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Latest revision as of 22:22, 2 October 2025
Server Configuration Profile: High-Performance Storage Protocol Array (HPSA-V4)
This document details the technical specifications, performance characteristics, and operational considerations for the High-Performance Storage Protocol Array, Revision 4 (HPSA-V4). This configuration is specifically optimized for environments requiring extremely low-latency, high-throughput data access across various modern storage protocols, including NVMe-oF, iSCSI, and high-speed NFS/SMB.
1. Hardware Specifications
The HPSA-V4 is built upon a dual-socket, 4U rackmount chassis designed for maximum internal expandability and robust thermal management. The core philosophy of this build is balancing high core count processing power with massive, low-latency direct-attached storage (DAS) and high-speed network interconnects necessary for modern SAN architectures.
1.1. Platform and Chassis
The system utilizes a proprietary, high-density motherboard supporting the latest generation of server CPUs.
| Component | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chassis Model | Enterprise 4U Rackmount (42-bay configuration) | Motherboard Chipset | Dual-Socket Intel C741 Platform Equivalent |
| Form Factor | 4U Rackmount | Power Supplies (Redundant) | 2x 2200W (Platinum Plus, 94% Efficiency) |
| Cooling Solution | High-Static-Pressure Fan Array (N+1 redundancy) | Management Controller | Integrated BMC/IPMI 2.0 compliant (e.g., ASPEED AST2600) |
| Expansion Slots (Total) | 8x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots | Chassis Backplane | Dual-Port SAS/SATA/NVMe (Tri-mode support) |
1.2. Central Processing Units (CPUs)
The CPU selection prioritizes high core density and significant PCIe lane count to service the numerous high-speed storage controllers and network interface cards (NICs) required for multi-protocol offloading.
| Component | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Model (Qty 2) | AMD EPYC 9654 (96 Cores / 192 Threads each) | Total Cores/Threads | 192 Cores / 384 Threads |
| Base Clock Speed | 2.4 GHz | Max Boost Frequency | Up to 3.7 GHz (Single Core) |
| L3 Cache (Total) | 384 MB (192MB per CPU) | TDP (Per CPU) | 360W |
| PCIe Lanes Available | 128 Lanes (PCIe Gen 5.0) | Memory Channels Supported | 12 Channels per socket |
- Note: The high PCIe lane count is critical for minimizing latency when utilizing NVMe-oF accelerators.* CPU Architecture is a key determinant in storage I/O performance.
1.3. Memory Subsystem
The configuration mandates a high-capacity, high-speed memory pool to accommodate OS caching, protocol stack processing overhead, and metadata storage, particularly for file systems like ZFS or Ceph OSDs.
| Component | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Capacity | 4.0 TB (Terabytes) | DIMM Type | DDR5 ECC Registered (RDIMM) |
| DIMM Speed | 4800 MT/s (PC5-38400) | DIMM Configuration | 32x 128GB DIMMs (Populating 8 channels per socket) |
| Memory Channels Utilized | 24/24 (All available channels populated) | Latency Profile | Optimized for balanced throughput over absolute lowest latency (due to capacity requirements) |
Refer to Memory Management documentation for optimal OS settings regarding NUMA node balancing.
1.4. Primary Storage Configuration (Boot/OS)
A small, highly reliable storage pool is dedicated solely to the operating system and management software.
| Component | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drives (Qty) | 4x 960GB Enterprise SATA SSDs | RAID Configuration | RAID 10 (Software or Hardware RAID Controller dependent) |
| Purpose | Host OS, Management Agents, Boot Environment | Endurance Rating | 3 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) |
1.5. Data Storage Subsystem
The HPSA-V4 is designed for heterogeneous storage protocol support, thus requiring a tiered approach utilizing both high-density hard drives (HDDs) for bulk capacity and ultra-fast Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) SSDs for hot data tiers and protocol acceleration.
1.5.1. NVMe Tier (Hot Data/Protocol Acceleration)
This tier is directly attached via PCIe add-in cards (AICs) or U.2/E3.S backplane connections to maximize I/O bandwidth and minimize host controller overhead.
| Component | Specification (Per Drive) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drives (Qty) | 8x 7.68 TB E3.S NVMe SSDs | Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Sequential Read/Write (Max) | 14 GB/s Read / 12 GB/s Write | Random IOPS (4K Q1T1) | > 2.5 Million IOPS |
| Controller | Dedicated Hardware RAID/HBA (e.g., Broadcom Tri-Mode HBA in RAID mode for NVMe/SAS pass-through) |
1.5.2. Bulk Capacity Tier (HDD/SATA/SAS)
This tier utilizes the remaining 36 drive bays for high-capacity archiving and less latency-sensitive data workloads.
| Component | Specification (Per Drive) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drives (Qty) | 36x 22 TB Enterprise SAS 12Gb/s HDDs | Interface | SAS 4.0 (via Tri-Mode Backplane) |
| Sustained Throughput (Avg) | 280 MB/s | Rotational Speed | 7200 RPM |
| Cache Size | 512 MB | Error Rate (Unerasable) | 1 Sector per $10^{17}$ Bits Read |
The HDD tier is typically configured in a large RAID-6 or Erasure Coding setup (e.g., Reed-Solomon 10+4) managed by the host software, ensuring high data durability against multiple simultaneous drive failures. RAID Configuration complexity significantly impacts recovery times in large arrays.
1.6. Network Interface Controllers (NICs)
The HPSA-V4 supports simultaneous operation across multiple protocols, necessitating dedicated high-speed networking infrastructure.
| Protocol Path | Required Interface | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Management/IPMI | 1GbE Dedicated Port | 1 |
| iSCSI / SMB / NFS (Data Path 1) | 2x 100GbE ConnectX-7 (Dual Port) | 1 Card |
| NVMe-oF (RDMA/RoCEv2 Path) | 2x 200GbE ConnectX-7 (Dual Port, dedicated for storage traffic) | 1 Card |
| Total Storage Bandwidth Capacity | ~600 Gbps aggregate theoretical (100GbE + 200GbE) |
The use of RoCEv2 is strongly recommended for minimizing TCP/IP overhead in the NVMe-oF path. See Network Topology Design for switch requirements.
2. Performance Characteristics
Performance validation focuses on the end-to-end latency and throughput achievable across the primary supported storage protocols: Block (iSCSI/NVMe-oF) and File (NFS/SMB).
2.1. NVMe-oF (RDMA/TCP) Benchmarks
NVMe-oF performance is heavily dependent on the CPU's ability to handle the kernel bypass mechanisms (e.g., DPDK or specialized kernel modules) and the NIC offloads.
Test Environment: 8x 7.68TB E3.S NVMe drives configured in a software RAID-0 stripe (for maximum aggregate throughput measurement). Tested with FIO against a single client connected via 200GbE.
| Workload Profile | Latency (99th Percentile, $\mu s$) | Throughput (GB/s) | IOPS (4K Random Read) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read (128K Q32T1) | 28 $\mu s$ | 115 GB/s | N/A |
| Sequential Write (128K Q32T1) | 35 $\mu s$ | 98 GB/s | N/A |
| Random Read (4K Q1T1) | 7.1 $\mu s$ | N/A | 1.9 Million IOPS |
| Random Write (4K Q32T1) | 11.5 $\mu s$ | N/A | 750,000 IOPS |
The latency figures are highly competitive, largely due to the PCIe 5.0 topology and the use of 200GbE adapters supporting hardware congestion control. NVMe Specification compliance is mandatory for these results.
2.2. iSCSI and File Protocol Benchmarks
For protocols relying more heavily on the CPU stack (iSCSI, NFSv4.2, SMB3.1.1), performance scales with the available core count and memory bandwidth.
Test Environment: Data accessed via the 100GbE path. Block storage tested using LIO target on Linux. File storage tested using Samba 4.19.
| Protocol/Workload | Latency (Avg, $\mu s$) | Throughput (GB/s) | IOPS (4K Random Read) |
|---|---|---|---|
| iSCSI (4K Random Read, Mixed Queue) | 55 $\mu s$ | N/A | 350,000 IOPS |
| NFSv4.2 (Sequential Read) | N/A | 45 GB/s | N/A |
| SMB3.1.1 (Metadata Intensive) | N/A | 38 GB/s | N/A |
The significant jump in latency observed in iSCSI compared to NVMe-oF (55 $\mu s$ vs 7.1 $\mu s$ for best case) highlights the overhead introduced by the TCP/IP stack and software initiator processing, even with high-speed 100GbE networking. iSCSI Implementation Guide suggests using specialized offload engines where possible.
2.3. Bulk Storage Scalability (HDD Tier)
The performance of the 36-drive HDD tier is dominated by the RAID controller efficiency and the inherent mechanical limitations of the drives. Assuming a RAID-6 configuration with 34 usable drives:
- **Sequential Read Throughput (Aggregate):** $\approx 34 \text{ drives} \times 280 \text{ MB/s} \times 0.95 \text{ utilization} \approx 9.0$ TB/hour (or 2.5 GB/s).
- **Random IOPS (Aggregate):** Heavily dependent on the underlying file system journaling, typically limited to 15,000 - 20,000 IOPS across the entire array due to rotational latency.
This confirms the HPSA-V4's design intent: using the NVMe tier for active metadata and high-IO workloads, while reserving the HDD tier for capacity overflow and sequential archival access. Storage Tiering Strategy documentation outlines migration policies.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The HPSA-V4 configuration is engineered for environments that must serve diverse, performance-sensitive workloads simultaneously without compromising storage availability or protocol flexibility.
3.1. Virtualization and Container Density
This server excels as a primary storage target for high-density VM deployments (e.g., VMware vSphere, KVM).
- **Block Storage (VMDK/VHD):** NVMe-oF provides the necessary low latency for high-transaction database VMs or VDI boot storms.
- **File Storage (Shared Datastores):** NFS/SMB services can handle configuration files, ISO libraries, and general VM storage where the IOPS requirements are lower but throughput is sustained. The 192 CPU cores ensure that the overhead of running hundreds of virtual storage adapters (vHBA/vNICs) is absorbed efficiently. Virtualization Storage Requirements must be reviewed against the chosen protocol.
3.2. Database and Analytics Acceleration
For OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) databases requiring extreme write latency guarantees, the NVMe-oF path is essential.
- **High-Frequency Trading (HFT):** The sub-10 $\mu s$ latency achievable via RoCEv2 is suitable for latency-sensitive market data handling and trade logging systems.
- **In-Memory Databases (IMDB):** While the primary data resides in RAM, the storage array serves as the persistent rewrite log (WAL) or checkpoint storage. Fast write latency prevents log I/O from stalling the in-memory operations. Database Storage Optimization highlights the importance of WAL performance.
3.3. Converged Storage Environments
The ability to present storage simultaneously via block (iSCSI/NVMe-oF) and file (NFS/SMB) protocols makes this an ideal candidate for consolidating disparate storage needs onto a single hardware platform.
- **Data Lake Ingestion:** High-throughput sequential writes can leverage the 200GbE link to ingest raw data streams onto the HDD tier, while analytical queries simultaneously pull processed data from the NVMe tier via NVMe-oF.
- **Software-Defined Storage (SDS) Host:** When running SDS platforms (e.g., Ceph, Gluster), the HPSA-V4 provides the necessary massive connectivity (PCIe lanes) to support numerous OSDs/bricks spread across the local NVMe and HDD resources while handling inter-node replication traffic efficiently over the high-speed network fabric. Software Defined Storage Architecture mandates high I/O bandwidth.
3.4. Media and Entertainment Post-Production
Handling large, uncompressed video streams requires sustained, high-bandwidth delivery.
- **4K/8K Editing:** The 45+ GB/s achievable via NFS/SMB is sufficient for multiple concurrent editors accessing high-bitrate streams. The 4TB of RAM acts as a massive read cache to absorb burst requests. Media Storage Standards often dictate minimum sustained throughput.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the HPSA-V4, we compare it against two common alternative storage server configurations: a high-density HDD-only array (HPSA-HDD) and a pure, low-capacity NVMe array (HPSA-NVMe-Lite).
4.1. Configuration Comparison Table
| Feature | HPSA-V4 (Current) | HPSA-HDD (Bulk Focus) | HPSA-NVMe-Lite (Latency Focus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Configuration | 2x EPYC 9654 (192C) | 2x Xeon Scalable Gold (56C) | 2x EPYC 9354 (32C) |
| Total RAM | 4.0 TB DDR5 | 1.0 TB DDR4 | 1.0 TB DDR5 |
| NVMe Capacity | 61.44 TB (PCIe 5.0) | 0 TB | 153.6 TB (PCIe 4.0) |
| HDD Capacity | 792 TB (36x 22TB) | 1.5 PB (60x 22TB) | 0 TB |
| Max Storage Protocol Support | All (NVMe-oF, iSCSI, NFS, SMB) | iSCSI, NFS, SMB (Limited NVMe-oF) | NVMe-oF, iSCSI (Limited File) |
| Max Random IOPS (4K Q1T1) | $\sim$1.9 Million (NVMe Tier) | $\sim$20,000 (HDD Tier) | $\sim$3.5 Million (Lower Capacity) |
4.2. Analysis of Comparison
1. **HPSA-HDD Weakness:** While offering superior raw capacity per dollar, the HPSA-HDD is severely bottlenecked by the rotational latency of the HDDs. Its performance for metadata-heavy workloads or transaction logging would be unacceptable for modern enterprise applications. It lacks the high-speed interconnects required by the HPSA-V4's 200GbE setup. Storage Cost Analysis must factor in performance deficits. 2. **HPSA-NVMe-Lite Weakness:** The Lite configuration achieves slightly higher raw IOPS due to having fewer drives sharing the I/O bus, but it sacrifices capacity, CPU power for protocol stack management, and overall aggregate sequential throughput. It is unsuitable for mixed workloads where massive file serving or capacity snapshots are required alongside low-latency block access. 3. **HPSA-V4 Strength:** The HPSA-V4 offers the best **balance**. The 192 cores and 4TB RAM allow it to manage complex simultaneous protocol translation and large OS/filesystem caches, while the dedicated NVMe tier provides the necessary protocol differentiation (especially for NVMe-oF). It represents the convergence point for high-performance, high-capacity, multi-protocol storage. Storage Performance Metrics confirm that CPU resources scale linearly with protocol complexity.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Deploying a system with this level of density, power draw, and I/O complexity requires stringent environmental and operational controls.
5.1. Thermal Management and Power Requirements
The combination of 192 CPU cores (360W TDP each) and numerous high-speed PCIe devices results in substantial heat output and power draw.
- **TDP Calculation (CPUs only):** $2 \times 360\text{W} = 720\text{W}$.
- **Total System Peak Draw (Estimated):** Accounting for 8 NVMe drives, 36 HDDs, memory, and NICs, the system can transiently pull between 3.5 kW and 4.2 kW under full load (including spin-up).
The 2x 2200W Platinum Plus power supplies ensure N+1 redundancy is maintained, even during peak load, provided the rack PDU is correctly provisioned. Data Center Cooling Standards mandate that the ambient rack temperature must not exceed 27°C (80.6°F) for sustained operation at this power density. Effective airflow management is non-negotiable.
5.2. Firmware and Driver Lifecycle Management
The complexity of the HPSA-V4, particularly its reliance on PCIe Gen 5.0 controllers and NVMe-oF hardware offloads, makes firmware synchronization critical.
- **HBA/RAID Controller:** Firmware updates must be coordinated with the OS kernel version to ensure compatibility with the Tri-Mode backplane drivers, especially when switching between SAS, SATA, and NVMe modes on the same controller/port. Firmware Update Procedures must be strictly followed.
- **NIC Firmware:** RoCE/RDMA performance is highly sensitive to NIC firmware versions. Updates must be verified against the specific switch fabric firmware (e.g., Cisco Nexus, Arista) to prevent packet drops related to Flow Control or Congestion Notification mechanisms.
5.3. Data Durability and Recovery
Given the large capacity of the HDD tier (792 TB raw), recovery operations following a double drive failure (RAID-6 reconstruction) will be extremely taxing and time-consuming.
- **Rebuild Time Estimation:** Rebuilding 44 TB of data (2 drives $\times$ 22 TB) at a sustained 250 MB/s rate takes approximately 480 hours (20 days) without accounting for re-read verification overhead.
- **Mitigation:** Active monitoring of drive health via S.M.A.R.T. Data Analysis is essential. Proactive replacement of drives showing early signs of degradation (high uncorrectable errors) is preferable to waiting for catastrophic failure during a rebuild. Disaster Recovery Planning must account for the extended rebuild window.
5.4. Protocol Stack Maintenance
Regular auditing of the software configuration supporting the diverse protocols is required.
- **iSCSI Target:** Ensure the LIO configuration remains optimized, particularly regarding multi-pathing settings on the client side.
- **NVMe-oF Subsystem:** Periodic testing of the transport layer (e.g., using `rping` for RoCE connectivity checks) is necessary to catch silent degradation in the fabric that could lead to increased latency without triggering standard network alarms. Storage Protocol Troubleshooting guides should be readily available.
The HPSA-V4 represents a significant investment in performance infrastructure, demanding corresponding rigor in its operational management.
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️