EVA4000: HP StorageWorks EVA Disk Array

The EVA4000 is the entry model of HP's EVA4000, EVA6000 and EVA8000 StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array range. HP's QuickSpecs describe a 4U Fibre Channel controller assembly with a dual HSV200 controller pair, plus 14-bay M5314A Fibre Channel drive enclosures. The 2C1D bundle is one controller pair and one enclosure; the array supports up to four enclosures, 14 disks per enclosure, and from 8 to 56 drives, or 0.57 TB to 16.8 TB.

Controller facts: cache is 4GB per controller pair with battery backup, there are four 2 Gb/s Fibre Channel host ports and four 2 Gb/s device ports, controller software is XCS 5.030 in the QuickSpecs, and the RAID types are Vraid0, Vraid1 and Vraid5. One controller pair supports up to 256 host connections. Drives are dual-ported 2 Gb/s Fibre Channel, in 72GB, 146GB and 300GB 10K rpm, 72GB and 146GB 15K rpm, and 250GB FATA.

Upgrade and fit: the EVA Dual FC Loop Switch Option (AD557A) can be field installed to upgrade an EVA4000 to an EVA6000, and HP recommends it when you expect to grow past a 2C4D layout. Drive shelves for this generation are the M5314A and M5314B; the later M5314C shelf is for the EVA4100, EVA6100 and EVA8100, per HP's enclosure guide.

Before buying, confirm the generation on the controller label, because the EVA4000 and the later EVA4400 use different controllers and enclosures. The EVA4400 is the 12-bay M6412A generation, shown at EVA4400; the larger siblings of this generation are EVA6000 and EVA8000. The storage systems hub lists other array parts.