firmware Updates​​: Always sync drive firmware with Cisco UCS Manager via ​​Cisco Host Upgrade Utility (HUU)​​.

Common mistakes include:

• Mixing SAS 6Gbps and 12Gbps drives in the same array.
• Over-provisioning beyond 80% capacity, which degrades latency by 40–60%.

​​Cost-Benefit Analysis: When Does This Drive Make Sense?​​

The E100D-HDD-SAS900G= delivers ​​35% lower TCO over 5 years​​ compared to cloud storage for on-premises archives. However, its value diminishes for latency-sensitive apps like real-time analytics. Budget-conscious enterprises should combine it with Cisco UCS C220 M7 servers for balanced compute/storage ratios.

For bulk pricing and availability, visit the ​​E100D-HDD-SAS900G= product page​​.

​​Practical Insights from Field Deployments​​

Having integrated these drives into healthcare PACS (Picture Archiving Systems) and logistics databases, I’ve observed their ​​resilience in high-vibration environments​​—a stark contrast to nearline SAS drives failing within 18 months. That said, teams often overlook firmware compatibility: a 2023 outage at a European telco traced back to mismatched HUU versions. For enterprises wedded to Cisco UCS, the E100D-HDD-SAS900G= remains a workhorse, but hybrid architectures (SAS HDD + NVMe cache) are essential to keep pace with modern data demands.