I'm dealing with a failing SAS HDD (model AL14SXB90EE) in our HPE ProLiant 380 Gen10 server, and I've noticed that replacement drives are either really expensive or hard to find. I'm considering switching to SATA SSDs instead. My plan is to remove the failing HDD, insert the SSD, wait for the RAID rebuild, and then swap out the second HDD and rebuild again. I'm curious if this kind of mix—using both SSDs and HDDs, as well as SATA and SAS—is actually supported. Are there any better alternatives or workarounds for this situation?
2 Answers
If you have a spare PCIe slot, you might consider using the HPE NS204i-p for additional flexibility, which can help with managing storage more effectively.
Unfortunately, you can't mix SSDs and HDDs in a RAID array. HPE's controllers typically don't allow that kind of configuration. It's important to stick with either all SSD or all HDD for reliability when running RAID setups. You may want to explore alternative drives that are compatible instead of making the switch to SSDs if the current drives are too costly or hard to source.
I also looked through the controller quickspecs and couldn't find any mention of mixing drives. Your concern is valid, but it's best to confirm with official HPE specs to avoid issues down the line.
Exactly, and from what I've read, even mixing SAS and SATA on the same controller is generally not supported. It's best to keep things uniform.