HP StorageWorks 2000sa: Compact, fast, affordable; lacks some features

The HP 2000sa G2 Modular Smart Array is the first storage system we've received that uses 2.5-inch drives, fitting 24 drives into a 2U chassis rather than the usual 16-drive 3U chassis that we see on most systems.

The drives supplied were 73GB 15k RPM SAS drives, for a total capacity of just over 1.5TB formatted. The system included two 4Gbps Fibre Channel RAID controllers, dual power supplies and a good basic feature set. It doesn't offer all the features of the more expensive systems, but at $13,000 for a blazing fast system, it offers great performance for the dollars.

We were able to quickly set up the 2000sa and create volumes, create snapshots and mount the snapshots as new volumes. The system doesn't include replication or thin provisioning, but it's still an excellent value for a SAN administrator looking for fast, basic storage. HP also offers the system in a starter kit that includes a Fibre Channel switch, cabling and even host bus adapters, which makes creating a new SAN very easy. Of course, HP also offers systems with more features at higher prices.

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The HP 2000sa G2 Modular Smart Array is the first storage system we've received that uses 2.5-inch drives, fitting 24 drives into a 2U chassis rather than the usual 16-drive 3U chassis that we see on most systems.

The drives supplied were 73GB 15k RPM SAS drives, for a total capacity of just over 1.5TB formatted. The system included two 4Gbps Fibre Channel RAID controllers, dual power supplies and a good basic feature set. It doesn't offer all the features of the more expensive systems, but at $13,000 for a blazing fast system, it offers great performance for the dollars.

We were able to quickly set up the 2000sa and create volumes, create snapshots and mount the snapshots as new volumes. The system doesn't include replication or thin provisioning, but it's still an excellent value for a SAN administrator looking for fast, basic storage. HP also offers the system in a starter kit that includes a Fibre Channel switch, cabling and even host bus adapters, which makes creating a new SAN very easy. Of course, HP also offers systems with more features at higher prices.

With 24 15k drives, the 2000sa offers a lot of performance in a small space, and at a reasonable price. It should even be more energy-efficient than other systems with similar capacities, due to the small power requirements of the 2.5-inch drives.

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