P74642-001 HPE 15.36TB Read Intensive SSD.

HPE P74642-001 15.36TB NVMe Read Intensive SSD

Discover the high-capacity HPE P74642-001, a performance-optimized solid state drive engineered for demanding data center and server storage environments.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
• Model Number: P74642-001
• Device Type: NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Design Workload: Read-Intensive Applications

Technical Specifications

• Total Storage: 15.36 Terabytes (TB)
• Workload Classification: Read Intensive (RI)
• Drive Size: Small Form Factor (SFF) 2.5-inch
• Host Interface: NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) over PCIe
• Connector Standard: U.3 (Tri-mode compatible with U.2)
• Installation Type: Hot Plug Capable - Allows insertion and removal without powering down the system.
• Drive Carrier: Carrier type is unspecified by HPE; compatible with relevant HPE server caddies.

HPE P74642-001 15.36TB NVMe Read Intensive SSD Overview

The HPE P74642-001 15.36TB NVMe Read Intensive SFF U.3 Solid State Drive belongs to a high-capacity enterprise storage category designed to address modern data center requirements where speed, reliability, and efficiency are paramount. This category focuses on NVMe-based solid state drives optimized for read-intensive workloads, leveraging the PCIe interface and U.3 form factor to deliver exceptional performance and compatibility across a wide range of HPE ProLiant servers and enterprise storage platforms. Within this segment, emphasis is placed on low latency, high throughput, and sustained performance under continuous operational loads.Read intensive NVMe SSDs are engineered to support environments where data is accessed frequently but written comparatively less often. Typical use cases include content delivery networks, big data analytics, virtualization environments, web servers, cloud infrastructure, and read-heavy databases. The 15.36TB capacity places this drive in the ultra-high-density tier, enabling organizations to consolidate storage, reduce rack space consumption, and lower total cost of ownership while maintaining enterprise-grade reliability.

NVMe Technology and PCIe Performance Architecture

At the core of this category is Non-Volatile Memory Express technology, a protocol specifically designed to exploit the parallelism of solid state memory. Unlike legacy SAS and SATA interfaces, NVMe communicates directly with the CPU over PCI Express lanes, dramatically reducing command overhead and latency. The HPE P74642-001 drive benefits from this architecture by supporting thousands of concurrent command queues, ensuring consistent performance even under heavy multi-threaded workloads.PCIe connectivity enables significantly higher bandwidth compared to previous-generation interfaces. This allows read intensive NVMe SSDs to achieve extremely fast sequential and random read speeds, making them ideal for applications that demand rapid data access. The architecture also supports efficient scaling, ensuring that as system demands grow, the storage layer does not become a bottleneck.

Low Latency Data Access Characteristics

One of the defining characteristics of NVMe read intensive drives is ultra-low latency. Reduced I/O wait times translate directly into faster application response, improved user experience, and higher transaction throughput. In enterprise environments, milliseconds of delay can impact productivity and service-level agreements, making low latency storage a critical requirement.

The HPE P74642-001 category emphasizes predictable latency performance, ensuring consistent response times even during peak usage. This predictability is essential for mission-critical workloads such as financial modeling, search indexing, and large-scale analytics where performance variability can lead to operational inefficiencies.

High Queue Depth Optimization

Enterprise NVMe SSDs are optimized to handle high queue depths, allowing multiple applications and processes to access storage simultaneously without performance degradation. This is particularly beneficial in virtualized and containerized environments where numerous virtual machines or microservices share the same physical storage resources.

By efficiently managing parallel I/O operations, the drive category ensures balanced performance across workloads, reducing contention and improving overall system efficiency.

U.3 Small Form Factor Design and Compatibility

The U.3 SFF form factor is a key element of this storage category. U.3 drives are designed for universal compatibility, supporting NVMe, SAS, and SATA protocols within the same connector and backplane. This flexibility allows data center operators to deploy mixed-drive environments and transition between technologies without major infrastructure changes.

The 2.5-inch small form factor enables high-density deployments, making it possible to install multiple high-capacity drives in a single server chassis. This design supports efficient airflow and thermal management, which are critical considerations in enterprise server environments.

Hot-Plug and Serviceability Advantages

Drives in this category are engineered for hot-plug capability, allowing administrators to replace or upgrade storage devices without shutting down systems. This feature is essential for maintaining high availability and minimizing downtime in production environments.

Serviceability is further enhanced through HPE-specific firmware integration, which provides advanced monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive failure alerts. These capabilities help IT teams proactively manage storage health and reduce the risk of unexpected outages.

Mechanical and Thermal Considerations

The small form factor design also addresses mechanical stability and thermal efficiency. Enterprise-grade enclosures are constructed to withstand continuous operation, vibration, and temperature fluctuations commonly found in data centers. Effective heat dissipation ensures sustained performance and extends drive lifespan.

Read Intensive Workload Optimization

The read intensive classification indicates that the drive is optimized for scenarios where read operations significantly outnumber write operations. This optimization is achieved through firmware tuning, NAND flash selection, and endurance balancing. While capable of handling writes, the drive is engineered to maximize read performance and longevity under read-heavy usage patterns.

Common applications benefiting from this category include data warehousing, reporting systems, media streaming platforms, and artificial intelligence inference workloads. In these environments, large datasets are frequently accessed, and fast read speeds are critical to performance.

Endurance and Write Cycle Management

Although classified as read intensive, the drive maintains enterprise-grade endurance through advanced wear-leveling algorithms and error correction technologies. These features ensure data integrity and consistent performance throughout the drive’s operational life.

Endurance metrics are carefully balanced to deliver optimal cost efficiency, making this category suitable for organizations seeking high-capacity storage without the premium associated with write-intensive solutions.

Advanced Error Correction and Data Protection

Enterprise NVMe SSDs incorporate robust error correction mechanisms to protect data against bit errors and data corruption. Multi-level ECC, combined with end-to-end data path protection, ensures that data remains accurate from the host interface to the NAND flash memory.

Power Loss Protection Capabilities

Power loss protection is an essential feature within this category, safeguarding in-flight data during unexpected power interruptions. Integrated capacitors provide sufficient energy to flush volatile buffers to non-volatile memory, preventing data loss and maintaining file system integrity.

HPE Integration and Firmware Intelligence

The HPE P74642-001 drive category is designed for seamless integration with HPE server platforms. HPE-qualified firmware ensures compatibility, stability, and optimal performance within supported systems. This integration enables advanced features such as real-time health monitoring, usage analytics, and firmware lifecycle management through HPE management tools.

HPE firmware intelligence allows administrators to track drive wear, temperature, and performance metrics, providing valuable insights for capacity planning and maintenance scheduling. This proactive approach reduces operational risk and enhances overall infrastructure reliability.

Security and Data Integrity Features

Enterprise environments require robust security measures to protect sensitive data. NVMe SSDs in this category support advanced security features such as secure erase, firmware authentication, and compliance with enterprise security standards.

These features help organizations meet regulatory requirements and protect against unauthorized access or data breaches, particularly in multi-tenant and cloud environments.

Encryption and Compliance Readiness

While the primary focus is on performance and capacity, the category supports encryption-ready architectures that enable secure data handling when deployed within compliant systems. This ensures flexibility for organizations operating in regulated industries.

High-Capacity Storage Density and Scalability

The 15.36TB capacity offered by this category represents a significant advancement in storage density. High-capacity NVMe SSDs enable consolidation of workloads and datasets, reducing the number of drives required and simplifying storage management.

Scalability is a key benefit, allowing organizations to expand storage capacity without increasing physical footprint. This is particularly valuable in colocation facilities and cloud data centers where space and power efficiency are critical considerations.

Performance Consistency at Scale

As storage environments scale, maintaining consistent performance becomes increasingly challenging. NVMe read intensive drives are engineered to deliver stable throughput and latency across large arrays, ensuring predictable performance even as capacity grows.

This consistency supports service-level agreements and ensures reliable application performance across diverse workloads.

Energy Efficiency and Operational Benefits

Compared to traditional spinning disks, NVMe SSDs consume less power per unit of performance, contributing to lower operational costs. Reduced power consumption also translates into lower cooling requirements, further enhancing data center efficiency.

Enterprise Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios

This storage category is well suited for a wide range of enterprise applications. In virtual desktop infrastructure deployments, fast read access improves boot times and user experience. In analytics platforms, rapid data retrieval accelerates query execution and insights generation.

Cloud service providers benefit from the high capacity and performance density, enabling efficient multi-tenant environments. Content delivery networks leverage fast read speeds to deliver media and web content with minimal latency to end users.

Database and Analytics Acceleration

Read intensive NVMe SSDs play a crucial role in accelerating database workloads where read queries dominate. Faster data access reduces query response times and supports real-time analytics applications.

AI and Machine Learning Inference Workloads

In artificial intelligence and machine learning environments, inference workloads often require rapid access to large trained models. High-capacity NVMe SSDs provide the necessary performance to support these workloads efficiently.

Reliability, Longevity, and Enterprise Assurance

Reliability is a foundational requirement for enterprise storage, and this category is designed to meet stringent quality and durability standards. Drives undergo extensive validation and testing to ensure consistent performance and long operational life.

Enterprise assurance is reinforced through HPE’s qualification process, which ensures that each drive meets compatibility and reliability criteria for supported systems.

Predictable Lifecycle Management

Predictable lifecycle management enables organizations to plan upgrades and replacements with confidence. Detailed health metrics and usage statistics provide visibility into drive condition, supporting informed decision-making.

Reduced Risk and Improved Uptime

By combining advanced monitoring, robust data protection, and enterprise-grade construction, this storage category minimizes the risk of unexpected failures and contributes to higher system uptime.