Hello new 3PAR 8000 series

Yesterday, almost out the blue HP announced a new product range the 8000 series. The 8000 series is intended as the successor to the 7000, and I guess the timing is to give HP some buzz leading into VMworld. The 7000 series was introduced to bring the same high end SAN features 3PAR was known for to the mid-range at affordable prices.   It looks like that must have been a success since the new 8000 series is a like for like swap of all the current models:

7200 becomes 8200

7400 becomes 8400

7440 becomes 8440

7450 becomes 8450

You get the idea, those geniuses in marketing really have kept things fresh.

 

Hardware changes

The 8000 series brings the new gen 5 ASIC originally seen in the 20K series to the masses. Let’s see what else has changed at the hardware level. The tables below compare the existing 7000 series to the new 8000, I have only included the items where there is a change in specification.

7200c v 8200

	7200	8200	Change
ASIC	Gen 4	Gen 5	New gen ASIC
Processors	2 x6-core 1.8 GHz	2 x 6-core 2.2 GHz	0.4Ghz
Total Cache (GiB)	808	832	24
Flash Cache (GiB)	768	768	0
On-node cache (GiB)	40	64	24
Maximum Initiators Supported	1024	2048	1024

 

7400c v 8400

	7400	8400	Change
ASIC	Gen 4	Gen 5	New gen ASIC
Processors	2-4 x6-core 1.8 GHz	2 x 6-core 2.2 GHz	0.4Ghz
Total Cache (GiB)	1596	1664	68
Flash Cache (GiB)	1500	7536	6036
On-node cache (GiB)	96	128	32
Maximum Initiators Supported	2048	4096	2048

 

7440c v 8440

	7440	8440	Change
ASIC	Gen 4	Gen 5	New gen ASIC
Processors	2-4×8-core 2.3 GHz	2-4 x 10-core 2.4 GHz	2 additional cores per processor, each 0.1 Ghz quicker
Total Cache (GiB)	3192	8384	5156
Flash Cache (GiB)	3000	8000	5000
On-node cache (GiB)	192	384	192
Maximum Initiators Supported	2048	4096	2048

 

7450c v 8450

	7450	8450	Change
ASIC	Gen 4	Gen 5	New gen ASIC
Processors	2 – 4×8-core 2.3 GHz	2-4 x 10-core 2.4 GHz	2 additional cores per processor, each 0.1 Ghz quicker
Total Cache (GiB)	192	384	192
Flash Cache (GiB)	N/A	N/A	N/A
On-node cache (GiB)	192	384	192
Maximum Initiators Supported	2048	4096	2048

 

In summary the 8000 series gets faster processors plus more memory, plus the new GEN 5 ASIC. Other hardware changes include the introduction of a 12 Gbit/s SAS backend to substantuially increase throughput and 16 Gbit/s FC ports become the standard FC ports.  The 8000 is essentially a beefier controller with more throughput optimised for flash.

The systems will run the standard 3PAR OS so all management and ability to interact between models remains. Some additional announcements were also made around software developments including enhancements to the file persona such as increased scalability and AV protections plus the introduction of Smart SAN. Smart SAN is a built in solution aimed at simplifying zoning, more on this and all the other features shortly.   To stay in touch with more 3PAR news and tips connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

Further information

Calvin Zito

Bart Heungens