UCS-HD1T7KS2-E Cisco 1TB 7.2K RPM SAS-6GBPS SFF HDD

Key specifications

Form factor and interface

This drive follows the industry standard SFF (2.5") mechanical footprint and interfaces with servers and RAID controllers using the 6 Gbps SAS protocol. The SFF design makes it space-efficient, allowing higher drive density per storage chassis compared to 3.5" alternatives, while the SAS interface ensures robust enterprise-grade connectivity with features such as full duplex transfers, dual-port capability on many enterprise controllers, and improved error recovery compared to commodity SATA.

Capacity and performance profile

With a nominal capacity of 1 TB and a spindle speed of 7,200 RPM, the UCS-HD1T7KS2-E is tuned to provide steady sustained sequential throughput and reasonable random I/O for moderate transactional workloads. The 7.2K RPM class targets environments that need a cost-efficient blend of storage capacity and performance — suitable for boot volumes, database log segments, content repositories, and capacity-tiered virtual machine storage where predictable latency and rotational throughput are more important than the raw IOPS of flash.

Hot-swap and tray compatibility

Hot-swap capability is a core benefit for enterprise operations: the drive is designed to be inserted or removed from a powered server or storage enclosure using the compatible Cisco tray without taking the system offline. The included tray provides secure mechanical fit and electrical alignment with Cisco UCS and compatible chassis backplanes. This enables in-place replacements, drive upgrades, and quick servicing during maintenance windows.

Enterprise reliability and management features

Enterprise drives such as the UCS-HD1T7KS2-E typically include heightened durability and error management compared with consumer drives. Expect features such as higher Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) ratings, error recovery controls suited for RAID, and firmware optimized for server environments. These characteristics help minimize rebuild times and reduce the risk of data loss during the failure of a drive in a RAID set.

Use cases

Virtualization hosts and VM datastores

Use this Cisco-branded SAS HDD for VM datastores where cost per GB is a priority and predictable sequential and modest random performance is sufficient. It is a solid choice for less latency-sensitive guest OS volumes, backup targets for smaller environments, and secondary VM tiers in converged infrastructure setups.

Capacity arrays and archival storage

The 1 TB capacity per drive lets administrators construct dense capacity arrays at a reasonable cost. In hybrid arrays, these drives can serve as the long-term retention tier with SSD layers handling hot data. For archival or infrequently accessed content, the balance of capacity and rotational speed provides a low TCO option.

Boot volumes and infrastructure OS drives

Many organizations prefer spinning media for simple boot volumes and noncritical infrastructure OS partitions because it’s easy to replace and less expensive than dedicating an SSD. The UCS-HD1T7KS2-E is well-suited for hosting boot partitions, management VMs, and small services where capacity and easy replacement matter.

Performance

Matching RAID level to workload

Choosing the correct RAID level for a bank of UCS-HD1T7KS2-E drives is critical. For write-sensitive databases, RAID 10 offers better write and recovery performance. For large capacity pools focused on reads and sequential writes, RAID 6 can provide more usable space with acceptable redundancy. Account for rebuild times — even enterprise drives will take many minutes to several hours to rebuild depending on array size and workload — and size your spare pool accordingly.

Balancing SSD cache with HDD capacity

Hybrid storage architectures often pair high-performance SSDs for hot data with SAS HDDs for bulk capacity. Use SSDs for write buffering and read caching to accelerate random IO while leveraging the UCS-HD1T7KS2-E for sustained sequential throughput and bulk storage. Cache policies and tiering strategies will determine how effectively hot data stays on flash and how often the HDD tier is accessed.

Compatibility

This drive is designed to fit Cisco UCS systems and other enterprise platforms that accept SFF SAS hot-swap drives in compatible trays. Always consult Cisco hardware compatibility matrices and server documentation for validated part numbers and supported drive firmware lists. If using in non-Cisco enclosures, confirm the tray and backplane alignment and electrical compatibility.

Comparisons

Despite the widespread adoption of SSDs, spinning HDDs remain compelling where cost per gigabyte and large capacity matter. For sequential workloads, cold data sets, backups, and archives, SAS HDDs like the UCS-HD1T7KS2-E provide a much lower cost per GB than most enterprise SSDs. If your workload requires very high IOPS, extremely low latency, or rapid random access (e.g., high-transaction databases, caching layers, or real-time analytics), enterprise SSDs or NVMe devices are preferable. Hybrid arrays that combine SSDs for hot data and HDDs for capacity are common to get the best of both worlds.