Lenovo 2U24 Chas - 7Y71A00QWW

Lenovo 7Y71A00QWW ThinkSystem DE2000H Hybrid 2U24 SFF Storage System

Overview

The Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H (7Y71A00QWW) is a 2U, 24-bay small form factor hybrid storage array built for organizations that need dense, high-throughput DAS or SAN storage in a compact rack footprint. Shipping with zero drives included, it gives storage architects full control over drive selection — mixing SSD and spinning-disk tiers to match workload cost and performance targets without being locked into a vendor-bundled configuration. The 21.8-inch chassis depth fits most standard two-post and four-post racks without rear-clearance complications.

At its core, the DE2000H targets mid-range block storage deployments where 12Gb/s SAS connectivity is the performance baseline — surveillance recording clusters, virtualization back-ends, and archive tiers that need real capacity density without moving to a full enterprise all-flash platform. If you're expanding an existing SAS fabric or building a new one, the Lenovo ThinkSystem storage line gives you a consistent management and firmware ecosystem across the array family.

Key Features

• 24 SFF Drive Bays in 2U: Twenty-four small form factor bays in a two-rack-unit chassis delivers one of the higher bay-per-U ratios available at this price tier — critical when rack space is billable or physically constrained. A fully populated array with 3.84TB SSDs lands at roughly 92TB raw in under 4.5 inches of rack height.
• 12Gb/s SAS Connectivity: The 12Gb/s SAS backend doubles the per-lane bandwidth of legacy 6Gb/s SAS fabrics. For mixed read/write workloads across all 24 bays simultaneously, the wider pipe prevents the controller from becoming a throughput bottleneck before the drives are saturated — relevant when aggregating multiple host HBAs into the array.
• 8GB Controller Memory: Eight gigabytes of controller cache accelerates write coalescing and read-ahead operations. In surveillance and video workloads with large sequential write streams, a larger write cache reduces the number of physical I/Os hitting spinning media, which directly translates to more consistent frame rates under load across a multi-camera NVR cluster.
• Hybrid Tiering Flexibility: The array ships drive-free, which means you configure the tier mix to the actual workload. Deploy all SAS HDDs for maximum per-TB economy on archive or long-retention surveillance footage, all SSDs for latency-sensitive databases, or a mixed pool for tiered auto-promotion — without paying for drives you don't need at purchase time.
• 2U Rack Form Factor: At 21.8 inches deep and 2U tall, the DE2000H integrates cleanly into standard 24-inch and deeper rack enclosures. The 2U profile leaves room in a 12U or 24U rack for host servers, switches, and a UPS without requiring a dedicated storage rack.
• DAS and SAN Deployment Modes: The ThinkSystem DE2000H supports both direct-attach and SAN-fabric configurations, giving the deployment team flexibility to start with DAS off a single host and later re-zone into a shared SAN fabric as the environment scales — without replacing the array hardware.

Integration and Compatibility

The 7Y71A00QWW connects to SAS host bus adapters and SAS switches operating at 12Gb/s. Hosts running VMware ESXi, Windows Server, and Linux are the standard integration targets for the ThinkSystem DE2000H family. The array pairs naturally with rack-mounted NAS and SAN infrastructure and is managed through Lenovo's storage management tooling, which aligns with the broader ThinkSystem server and network switching ecosystem for unified infrastructure management.

For surveillance-specific deployments, the DE2000H works as a backend recording repository for enterprise VMS platforms. Its sequential write throughput profile — driven by the 12Gb/s SAS interface and 8GB cache — suits the large, sustained write streams that multi-camera HD and 4K recording generates. Pair it with a network video recorder or dedicated recording server for a validated surveillance storage architecture. Storage architects planning retention policies should consult a storage capacity and retention planning guide to size the drive complement against camera count, resolution, and days-of-retention targets before populating the bays.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many drives does the Lenovo 7Y71A00QWW ship with?

A: The 7Y71A00QWW ships with zero drives. All 24 SFF bays are empty, allowing you to select and populate drives based on your capacity, performance, and budget requirements.

Q: What drive interface does the DE2000H use?

A: The ThinkSystem DE2000H uses 12Gb/s SAS connectivity for both the drive backplane and host interface — not SATA or NVMe. Verify your host HBA or SAS switch supports 12Gb/s SAS before ordering.

Q: How deep is the 7Y71A00QWW chassis?

A: The chassis is 21.8 inches deep. Measure your rack's usable interior depth (front-to-rear rail distance) and account for cable management clearance before installing.

Q: Can the DE2000H be used as a surveillance storage backend?

A: Yes. The 24-bay SFF configuration, 12Gb/s SAS throughput, and 8GB controller cache support the large sequential write streams typical of multi-camera HD and 4K surveillance recording. It connects to a recording server or NVR host via SAS HBA.

Q: Does the 7Y71A00QWW support both DAS and SAN configurations?

A: The ThinkSystem DE2000H supports both direct-attach storage (DAS) and SAN fabric configurations, allowing deployment flexibility as infrastructure requirements evolve.

Ted Perry

The spec that shapes every conversation I have about the 7Y71A00QWW is the drive-free configuration combined with 24 SFF bays in 2U. That combination puts you in control of the cost-per-TB equation in a way that bundled arrays don't — you're not paying for drive capacity you don't need on day one, and you're not locked into the vendor's drive SKU pricing when you expand.

Technical Highlights:

• 12Gb/s SAS Backend: Double the lane bandwidth of 6Gb/s SAS means the controller bus stops being the ceiling for aggregate throughput when you populate all 24 bays with high-RPM SAS or mixed SSD/HDD tiers simultaneously.
• 8GB Controller Cache: For surveillance write workloads — which are large, sequential, and continuous — 8GB of write cache provides meaningful coalescing headroom, keeping spinning media I/O patterns sequential rather than random and sustaining consistent frame delivery from the recording server.
• 21.8-inch Chassis Depth: The 21.8-inch depth is shallow enough for standard two-post open-frame racks common in security closets, not just deep four-post server cabinets. That matters for camera-adjacent MDF/IDF installations where rack depth is limited.

Deployment Considerations:

• The array ships with zero drives — budget for drive procurement separately and size the SFF drive count against your retention target before the array arrives. SFF bays cap at 2.5-inch SAS form factor; confirm drive compatibility with Lenovo's DE2000H HCL before purchasing drives from third-party sources.
• 12Gb/s SAS requires a matching host HBA or SAS switch — legacy 6Gb/s HBAs will negotiate down and will not deliver full throughput. Audit your existing host adapters before deployment.

The DE2000H in this configuration is best suited for a mid-size surveillance recording cluster — specifically, a site running 50–200 cameras at 1080p or 4K where the recording server needs a dense, directly attached or fabric-connected block store, and where the storage team wants the flexibility to tune the drive mix over the system's operational life rather than accepting a fixed configuration at purchase.