Understanding the 3PAR difference in array architecture

Copied from a college, but i really liked

Understanding the 3PAR difference in array architecture

Bottlenecks and single-points-of-failure seem to be the two things I combat most as a systems administrator.  As a systems admin, you try and identify these points and plan for redundancy and capacity.  We have to serve as the realists and the ‘doom-and-gloom’ guys because we plan for the worst case.  When applying that concept to storage, it meant that we must purchase an array for our peak performance periods and we would need to often purchase more arrays to combat the problem of at most two controllers in an modular array.

But, newer arrays have come to market with much different architectures which directly combat the bottleneck problems we have traditionally observed in modular arrays.  We have seen industry standard servers employed at storage controllers over a cluster of systems to create arrays (like HP’s Lefthand or VMware VSA solutions) and we have seen scale up architecures like the 3PAR StoreServ arrays which have an active-active mesh of up to 8 controllers to increase the performance.

The active mesh architecture is the first big difference between our EVA’s and a 3PAR StoreServ.  In an EVA, only a single controller may truly access and control a LUN at any given time.  Any requests received through the other controller are simply proxied over and handled by the controlling controller.  In the 3PAR, all controller nodes access and own the LUN and can service requests to it.  All of this activity is sent across a passive, full-mesh backplane which connects the controller nodes to each other and to the storage shelves.  The nodes are connected across high-speed links (800 Mbps in each direction), but also have a low-speed RS-232 serial link for redundancy for control information between nodes in case the main links fail.

The second difference in architecture is related to scale and modularity.  When you purchase an EVA, you get two controllers and that’s all it’ll ever have.  With a 3PAR array, you can start with two controllers and scale up to a total of 8 controller nodes as your needs increase, depending on the line.  The 3PAR StoreServ 7200 is limited to 2 controllers and the 7400 can scale from 2 to 4 controllers, while the 10000 series continues to scale to 8 controller nodes.  This is a particular advantage when looking at cloud architecture which has increased the overall utilization of controllers and taxed them to the point of bottleneck on my arrays.  HP has touted the P10000 3PAR method of modular controllers as the answer to cloud scale issues.  While administrators must still size arrays to the peak, there is some ability to purchase what is needed and then scale up the controllers for the future, where its not possible today in the EVA line.

3PAR StoreServ can also address several storage tiers with different types of storage, mixing and matching volumes across types of storage as needed.  While it was also possible to create multiple disk groups in EVA — one with traditional Fiber Channel drives and one with solid state drives, for instance — the EVA does not allow for mixing and matching data across multiple disk groups.  With the 3PAR, however, autonomic storage tiering is a software feature of the array that allows chucklets of data to be spread across types of disk.  The array can auto-magically determine where things should optimally be stored based on how often and how quickly they need to be access and move them from SATA to SAS to solid-state disks accordingly.  This all occurs without an administrator having to actively manage it.

Thin provisioning is the probably the biggest difference between the arrays — not from a pure capability comparison but from how its employed in the array.  Since the 3PAR aquisition, HP has brought thin to the EVA line, so from a check box perspective, they both have it.

But 3PAR utilizes thin throughout its architecture.  Thin is fully baked in the the 3PAR ASIC (or application specific integrated circuit) and so it is available at the lowest levels of the array.  The array allows for fat to thin conversions of data non-disruptively through its proprietary algorithm.  Replication is also handled using the thin-built-in technology through zero detection.  Zero Detect, as the HP folks brand it, is a technology which detects and strips zeros from streams of data which makes it possible to no only encode data in a thin fashion on write, but also take data at rest and convert it to thin provisioned data in a timely manner.

Since the HP acquisition of 3PAR, they have worked to make data more portable between storage platforms.  Peer Motion was introduced during VMworld 2011 and it is federation technology and allows for zero-downtime relocation of storage from one array to another.  Peer Motion is more in line with Storage VMotion in vSphere than a replication technology.  The majority of the work is handled on the destination system which is receiving the storage volume.  HP has introduced Online Migration, a one way migration from EVA to 3PAR StoreServ.  For EVA shops, this is an important technology – since it will allow for non-disruptive moves of data from your EVA to a 3PAR array.  The migration is configured through CommandView and at a basic level, involves the 3PAR fronting the EVA’s LUNs to the host and then transparently migrating the data behind the scenes until its all moved to the 3PAR and then removes the link to the EVA.  Peer Motion is a major enabling technology for companies looking to migrate data in an automated way.

Why You Shouldn't Say "You're Welcome"

This post is copied from a friend, i have attached the link at the end of the post.

The script is so deeply ingrained that you don’t even need to think about it. When you do a favor, and someone says “thank you,” the automatic response is “you’re welcome.” It’s a basic rule of politeness, and it signals that you accept the expression of gratitude—or that you were happy to help.

But according to one leading psychologist, this isn’t the best choice of words. After four decades of studying persuasion, Influence author Robert Cialdini has come to see “you’re welcome” as a missed opportunity. “There is a moment of power that we are all afforded as soon as someone has said ‘thank you,’” Cialdini explains. To capitalize on this power, he recommends an unconventional reply:

“I know you’d do the same for me.”

There are at least three potential advantages of this response. First, it conveys that we have the type of relationship where we can ask each other for favors and help each other without keeping score. Second, it communicates confidence that you’re the kind of person who’s willing to help others. Third, it activates the norm of reciprocity, making sure that you feel obligated to pay the favor back in the future.

As Guy Kawasaki writes in Enchantment, “Cialdini’s phrase tells the person who received your favor that someday you may need help, too, and it also signals to the person that you believe she is honorable and someone who will reciprocate. If this is the spirit in which you’re saying it, your response is far more enchanting than the perfunctory ‘You’re welcome.’ ”

Although the logic is compelling, and I’m a longtime admirer of Cialdini’s work, I’ve never felt comfortable saying this phrase out loud. At first I thought I was too attached to politeness rules. How could I leave a “thank you” just hanging in the air without the proper acknowledgment? Awkward.

That explanation fell apart, though, when I realized I could just combine politeness with Cialidni’s response: “You’re welcome—I was happy to do it. I know you’d do the same for me.”

It didn’t change my mind. The response still left a bad taste in my mouth. Eventually, I realized the problem was the subtle appeal to reciprocity. There’s nothing wrong with trading favors or asking others to repay the help you’ve given, but when I chose to help people, I wanted to do it without strings attached. I didn’t want to leave them feeling like they owed me. So I stuck with the familiar, banal “you’re welcome,” which was mildly dissatisfying. Why do we utter this strange phrase?

In English, it’s a relatively new arrival. Over the past century, “you’re welcome” has evolved to connote that it’s my pleasure to help you or “you are welcome to my help,” which we tend to say more directly in other languages like Spanish and French (“the pleasure is mine,” “it was nothing,” “no problem”). Is there a better alternative?

I stumbled upon an answer after meeting Adam Rifkin, a serial entrepreneur who was named Fortune’s best networker. He goes out of his way to help a staggering number of people, doing countless five-minute favors—making introductions, giving feedback, and recommending and recognizing others. After Rifkin does you a favor, it’s common for him to reach out and ask for your help in return.

At first, it seems like he’s just following the norm of reciprocity: since he helped you, you owe him. But there’s a twist: he doesn’t ask you to help him. Instead, he asks you to help him help someone else.

Rifkin is more concerned about people paying it forward than paying it back. In his view, every favor that he does is an opportunity to encourage other people to act more generously. That way, a broader range of people can benefit from his contributions.

After watching Rifkin in action, it dawned on me that Cialdini’s line could be adapted. Instead of “I know you’d do the same for me,” how about this response?

“I know you’ll do the same for someone else.”

Just like Cialdini’s reply, it affirms your character as a person who’s happy to be helpful. Unlike his version, it doesn’t deliver the implicit message that you’re indebted to me, and I’m waiting for you to repay it.

It’s just a sentence, but the underlying values have the potential to fundamentally change the way that people interact. In traditional direct reciprocity, people trade favors back and forth in pairs. In contrast, Rifkin’s approach is called generalized reciprocity. As described by political scientist Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone, “I’ll do this for you without expecting anything specific back from you, in the confident expectation that someone else will do something for me down the road.”

If you follow this approach, when you really need help, you have access to a broader range of potential givers. If you stick to direct reciprocity, you can only ask people you’ve helped in the past or might be able to help in the future. In generalized reciprocity, you can extend your request to a wider network: since you’ve given without strings attached, other people are more inclined to do the same. In fact, social scientists James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis have conducted experiments showing that acts of giving often spread “up to three degrees of separation (from person to person to person).”

So next time someone expresses appreciation for your help, it might be worth stretching beyond politeness to ask them to pay it forward. I know you’ll do that for someone else.

 

 

The link is: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131112175357-69244073-why-you-shouldn-t-say-you-re-welcome?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0

HP Matrix Operating Environment, Insight Control Environment and HPSIM Part4

 

VCA and VCRM:

The version control feature in HP Systems Insight Manager uses the Version Control Agent to retrieve software status and for performing software and firmware updates. The version control Agent on managed systems use the Version Control Repository Manager to retrieve software and firmware catalog information, Support Packs and Smart Components, Using WBEM or SNMP.

Version Control Repository Manager and Version Control Agent are web-enabled management agents. Web-enabled agents are accessible through a browser either directly or through HP Systems Insight Manager links.

Version Control Repository Manager (VCRM) is designed to manage a repository containing ProLiant Support Packs and individual server software components. The repository is updated automatically by the Version Control Repository Manager or manually by copying software directly to the repository from the SmartStart for Servers CD, from another repository or from the HP website.

The Version Control Agent (VCA) is installed on each managed server and is responsible for determining whether the software and firmware on the system is up to date or not, and provides a simple web-based interface for performing software and firmware updates. The Version Control Agent retrieves software and firmware inventory from the Management Information Base (MIB) and then compares that information either to the catalog or to the version baseline returned from the Version Control Repository Manager.

Version Control Agent clients are available for Windows- and Linux-based systems only.

HP Systems Insight Manager retrieves software and firmware inventory from managed systems using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a management protocol that can be used for reporting information back to a central location or to gather information from the local system using various management tools. SNMP can be managed in Windows directly from the service itself, or from within the SMH.

Systems that can be version controlled are limited, as described:

1- Software and firmware version inventory is retrieved from systems that report software inventory using SNMP regardless of the operating system.

2- Windows and Linux systems running the Version Control Agent can receive software and firmware version status and updates. Firmware updates to ProLiant BL e-class GbE Interconnect switch and the p-class GbE and GbE2 interconnect switches are also supported, but only if HP Systems Insight Manager is running on Windows.

3- Software and firmware version queries can run against any devices from which HP Systems Insight Manager has retrieved inventory information and software and firmware version status has been retrieved.

4- Version Control Repository Manager is currently only available on Windows systems running HPSIM.

HP SIM uses Single login when communicating to servers, Single Login enables a user that browses to the HP Systems Insight Manager system to follow links from that system to other managed systems without being prompted to login again. When the same user browses directly to a managed server, they must authenticate through the System Management Homepage, using an account and password that is valid on that system.

HP Systems Insight Manager communicates with web applications, such as the Version Control Agent and Version Control Repository Manager, using Secure Task Execution, which is enabled by configuring the System Management Homepage to trust the Central Management Server.

The Version Control Agent communicates with a Version Control Repository Manager, it acts as a client application and requires the same kind of authentication information, such as an account and password, that an interactive user needs to login to the System Management Homepage on which the Version Control Repository Manager is installed. (i.e. a valid user name and password embedded into the OS).

The Version Control Repository by default is installed on a Windows operating system at the C:\Repository directory. This default can be changed when the Version Control Repository is first configured. ProLiant Support Pack components can be added several different ways:  Physically add to repository directory  Version Control Repository Manager GUI to load  Automatically download. In addition that you can create your own Custom Base line Repository.

The update of ProLiant Support Packs and components from single or multiple repositories saves time and is important to standardizing software maintenance and update procedures on distributed systems. The system user account that updates the repository must have write access to the repository, which can be located on a local or shared network drive. When a repository has been created, it must be populated with ProLiant Support Packs and components prior to updating target managed systems. You can update the repository automatically through the Version Control Repository Manager or manually through the HP website.

Now there is no PSP (Proliant Support Pack) so we are going to use SPP, But When the HP Service Pack for ProLiant (HP SPP) is uploaded using the "Upload Support Pack" option, we get “HP Service Pack for ProLiant (HP SPP) as Invalid or Upload Task May Show an Upload Error”

First use IE10 in compatibility mode and

1. Click on the invalid SPP link on the VCRM homepage and make a note of the missing component filenames that are marked in red.
2. Extract the missing component manually from the SPP and copy it to the repository, perform a rescan of the repository and rebuild catalog task if the copied components are not identified by VCRM automatically.

OR

Place the "Service Pack for ProLiant" ISO file directly into the repository folder, perform a rescan of the repository and rebuild catalog task if the copied ISO is not extracted and components are not identified by VCRM automatically.

HP Systems Insight Manager retrieves software and firmware version information and the Version Control Agent installed on target managed servers as part of the Software Version Status Polling task.

There are four status levels for software: 

1- Normal (green) — all components on the device match the repository.

2- Minor (yellow) — at least one of the components on the device can be updated, but none of the updates are major.

3- Major (orange) — At least one of the components on the device requires an update that is deemed major. There may also be other components that are minor updates.

4- Unknown (blue) — the device or repository could not be contacted and the status of that system is not known at this time.

The Version Control Agent and Version Control Repository Manager login to the management web server using the System Management Homepage. You must configure the System Management Homepage security software to enable the Version Control Agent to access the Version Control Repository Manager using operating system authentication. The VCA communicates with the VCRM acting as an HTTP client, thus it requires a user name and password in addition to the name of the VCRM, this shall be configured from the SMH.

HP Matrix Operating Environment, Insight Control Environment and HPSIM Part 3

Tasks are operations performed against single or groups of managed systems or events. All tasks are based on collections and, therefore, are self-updating.

You can schedule tasks to run immediately, periodically or at some specified time in the future.

There are three types of tasks:

1- Polling tasks — Monitor systems, track status of systems, track the events occurring on systems or precisely identifies discovered systems.

2- Control tasks — Set or remove disk thresholds, delete events periodically to clear the database, set a system access community string, launch applications, update software or firmware and group configuration.

3- Notification tasks — Alert of system problems or events. Notification can be by email, pager or launching an application that alerts users in some special way, such as an audible alarm.

HP Systems Insight Manager (HP Systems Insight Manager) provides the following default polling tasks:

1- Data collection — Initial and bi-weekly data collection.

2- Status polling — Hardware and software status polling Data collection collects data from systems and stores it in the database.

Status Polling:

a) Hardware Status refers to the health of a system. Hardware Status polling returns condition information from a system to HP Systems Insight Manager and is stored in the repository.

The health status is consolidated from many status polls through the System Management Homepage, Insight Management Agent, Desktop Management Interface (DMI) agent, WBEM agent, cluster status and ping.

b) software polling task called “Software Version Status Polling” that runs weekly. Software status polling retrieves information about software and firmware installed on managed systems and whether the software and firmware needs to be updated.

Control tasks are created to perform monitoring operations. HP Systems Insight Manager provides the following control tasks:

1- Replicate agent settings — View and edit a source system configuration. This task replicates configuration information from one server to multiple servers.

2- Set device access community string — Change the access community strings HP Systems Insight Manager uses to communicate.

3- Delete events — Delete events based on a set of criteria.

4- Update software and firmware — Remotely install software updates.

5- Remove all disk thresholds — Remove all disk thresholds for systems in an associated collection.

6- Set disk thresholds — Set disk thresholds for systems in an associated collection.

7- Application launch — Launch an application on the HP Systems Insight Manager management server for every system in the collection results.

Automatic event handling tasks can perform the following actions:

1- Paging notification (Windows only) — Send a page on a pager. The paging recipient receives one page per event per collection.

This is only for a Windows Central Management Server from the User and Authentication screen at Options → Security.

2- Email notification — Send notifications through email. The recipient receives one email per system per collection.

3- Run custom command — Launch a custom command tool on the Central Management Server.

4- Assign the event — Automatically assign events matching a certain criteria to a user.  Log the event — Log the event information in the operating system log.

5- Clear the event — Automatically clear the event.

6- Forward the event — Automatically forward the event to another system as an SNMP trap.

The Task wizard allows a user to create a task that can be run against one or more targets. You can launch a task by selecting one of the following:

1- Objects first, then the action to be performed

2- Action first, then the objects on which to perform the action

HP Systems Insight Manager allows you to launch tools to run as a single execution or multiple tasks. This includes:

a) Prompting for system or event selection

b) Verifying selected systems or events

c) Allowing changes to the system or event selection before running the task

d) Requesting tool parameters

e) Scheduling the task to run at a later time (periodic or specific)

f) Scheduling the task based on a set of systems or events based on certain criteria  Running a tool without a schedule

g) Filtering

An Event is information sent to the administrator advising that something in the managed environment has changed. Events are generated from SNMP traps or WBEM indications. HP Systems Insight Manager receives a trap when an important event occurs. There are several cases where the source of the event and system associated with the event is the Central Management Server itself. Events generated on Central Management Server include all login, logout and failed login events. All users can view these events in the event list, but only users who have the necessary authorization can see the details of these events.

HP Matrix Operating Environment, Insight Control Environment and HPSIM

Welcome to this new Series for HP System Insight Manager, in this series i will be discussing some notes related to Installation configuration and managing, and the relation with ICE and MOE (Insight Control Enviroment and Matrix Operating Enviroment)

First, Installing HPSIM 7.2 on windows 2008R2 SP2 (Acting as a Management Server)

a) 1-Install W2KR2 SP2

b) Install latest updates for the OS.

c) Install from roles and features [ IIS with ASP.Net, and FTP and WWW, DHCP,DNS, simple TCP/IP , .Net Framework 3.5sp1 ] services (When installing IIS Ensure that IIS Metabase Compatibility is installed)

d) Install .net frame work 1.1 (IT IS A MUST to install Net Framework 1.1 And .Net Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1)

e) install .Net frame work 4.0

f) install adobe flash player latest

g) Confirm that Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is not selected.

h) Go to Computer MGMT, at the Web Service Extensions check that the ASP.Net is enabled, and WebDAV is disabled

i) Disable User Account Control

j) Create a DHCP scope, and configure the Bindings, and the DNS Dynamic update credentials, also at the DNS tab, choose Dynamically update DNS A and PTR records for DHCP clients that do not request.

         I) Set the following registry key on the DHCP server:

A. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters

                    Value name: RogueAuthorizationRecheckInterval
                    Data type: REG_DWORD
                   Value data: Minutes between Authorization Intervals (Default = 60)

Set the following registry key on the DHCP server:

B. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters

                         Value name: DisableRogueDetection
                        Data type: REG_DWORD
                        Value data: 1

        2) Using Netsh from CMD, enable option 60:

netsh netsh>dhcp          netsh dhcp>server \\<DHCP_server_machine_name>          netsh dhcp>add optiondef 60 PXEClient String 0 comment=option added for PXE support          netsh dhcp>set optionvalue 60 STRING PXEClient           netsh dhcp>exit

             This is done in case you have a main DHCP server and this DHCP will be used to deploy servers in a separated VLAN

k) In DNS create a forward lookup zone and a reverse lookup zone, with “Allow both secure and non-secure dynamic update” options selected.

l) Install WAIK

m) Enable Windows ISCSI initiator

n) Configure the “DATA Execution Prevention” to “turn on for essential windows programs and services”

o) In the SNMP Service by right clicking and choosing Properties, in the security tab, choose the public, configure it for “READ Only”, and the Private for “Read And Write”

p) Create 2 local accounts, one as admin and the other as

q) Install the System Insight Manager and the Insight Control

 

For more information about the Installation  process, please read the Installation guide for HP SIM v7.2, on the following link:

http://www.google.ae/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&ved=0CGAQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fh20564.www2.hp.com%2Fportal%2Fsite%2Fhpsc%2Ftemplate.PAGE%2Faction.process%2Fpublic%2Fkb%2FdocDisplay%2F%3Fjavax.portlet.action%3Dtrue%26spf_p.tpst%3DkbDocDisplay%26javax.portlet.begCacheTok%3Dcom.vignette.cachetoken%26javax.portlet.endCacheTok%3Dcom.vignette.cachetoken%26docId%3Demr_na-c03651393&ei=kFd-UrjMF6uc4wTry4GIBg&usg=AFQjCNEZ56b2BVc-7kUKi1RGC5KDJTk0eA&sig2=EgX86KAC-7EQpWLCvbHBaA&bvm=bv.56146854,d.bGE

 

After installation of HP Insight Control has completed, there are several things that can be reviewed to confirm successful installation:

1- Installation status with mxconfig –l

2- Logs in c:\HPIC

3- HP Systems Insight Manager (mxdtf, mxdomainmgr) services running

4- Hostname resolution with mxgethostname

5- Database connectivity with mxgetdbinfo

The mxdomainmgr service is responsible for running the HP System Insight manager service while mxdtf service is responsible for the audit logging; in addition mxgetdbinfo is responsible for database connectivity.

For the first time to logging on the HPSIM interface locally, write the following in your IE browser http://localhost:280 or https://localhost:50000.

 

After Immediate installation of HPSIM, some basic configuration has to be performed:

a) Install licenses: Deploy a License Manager.

b) Verify software version: Help > About.

c) Set environment: Options > Managed Environment.

d) Set WMI Proxy: Options > Protocol Settings >WMI Mapper Proxy.

e) Set name resolution: Options > Security > System Link  (Sets the format for use of system name, IP address or FQDN for system links)

f) Discovery

• Options >Discovery • Configure general settings • Configure global protocol settings • Set credentials: Options >Security >Global Credentials • Manage hosts files

g) Review discovered systems.

h) Configure HP Systems Insight Manager users (create and assign user rights).

i) Set up and customize status polling.

j) Configure problem notification.

 

Now Setting up managed systems involves:

a) Installing the ProLiant Support Pack on Windows systems for the first time

b) Configuring the managed system software

c) Configuring protocol settings

d) Configuring and executing discovery on HPSIM

e) Configure the Systems to use the trust certificate from the HP Systems Insight Manager.

f) Configure the Setting to use the desired HP Version Control Repository Manager.

HP Smart Cache for DAS solutions

First of all, HP SmartCache is deployed and managed through the same management tool for HP Smart Array – the ACU

SmartCache is a controller-based read caching solution in a DAS environment that caches the most frequently accessed data ("hot" data) onto lower latency SSDs to dynamically accelerate application workloads, it is available on All HP Proliant Gen 8 servers.

SmartCache uses a caching architecture where a copy of the data resides on the hard disk drive as well as on a lower latency device that is used for caching. The basic HP SmartCache architecture is comprised of the following three elements:

• Bulk storage: The first element is the bulk storage device, which can be either HDDs or connections to SAN storage.

• Accelerator: The second element, the accelerator, is a faster/lower latency device that caches data. The capacity of the accelerator is less than the capacity of the bulk storage device.

• Metadata: The final element is metadata, information held in a relatively small storage area that maps the location of information residing on the accelerator and bulk storage devices.

The direct-attached HP SmartCache solution includes the three elements of the HP SmartCache architecture; HDDs serving as bulk storage, SSDs as the accelerator, and Flash-Backed Write Cache (FBWC1) memory for storing the metadata

For this implementation, the SmartCache control layer resides in the firmware of the onboard Smart Array Controller of the HP ProLiant Gen8 server, below the operating system and driver. This allows caching for devices connected to a single array controller.

HP SmartCache offers flexibility in creating logical disk volumes from hard disk drives:

• The accelerator or cache volume is designed to support any RAID configuration supported by the Smart Array controller.

• Each logical disk volume can have its own cache volume or none at all.

• Cache volumes can be created and assigned dynamically without adversely impacting applications running on the server.

Only SSDs can be used for cache volumes, and a cache volume may be assigned only to a single logical disk volume. The HP SmartCache solution consumes a portion of the FBWC memory module on the Smart Array controller for metadata. To ensure sufficient storage for accelerator and metadata, we recommend:

• 1 or 2 GB of FBWC memory or

• 1 GB of metadata space for every terabyte of accelerator space

When using the HP SmartCache solution for direct-attached storage, legacy cache is still present and operational and utilizes the remaining space in the FBWC memory. When using HP SmartCache, we recommend setting the legacy cache for 100 percent write operation. This allows write-back support on the Smart Array controller, which accelerates write performance. This also allows SSDs configured as HP SmartCache volumes to provide much larger read cache.

Source HP white papers

HP Smart CPU Socket

It is the first time that an innovative Company other than the CPU provider design a new mechanism to hold the CPU to the socket inside the system through a tray.

HP now invented a new tray for the CPU socket that was not available before.

Since today’s Gen8 CPUs has 2011pin compared to the previous version that had 1365pin, distortion of Pins field that can occur due to friction or even the processor socket.

HP Smart Socket Provides ease and simplicity of processor installation or upgrade:

· Quick, precise processor installation.

· Lowers risk of downtime due to improper installation or replacement.