HPE 741171-001 800GB SAS-12GBPS SFF Hot-Swap MLC MU HE SSD

HPE 741171-001 800GB SAS-12GBPS SSD Overview

The HPE 741171-001 800GB SAS-12Gbps High Endurance (HE) Mixed Use (MU) Small Form Factor (SFF) Hot-Swap MLC solid state drive is engineered for enterprise-class workloads that demand consistent low latency, high IOPS, and strong write endurance. This drive targets mixed-read/mixed-write data-center applications, virtualization platforms, database caches, and mission-critical storage tiers where reliability, predictable performance, and hot-swap serviceability are required. It combines the robustness of HPE-qualified firmware, the enterprise SAS 12Gb/s interface, and MLC-based NAND optimized for mixed-use endurance characteristics.

Key Features

Enterprise-grade 12Gb/s SAS Interface

The SAS 12Gb/s interface (full-duplex) provides high bandwidth and robust link layer features for enterprise storage arrays and HPE ProLiant servers. SAS allows dual-port configurations for redundancy in supported systems, enabling greater availability and continued operation in the event of path failures. The 12Gb/s link is particularly effective for multi-tenant virtualization and I/O-heavy transactional workloads that need predictable throughput and queue management.

High Endurance (HE) MLC NAND Optimized for Mixed Use

The drive uses multi-level cell (MLC) NAND with firmware tuned for mixed use patterns — balancing read and write operations without sacrificing endurance. "High Endurance" designation means the drive can sustain higher write-amplification-aware workloads than standard consumer-grade SSDs, making it suitable for database logging, mail servers, and write-heavy caching layers.

800GB Capacity in a 2.5" SFF Hot-Swap Tray

The 800GB capacity is a common sweet spot for tiered storage designs: large enough to host hot datasets and caching partitions while being cost-efficient relative to larger enterprise SSD options. The 2.5" small form factor and hot-swap tray compatibility make the drive a direct fit for modern HPE and many OEM server chassis where serviceability and tray-based replacements are expected.

Performance Characteristics

IOPS and Latency Considerations

Mixed Use SSDs are tuned to provide a balance between sustained throughput and short, predictable latencies. Enterprise workloads should expect significantly higher random IOPS and lower tail latency compared with SATA or commodity SSDs. When used in RAID arrays or HPE Smart Array controllers that support SAS-12G, performance scales with controller capabilities, queue depth, and workload profile (random vs sequential, read/write mix).

Sustained Throughput and QoS

Sustained sequential throughput is typically limited by the SAS interface at peak, but the real benefit for mixed-use drives is consistent QoS — that is, predictable response times during heavy mixed read/write activity. This is essential for latency-sensitive multi-VM environments and database front-ends.

Compatibility

HPE Servers and Storage Arrays

The HPE 741171-001 is qualified for use in many HPE ProLiant servers and HPE storage enclosures that accept SAS SFF drives. For guaranteed compatibility and digitally-signed firmware support, always verify the server/storage QuickSpecs and HPE support matrices. HPE’s official documentation and part lists will identify supported server generations and the recommended controller/firmware pairings for best results. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Controller and Firmware Notes

The drive performs best when paired with enterprise-class SAS controllers that handle NCQ, proper queue management, and firmware-level error recovery suited for SAS. HPE often ships these drives with vendor-signed firmware; using drives with unrelated firmware may reduce reliability or prevent support from HPE in case of service events.

Use Cases

Virtualization & Cloud Infrastructure

In cloud-hosted hypervisor environments (VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM), the HPE 800GB HE MU SSD is ideal as a caching tier or for hosting high-demand VM images. Its mixed-use tuning helps absorb both read-heavy and write-bursty workloads without a dramatic drop in performance over time.

Databases and Transactional Systems

Traditional RDBMS and NoSQL databases benefit from the drive’s low latency and write endurance characteristics — especially when used for transaction logs, temp storage, or indexes that undergo frequent updates.

Tiered Storage Architectures

Deploy it as an acceleration layer in hybrid arrays: faster than spinning media for hot data while remaining a cost-effective option compared with higher-cost enterprise NVMe tiers. Many organizations use mixed-use SAS SSDs to move hot datasets off HDD tiers without the higher price point of NVMe U.2/PCIe.

Comparisons

Mixed Use vs. Read-Intensive vs. Write-Intensive Drives

Choose Mixed Use (MU) when your environment has both significant reads and writes. If your workload is almost exclusively reads (e.g., content delivery), a read-intensive (RI) SSD could be more cost-effective. Conversely, for extreme write workloads (e.g., heavy logging, certain big-data ingestion patterns), a write-intensive (WI) or higher endurance option is preferable.

SAS 12Gb/s vs NVMe

NVMe drives deliver higher bandwidth and lower per-I/O latency than SAS SSDs, but SAS 12Gb/s drives remain a compelling option for compatibility with existing SAS infrastructure and storage arrays. For many enterprises, SAS MU SSDs deliver the best price-to-performance for mixed workloads without rearchitecting the storage stack.