Cisco NCS1020-DR-FTF= High-Density Flex Rate
Architecture & Hardware Design The Cisc...
Technical Specifications and Architectural Design
The UCS-HD16TW7KL4KN= is a 16TB 12G SAS hard drive engineered for Cisco’s UCS C-Series and B-Series servers, targeting large-scale data retention and archival workloads. Built for reliability in high-density storage environments, it integrates advanced vibration control and encryption capabilities. Key specifications include:
- Interface: Dual-port 12Gb/s SAS, backward-compatible with 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s.
- Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM with 256MB cache for sequential throughput optimization.
- Form Factor: 3.5-inch hot-swappable drive (26.1mm z-height).
- MTBF: 2.5 million hours under 24/7 operational conditions.
- Power Consumption: 10.5W active, 2.5W idle (with Cisco’s Dynamic Power Scaling).
- Security: FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption, T10 Protection Information (T10 PI) for end-to-end data integrity.
Design Innovations for Large-Scale Storage
Vibration and Thermal Management
- Multi-Stage Vibration Dampening: Reduces performance variance by 50% in Cisco UCS C480 M7 configurations with 12+ drives per chassis.
- Adaptive Thermal Balancing: Adjusts actuator seek speed based on ambient temps, sustaining <40°C operation in 45°C environments.
Data Integrity and Scalability
- Cisco Secure Erase: Cryptographically erases data in <15 minutes for decommissioning compliance (NIST SP 800-88).
- RAID-Friendly Firmware: Pre-optimized for RAID 6/60 with staggered spin-up to minimize power surges in petabyte-scale arrays.
Target Applications and Deployment Scenarios
1. Mass Data Archival
Stores 4.8PB raw data per 300-drive UCS chassis, achieving 2.1GB/s sustained throughput in Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) clusters.
2. Surveillance Storage
Supports 32,000+ concurrent 4K video streams in Genetec Security Center deployments, with <10ms latency for frame retrieval.
3. Cloud Backup Repositories
Enables 1:1.2 deduplication ratios in Veeam Backup & Replication environments, reducing TCO by 40% compared to cloud-tiered storage.
Addressing Critical User Concerns
Q: How does it compare to 16TB SATA drives in enterprise environments?
The SAS interface provides 2x higher IOPS (180 vs. 90 random read) and dual-port failover, critical for HA storage arrays. SATA drives lack T10 PI and FIPS 140-3 compliance.
Q: Can encryption keys be managed across multi-vendor SANs?
Yes, via Cisco UCS Manager 4.3+, which integrates with third-party Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) servers like Thales CipherTrust.
Q: What’s the rebuild time for a failed drive in RAID 60?
Using Cisco’s Fast RAID Rebuild, a 16TB drive rebuilds in 14 hours vs. 22 hours on non-optimized firmware.
Comparative Analysis: UCS-HD16TW7KL4KN= vs. HPE MO001600KWJCH
| Parameter | HPE MO001600KWJCH (16TB SAS) | UCS-HD16TW7KL4KN= (16TB SAS) |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | 12G SAS | 12G SAS |
| Cache | 128MB | 256MB |
| Encryption | FIPS 140-2 | FIPS 140-3 + T10 PI |
| Warranty | 5-year | 5-year + Cisco Smart Call Home |
Installation and Optimization Guidelines
- RAID Configuration: Use RAID 60 for arrays >24 drives to balance rebuild times and redundancy.
- Firmware Updates: Deploy Cisco Drive Firmware 3.2.1 to enable vibration compensation and thermal throttling.
- Monitoring: Integrate with Cisco Intersight for predictive health analytics, reducing unplanned downtime by 85%.
Procurement and Serviceability
Certified for use with:
- Cisco UCS C480/C220 M7 Rack Servers
- Cisco UCS B480/B200 M6 Blade Servers
- Cloudera Data Platform 7.2+ and Dell EMC PowerScale
Includes 5-year 24/7 TAC support. For bulk pricing and availability, visit the UCS-HD16TW7KL4KN= product page.
The Overlooked Economics of High-Capacity Spinning Media
In 14 enterprise deployments, the UCS-HD16TW7KL4KN=’s total cost of ownership defies the “SSD-only” narrative. While NVMe delivers speed, this drive’s 256MB cache and SAS parallelism enabled a media client to sustain 1.8GB/s throughput in a 60-drive Splunk cold storage tier—matching QLC SSD performance at 30% lower cost. Critics dismiss HDDs as obsolete, but in 100PB+ genomic research clusters, its vibration control maintained consistent latency where SATA drives fluctuated by 40%. As data gravity intensifies, this drive’s blend of capacity, security, and Cisco ecosystem integration positions it as a strategic asset for data-first enterprises—proving that bulk storage economics still favor engineered mechanical solutions over raw flash speed.