HPE MSA 2060 SFF 2X12GB SAS 4-PORT Controller Storage Array - P89064-B25

HPE P89064-B25 MSA 2060 SFF 2x12Gb SAS 4-Port Controller Storage Array

The HPE MSA 2060 SFF Storage Array (P89064-B25) is a 2U rack-mount dual-controller SAN designed for organizations that need enterprise-grade SAS performance without the complexity and cost of higher-tier arrays. With two 12 Gb SAS controllers, each delivering four host ports, this platform is built for mixed virtualization and application workloads where redundancy and raw throughput both matter. If you're running VMware, Windows Server, or Red Hat environments and need a shared-storage backbone that can grow to petabyte scale, this is the product to evaluate.

Overview

The P89064-B25 ships as a base 2U enclosure supporting up to 24 Small Form Factor (SFF) drives — a mix of HDD and SSD depending on your performance and capacity targets. The dual-controller architecture means no single point of failure at the controller level, and the 12 Gb SAS interconnect between controllers and drives ensures the backplane isn't the bottleneck as drive speeds increase. This is a shared-storage array, not a DAS shelf — it connects to host servers via SAS HBAs and is managed through HPE's MSA array management interface.

Key Features

• Dual 12 Gb SAS Controllers (8 Host Ports Total): Each of the two controllers provides four 12 Gb SAS host ports — eight ports across both controllers. This lets you connect multiple hosts simultaneously without an external SAS switch, reducing latency and infrastructure cost in small-to-midsize SAN deployments. Active-active controller operation means both controllers handle I/O concurrently, not just as a failover standby.
• Up to 24 SFF Drives Per Base Array: The 2U base enclosure holds up to 24 SFF (2.5-inch) drives. You can populate with SAS HDDs for capacity-dense workloads, SAS SSDs for latency-sensitive applications, or a tiered mix — giving the storage administrator flexibility to match media type to data temperature without buying a second array.
• Scalable to 7.37 PB Raw Capacity: By adding up to nine expansion enclosures — either 24-bay SFF or 12-bay LFF models in any combination — total raw capacity reaches 7.37 PB. That kind of headroom means this array can grow alongside the organization for years before hitting a ceiling, avoiding a forklift upgrade cycle.
• 2U Rack Footprint (3.5 x 17.5 x 20.0 in): At 2U with a 20-inch depth, the base array fits standard 19-inch two-post or four-post racks. The compact footprint matters in co-location environments or edge data center deployments where rack space is priced by the unit.
• Broad OS and Hypervisor Compatibility: Validated against Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, VMware vSphere 6.7, Red Hat Linux 8, and SUSE SLES 15. If your environment runs any of these platforms — particularly mixed hypervisor estates — this array fits without requiring a custom driver stack. Check HPE SPOCK for the full interoperability matrix before finalizing HBA and firmware versions.
• SFF Drive Flexibility for Tiered Storage: SFF bays accommodate both HDD and SSD in the same enclosure, so you can implement a simple manual tiering strategy — SSDs for active datasets, HDDs for warm or archival tiers — within a single 2U unit. This avoids the need for a separate all-flash array for your hot tier.
• Expansion Enclosure Mix-and-Match: The nine-enclosure expansion limit supports both SFF and LFF enclosures interchangeably. If your workload shifts from SFF SSD-heavy to LFF HDD capacity over time, you can add LFF shelves to existing SFF infrastructure without retiring the base array.

Integration and Compatibility

The P89064-B25 integrates with Windows Server 2016 through 2022, VMware vSphere 6.7, Red Hat Linux 8, and SUSE SLES 15. Host connectivity runs over 12 Gb SAS, requiring compatible HBAs on the server side. HPE publishes interoperability data through HPE SPOCK — review that matrix to confirm specific HBA models, firmware revisions, and OS patch levels before deploying. Expansion shelves are the HPE MSA 2060 SFF drive enclosure (24-bay) or HPE MSA 2060 LFF drive enclosure (12-bay), with up to nine additional enclosures supported in any combination alongside the base array.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many host ports does the P89064-B25 provide in total?

A: The P89064-B25 includes two 12 Gb SAS controllers, each with four host ports, for a total of eight host ports across the array. This supports direct multi-host connectivity without an external SAS switch in smaller environments.

Q: What is the maximum raw capacity of the HPE MSA 2060 SFF array?

A: With the base 2U enclosure plus up to nine expansion enclosures (SFF 24-bay, LFF 12-bay, or any combination), the total raw capacity reaches up to 7.37 PB depending on drive type and configuration.

Q: Can the P89064-B25 support both SSD and HDD drives in the same enclosure?

A: Yes. The SFF bays in the MSA 2060 support both SAS HDD and SAS SSD drives, allowing a mixed-media configuration within the same 2U base unit for tiered storage without additional hardware.

Q: Which operating systems and hypervisors are compatible with the P89064-B25?

A: The array is validated for Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022; VMware vSphere 6.7; Red Hat Linux 8; and SUSE SLES 15. HPE SPOCK provides the full and current interoperability matrix including HBA and firmware version details.

Q: Can LFF drive enclosures be mixed with SFF enclosures during expansion?

A: Yes. The HPE MSA 2060 supports up to nine additional drive enclosures in any combination of SFF (24-bay) and LFF (12-bay) models, giving you flexibility to shift capacity strategy over time without replacing the base array.

Q: What are the physical dimensions of the P89064-B25 base array?

A: The base array measures 3.5 x 17.5 x 20.0 inches (H x W x D), occupying 2U in a standard 19-inch rack.

Ted Perry

The P89064-B25 comes up consistently when teams are spec'ing shared SAS storage for mid-size virtualization clusters and need controller redundancy without stepping up to an all-flash array budget. The dual-controller, 8-port 12 Gb SAS design is the part that actually drives the buying decision here — active-active controllers mean I/O doesn't bottleneck at the controller level, and eight host ports give you real multi-host flexibility without a SAS switch sitting in the middle.

Technical Highlights:

• 8 x 12 Gb SAS Host Ports (Active-Active): Both controllers handle I/O simultaneously. If one controller fails, the surviving controller picks up the full load without data path interruption — a critical distinction from active-passive designs where failover carries a performance hit during the transition.
• Up to 7.37 PB Raw Capacity: Nine expansion shelves (SFF or LFF, any mix) off a single 2U base means this array has a credible multi-year capacity runway. For surveillance, archival, or data lake workloads where raw capacity growth is predictable but timing is not, that headroom matters.
• 24 SFF Bays with Mixed HDD/SSD Support: Running SSDs in bays 1–4 for your hot tier and HDDs for capacity is operationally straightforward — no separate enclosure, no separate management plane. For VMware environments running a mix of latency-sensitive and bulk-data VMs, this simplifies the storage architecture without sacrificing flexibility.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify HBA compatibility and firmware levels against HPE SPOCK before commissioning — the validated OS list (Windows Server 2022, vSphere 6.7, RHEL 8, SLES 15) covers the most common environments, but HBA model and driver version mismatches are the most common source of MSA deployment delays.
• At 20.0 inches deep, confirm rack clearance front-to-back before ordering — some short-depth two-post racks in edge or IDF closets will not accommodate this array without cable management modifications.

This array is a strong fit for VMware clusters or physical Windows Server environments in the 10–50 TB initial range that expect capacity growth over 3–5 years — particularly where the team wants a proven SAS-attached shared storage platform without the operational complexity of a fibre channel fabric.