HPE 861748-B21 4 TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12GBPS Hot-swap LFF Low Profile Hard Drive.

Product Overview of HPE 861748-B21

The HPE 861748-B21 4TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gbps Hot-Swap 3.5-Inch LFF Low Profile Hard Disk Drive is a reliable enterprise-class solution designed for data centers, servers, and high-performance workloads. Offering a balance between performance and capacity, this drive ensures dependable storage for demanding IT environments.

Main Features

• Manufacturer: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
• Part Number: 861748-B21
• Storage Capacity: 4 Terabytes
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps
• Drive Speed: 7200 RPM
• Form Factor: 3.5-Inch LFF (Large Form Factor)
• Drive Type: Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
• Profile: Low Profile, Hot-Swap Compatible
• Weight: 1.00 kg
• Brand: HP / HPE

Performance Benefits

With a 12Gbps SAS transfer rate and a 7200 RPM spindle speed, the HPE 861748-B21 provides fast data access, making it an excellent choice for transactional workloads and sequential data storage. It delivers stable I/O performance, ensures smooth data transfers, and supports high-volume applications with ease.

Key Advantages

• Optimized for enterprise servers and storage arrays.
• Supports large capacity storage with consistent throughput.
• Engineered for hot-swap compatibility for uninterrupted operations.
• Reliable SAS interface enhances speed and dependability.
• Perfect for data-intensive applications, backups, and virtualization.

Compatibility with HPE ProLiant Servers

The HPE 861748-B21 SAS HDD integrates seamlessly with multiple HPE ProLiant servers, ensuring full support and maximum efficiency. Compatibility spans across tower, rack, and scalable server models.

Supported Models

• ProLiant ML110 Gen10, ML350 Gen10, ML110 Gen11, ML350 Gen11
• ProLiant DL110 Gen11, DL160 Gen10
• ProLiant DL20 Gen10, DL20 Gen10+
• ProLiant DL320 Gen11
• ProLiant DL325 Gen10, DL325 Gen10+, DL325 Gen11
• ProLiant DL345 Gen10+, DL345 Gen11
• ProLiant DL360 Gen10+, DL360 Gen11
• ProLiant DL365 Gen10+, DL365 Gen11
• ProLiant DL380 Gen10+, DL380 Gen11
• ProLiant DL385 Gen10+, DL385 Gen11
• ProLiant DL560 Gen11

HPE 861748-B21 4 TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12GBPS Hot-swap LFF HDD

The HPE 861748-B21 4 TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12GBPS hot-swap 3.5 inch LFF low profile hard disk drive is designed for enterprise-class storage environments where predictable performance, capacity efficiency, and proven reliability matter. This category description focuses on the drive’s role within HPE ProLiant servers, storage enclosures, and mixed data center architectures. Key descriptors for search relevance include the full product identifier “HPE 861748-B21”, the storage capacity “4 TB”, rotational speed “7.2K RPM”, interface “SAS 12Gbps”, form factor “3.5 inch LFF low profile”, and operational capability “hot-swap”. Using these keywords naturally throughout the text helps search engines and buyers connect the drive’s technical strengths with real-world server and SAN/NAS use cases.

Performance profile and interface advantages

The 12Gbps SAS interface allows sustained, low-latency data transfers compared with older SAS generations and SATA drives. At 7,200 revolutions per minute, this 4 TB mechanical disk balances sequential throughput and random access latency for workloads that need reliable streaming and high-capacity storage without the premium cost of all-flash tiers. For applications such as bulk data storage, cold or warm tiering, backup targets, media repositories, and archive layers in a tiered storage design, the HPE 861748-B21 delivers a cost-effective balance of throughput, capacity per spindle, and endurance. The SAS 12Gbps link is full-duplex and offers robust error detection and correction, enabling integration into enterprise RAID controllers and HPE SmartArray systems while preserving integrity under heavy multi-stream workloads.

Real-world throughput and latency considerations

In practice, sequential read and write throughput for a 7.2K RPM, 4 TB SAS drive is optimized for large-block transfers such as backups, restore operations, and media streaming. Random I/O performance is suitable for moderate transactional workloads where storage tiers are architected so hot transactional data resides on flash. When deployed as part of a hybrid array—mixing HPE 861748-B21 drives with SSD cache layers—these drives offload warm and cold data efficiently, enabling organizations to maximize capacity without sacrificing the responsiveness of front-end applications. Proper RAID configuration and controller cache policies further influence observed latency and overall application performance.

Compatibility with HPE systems and ecosystem integration

The HPE 861748-B21 is qualified for use in HPE ProLiant servers and HPE storage enclosures that accept 3.5 inch LFF drives with SAS connectivity. It integrates with HPE management frameworks, such as HPE iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) for monitoring drive health and HPE SmartStorage tools for RAID and firmware management. For e-commerce and cataloging, including product category pages on reseller sites, calling out compatibility with specific ProLiant generations (for example, Gen9/Gen10 and compatible chassis/enclosures) improves relevance for buyers searching for replacement spares or capacity upgrades. The hot-swap design means drives can be replaced or installed while systems remain operational, reducing planned downtime and enabling rapid capacity scaling in dense server racks and storage arrays.

Firmware, monitoring and maintenance

Enterprise drives like the HPE 861748-B21 often ship with HPE-certified firmware that includes error recovery controls, predictive failure analytics support, and integration hooks for vendor monitoring. Administrators should follow HPE and drive vendor advisories for firmware updates to ensure maximum compatibility with controllers and to address any identified stability or performance issues. When deployed in large arrays, using HPE management software for proactive drive health checks and predictive replacements reduces the risk of unplanned outages. Hot-swap capability combined with drive health alerts enables technicians to plan replacements during low-impact hours rather than in emergency scenarios.

Reliability metrics, endurance, and enterprise-grade attributes

Reliability in enterprise drives is measured by metrics such as MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), annualized failure rates, workload rating (TB/year), and non-recoverable read error rates. The HPE 861748-B21 is engineered to meet higher reliability thresholds than consumer-class disks, with components, bearings, and servo systems designed to tolerate 24/7 operation in rack environments and datacenter temperatures. The mechanical design and servo precision ensure consistent read/write head alignment across the media, which preserves long-term data integrity. For storage architects, specifying enterprise-rated drives reduces the frequency of rebuilds and the correlated risk of data loss during degraded RAID conditions.

Workload suitability and endurance planning

While solid-state drives excel for high IOPS workloads, mechanical 7.2K RPM drives excel in capacity-per-dollar and sequential throughput for bulk data. Capacity planning should account for rebuild times and the exposure window after a drive failure. Because rebuilds can stress surviving drives, designers often use RAID levels and spare strategies that match workload criticality and restore SLAs. For archival or cold tier storage where writes are infrequent and reads are batched, the HPE 861748-B21 offers an attractive mix of endurance and cost-efficiency. For heavier write-intensive workloads, consider hybrid or all-flash arrays for primary tiers and reserve these SAS drives for capacity tiers.

Thermal, acoustic and power considerations in rack deployments

Rack-mounted servers and dense storage enclosures present thermal and airflow constraints. The HPE 861748-B21’s low profile 3.5 inch form factor and HPE-qualified components are selected to optimize airflow and maintain operating temperatures within manufacturer-specified ranges. In large deployments, power draw per spindle contributes to rack-level power planning; 7.2K RPM drives consume less peak energy than higher RPM enterprise spindles, yet still contribute to total power budgets. Acoustic considerations are relevant in on-premises labs or office-adjacent racks—enterprise drives are engineered for datacenter acoustics, and their noise profile is typically acceptable in dedicated server rooms. Nevertheless, careful chassis selection, proper airflow design, and regular maintenance keep these drives within expected operating envelopes and extend service life.

Physical form factor and serviceability

The 3.5 inch LFF low profile format accommodates larger platters, which supports higher per-disk capacities such as 4 TB without occupying additional drive bays. The drive’s hot-swap tray and carrier compatibility with HPE sleds make field service straightforward: technicians can visually identify failing drives via chassis indicators and replace them without powering down equipment. For catalog listings, including precise mechanical dimensions, tray compatibility notes, and HPE part number cross-references helps buyers ensure correct fitment and eliminates returns due to incompatible drive carriers or backplane types.

Security, data protection, and encryption options

Data protection is a growing concern for enterprises of all sizes. While the HPE 861748-B21 is a mechanical SAS drive and may not natively include self-encrypting drive (SED) features depending on SKU, many HPE platforms support host-level encryption, controller-based encryption, or SEDs in comparable families. For environments requiring at-rest encryption, architects should verify whether a specific HPE part number includes SED functionality or whether encryption will be handled by the array/controller. Implementing encryption policies and key management systems alongside drive-level security guards against unauthorized access to physical media during decommissioning or replacement.

Secure disposal and lifecycle management

Lifecycle management for enterprise drives includes secure wiping, decommissioning, and responsible disposal. When replacing drives, follow organizational data sanitization policies and HPE guidelines to ensure that drives leaving the datacenter do not contain residual customer or corporate data. Many organizations use software-based secure erase, degaussing where applicable, or physical destruction for drives at end-of-life. Maintaining records of drive serials, part numbers, and replacement history eases audits and supports regulatory compliance.

Comparisons with other storage options and tiering strategies

In contemporary storage architectures, the HPE 861748-B21 competes and complements several other storage media choices. Compared with SATA consumer disks, SAS 12Gbps provides higher reliability, better error handling, and dual-port capabilities in some enterprise SAS offerings. Compared with SSDs, this drive offers a significantly lower cost per gigabyte and is therefore ideal for capacity tiers. In tiered storage designs, a common pattern is to place hot data on NVMe/flash, warm data on high-performance SAS SSDs or 10K/15K RPM SAS HDDs, and cold data on 7.2K RPM 3.5 inch drives like the HPE 861748-B21. Such tiering reduces total cost of ownership by aligning storage media characteristics with application performance requirements.

Use cases where 4 TB 7.2K SAS drives shine

Typical scenarios where this drive type is an excellent fit include backup target pools, secondary copies, long-term retention vaults, bulk file shares, media asset repositories for video editing and streaming, and capacity expansion within converged infrastructure systems. When combined with deduplication appliances or compression-capable backup software, the effective storage delivered by a handful of these drives can represent a highly economical solution for long-retention data. Additionally, remote office/branch office (ROBO) environments benefit from the balance of capacity, enterprise manageability, and hot-swap serviceability.