Hey everyone! I'm on the lookout for some advice regarding our current storage situation. We're using a NetApp FAS2750 and it's been adding a noticeable latency with read times averaging between 30 to 80ms, which is way too high for us. I'm not a storage engineer by trade, but I know enough to navigate these issues. I'm currently exploring replacements and considering the HPE Alletra MP 8-Core and IBM FlashSystem 5200. The IBM option is coming in about £30k cheaper, but I've heard warning signs about its performance dropping significantly past 10k IOPS. Has anyone experienced this with the IBM system, and overall, which vendor do you think is better, HPE or IBM?
2 Answers
Have you thought about looking at options beyond just HPE or IBM? You might want to consider PureStorage's entry-level products. They have quite the reputation for performance.
Before you jump into replacing your SAN, what's your specific use case? Have you done any troubleshooting? Just swapping the storage might not fix the latency issue. Problems could stem from anywhere — a faulty cable, optics, or possibly a disk that's on its way out but hasn't fully failed yet. Also, if the system has been set up poorly over time (like starting with 20 SAS drives and then adding more later), that can also lead to increased latency. I've set up a bunch of FAS2750 units and while they’re decent for entry-level storage, they definitely have their limitations.
I haven't explored anything beyond HPE or IBM yet, but I will definitely check out PureStorage. Right now, I've mainly got IBM and HPE on my radar based on internal recommendations.