Azure StorSimple Question

[badskater]

Hey guys,

i don't know if it's the right place, but I got 2 StorSimple 8100 from a customer who didn't need them anymore, and was wondering if it's possible to use those without using Azure at all. I just want to use them as normal storage for my lab, as it looks like a nice platform for the size. (And, I can't afford the storage cost on Azure haha) If I can't, well I'll add the hardware to a 4224 which will host the storage, so I can use it.

Thanks for the help.

 

[BoredSysadmin]

Not sure that controllers installed in it, but from a quick search, it looks like these are Xyratex made shelves and if you'd wanted you could easily and cheaply swap them for SAS expander controller
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Azure-StorSimple-6Gbps-SAS-Controller-HB-SBB2-E601-MS/323789690394
I'd offer no more than $70 for a pair

 

[gregsachs]

(disclaimer: have only played with xyratex and netapp boxes, xyratex is the oem)
I've looked into this, never gotten a definitive answer. Best I've been able to tell is that they run something hacked and locked down, and the major problem would be driver support of the internal SAS HBA.
The boxes themselves from what I've been able to tell are just xyratex hb-1235 with power supplies that have a battery module for clean shutdown. Any xyratex module should work in there, or the netapp IOM3/6 but then you need qsfp cables. I'd go with above suggestion of the dumb controllers...