HPE Q2R18A – MSA 1050 8Gb FC Storage

HPE Q2R18A  MSA 1050 8Gb FC Storage

Overview

The HPE Q2R18A MSA 1050 is a dual-controller Fibre Channel SAN storage array designed for small and mid-sized enterprise environments that require centralized shared storage for virtualization, backup, and application workloads. It provides an entry-level FC storage platform for organizations deploying VMware, Windows Server, or Linux-based infrastructure.

This system uses dual 6Gb/s SAS controllers with 8Gb Fibre Channel host connectivity and supports RAID 1, 5, 6, and 10 configurations. The chassis supports twelve LFF drive bays and scales storage capacity for mixed workload environments requiring balanced throughput and redundancy.

The 2U rack-mount form factor makes it suitable for branch offices, remote sites, SMB data centers, and edge deployments where space efficiency and shared storage access are required. Dual hot-plug power supplies and redundant controllers support higher availability in production deployments.

The array integrates with HPE server environments and supports common enterprise operating systems and hypervisors including VMware ESX, Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Typical Deployment Scenarios

• VMware virtualization clusters
• Small business Fibre Channel SAN deployments
• Branch office shared storage infrastructure
• Backup and archive storage repositories
• Departmental application storage environments
• Edge infrastructure requiring centralized storage

Technical Specifications

Compatibility / Ecosystem

The HPE Q2R18A MSA 1050 supports integration with HPE ProLiant server environments and Fibre Channel SAN infrastructures. It is compatible with VMware ESX, Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server deployments. The platform supports expansion up to 48 storage devices and integrates into entry-level enterprise storage environments requiring RAID-protected shared storage.