868101-B21 HPE SAS 12GBPS 7.2K RPM LFF Hot Plug 4TB Internal Hard Drive

Product Overview of HPE 868101-B21 4TB Hard Drive

This overview provides key specifications for a robust, high-capacity data storage solution designed for enterprise and server environments.

Key Specifications

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Part Number: 868101-B21

Drive Classification

• Category: Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
• Placement: Internal
• Hot-Swappable: Yes
• Assembly Required: Yes

Technical Specifications and Performance Metrics

• The drive boasts impressive technical features that ensure fast data throughput and dependable operation.

Speed and Rotation

• Spindle Speed (RPM): 7200 RPM
• Maximum Transfer Rate: 12 Gigabits per second

Data Storage Attributes

• Total Capacity: 4 Terabytes (4TB)
• Sector Format: 512n

Connections and Physical Dimensions

• This section covers the physical interface standards and the size of the storage unit.

Ports and Connectivity

• Host Interface: SAS (Serial-Attached SCSI)
• Interface Version: 12Gb/s SAS

Size and Form Factor

• Design: LFF (Large Form Factor)
• Drive Width: 3.5 Inches

Additional Features and Compliance

• The drive adheres to important environmental and safety regulations.

Environmental Compliance

• Eco-Friendly: Yes
• Directive Compliance: WEEE

HPE 868101-B21 4TB SAS 12GBPS 7.2K RPM Hard Disk Drive

HPE 868101-B21 represents a class of Midline internal hard disk drives engineered for balance — offering large-capacity storage with reliable rotational media performance for archival, backup, and cold-to-warm tier applications. Designed to operate at 7,200 revolutions per minute and to interface over 12Gb/s SAS, this 3.5-inch drive provides a sensible mix of throughput, capacity, and enterprise features that make it attractive for storage arrays, tower and rack servers, and nearline storage appliances.

Key Performance Characteristics and Use Cases

Sustained Sequential Throughput and Real-World Workloads

Delivering steady sequential read and write throughput, the 4TB Midline drive excels in streaming workloads and large-block transfers common to backup/restore operations, media streaming, and bulk data ingestion. While not competing with high-RPM or NVMe devices on random I/O, these drives provide predictable performance for cold and warm datasets where cost per gigabyte matters more than IOPS.

Reliability Metrics and Enterprise Readiness

Built with enterprise-class components and qualified by HPE for use in HPE storage systems and ProLiant servers, the 868101-B21 features firmware tuned for RAID environments and multi-drive enclosures. Error recovery controls, stable rotational mechanics, and vibration tolerance are part of its design emphasis, enabling long-term reliability in dense drive populations.

Compatibility, Integration, and Deployment Considerations

Server and Array Compatibility

Designed to be hot pluggable and to fit a standard 3.5-inch drive bay, the HPE 4TB Midline drive is compatible with many HPE servers and storage arrays when used with the correct HPE carrier/tray and firmware set. Integration into chassis backplanes and RAID controllers is simplified by the 868101-B21 SAS 12Gb/s interface that supports wide compatibility and backward interoperability with 6Gb/s SAS controllers.

Firmware and Interoperability

HPE-qualified firmware ensures predictable behavior within HPE systems; administrators should verify vendor compatibility matrices and firmware versions prior to large-scale deployment. Proper firmware alignment can improve drive longevity, optimize rebuild times, and reduce the risk of erroneously dropping healthy drives in vibration-prone enclosures.

Thermal and Mechanical Design Features

Robust Enclosure and Heat Dissipation

The mechanical assembly of a 3.5-inch midline disk is engineered for effective thermal transfer and consistent operation across typical datacenter ambient ranges. Stable airflow patterns within server racks and properly configured cooling policies are essential to keep drive temperatures within manufacturer-specified limits, which supports longevity and reduces the risk of thermal-related error rates.

Vibration and Shock Tolerance

Enterprise midline drives include design elements to mitigate the effects of chassis vibration and shock. These design elements are particularly important in high-density enclosures or clustered deployments where multiple drives operate closely together. Selecting drive models rated for multi-drive vibration environments helps ensure fewer read/write interruptions and sustained reliability.

Data Protection and RAID Practices

Optimizing Raid for Midline Drives

When using the 868101-B21 4TB 7.2K Midline drives in RAID arrays, administrators commonly select RAID levels that balance capacity efficiency and redundancy, such as RAID 6 or RAID 10 depending on performance and fault-tolerance needs. Because rebuilds of large-capacity HDDs can be lengthy, choosing a RAID configuration and rebuild policy that minimizes exposure during rebuild windows is essential.

Predictive Failure Analysis, and SMART

Proactive drive monitoring using S.M.A.R.T. attributes, vendor diagnostic tools, and storage system alerts enables administrators to detect degradation early. Predictive failure analysis and scheduled replacement strategies help maintain high availability. Regularly scheduled scrubs and consistency checks within the storage system further reduce the risk of silent data corruption.

Capacity Planning

Density, Rack Space, and Power Considerations

While spinning media consumes more rack power and generates more heat than solid-state solutions on a per-GB basis in some configurations, the trade-off is often worthwhile for datasets that do not require ultra-low latency. Effective density planning includes calculating watts per terabyte, cooling budget, and the physical drive bay availability across the server and storage fleet.

Operational Best Practices and Lifecycle Management

Drive Rotation Strategies 

Implementing staged replacement and drive rotation practices can smooth capacity upgrades and limit unplanned downtime. Drives approaching their recommended operational bounds should be scheduled for replacement during maintenance windows. Lifecycle management also includes firmware updates and compatibility checks to avoid introducing regressions that could impact drive behavior in arrays.

Backup, Snapshot, and Tiering Strategies

Because midline drives serve as a sensible nearline tier, coupling them with snapshot and backup strategies ensures that cold data remains available without sacrificing recoverability. Automated tiering can move hot datasets to higher-performance SSD tiers while retaining colder blocks on midline disks.

Security, Encryption, and Compliance

Self-Encrypting Drive Options and Data At Rest Protection

Enterprises often require data-at-rest protection to meet compliance mandates. While not all midline HDDs include built-in self-encryption, many storage arrays and HPE server platforms support encryption at the controller or array level. Where data security is required, choose deployment approaches that integrate encryption key management and support regulatory frameworks.

Secure Erase and Decommission Procedures

When decommissioning drives, follow secure erase and sanitization practices that meet organizational policy and legal standards. Wiping drives using certified utilities or employing cryptographic erase (when using self-encrypting hardware) reduces the risk of data leakage when hardware is retired or repurposed.

Comparisons With Alternative Storage Options

Vs. High-Performance 10K/15K Drives

Compared to 10K and 15K drives, 7.2K midline disks trade raw IOPS for higher areal density and lower power consumption per terabyte. For random I/O-intensive applications like high-transaction databases, higher-RPM drives or SSDs remain preferable; however, for sequential or capacity-oriented workloads the midline drive is more economical.

Vs. Solid State Drives

SSDs provide dramatically higher random IOPS and lower latencies but at a much higher cost per gigabyte. Hybrid architectures that combine SSD tiers for hot data and midline HDD tiers for archival data are a common pattern to achieve performance where needed while keeping long-term storage costs under control.

Environmental Considerations and Sustainable Practices

Energy Efficiency and Cooling Optimization

Where sustainability and operational cost are priorities, plan for energy-aware configurations. Power capping, intelligent cooling policies, and automated spin-down (when appropriate for the workload) help reduce the environmental footprint and operational expense of large-capacity HDD deployments.

Recycling, Asset Recovery, and Responsible Disposal

At end of life, drives should follow responsible recycling protocols and data sanitization practices. Asset recovery programs or secure refurbishing channels can extend the value of physical hardware while aligning with corporate environmental policies.

Interface, Form Factor, and Performance Envelope

The 868101-B21 leverages a 12Gb/s SAS interface in a 3.5-inch form factor spinning at 7,200 RPM with capacities around 4TB. Administrators should confirm the exact specification sheet for parameters such as sustained throughput, average latency, acoustic levels, shock tolerances, and MTBF figures to ensure alignment with project requirements.