Huawei OceanStor NL-SAS HDD spare parts (381 P/Ns)

The capacity curve

Every part in this list is 3.5-inch nearline SAS — the table has one form, so capacity is the only axis that varies. The distribution peaks at 8TB and 10TB, with a second cluster at 14TB to 24TB. The small-capacity entries are legacy parts still in the catalogue for installed systems, not current build options.

Why every part here is 3.5-inch

Nearline SAS is a capacity tier: 7200 rpm, large platters, built for sequential throughput. The physics keeps it in the 3.5-inch form. That makes this the simplest category in the index to match — no form-factor ambiguity, no palm drive variant — and the ambiguity moves entirely to sector format and encryption.

• Sector format: 512e and 4Kn drives are separate part numbers and are not interchangeable in every enclosure.
• Encryption: 21 of the 381 parts are encryption variants.
• Carrier: bare drive versus drive in a carrier is stated in the description.

Encryption: 21 part numbers

Small in number and large in consequence. A non-encrypted nearline drive fitted into an encrypted pool will not join it, and the failure appears at pool level rather than at the drive.

27.6% fit exactly one model

105 of 381 fit a single model, and 36 fit ten or more — the widest reaches 26. Nearline drives are less tightly bound than SSDs because the same 3.5-inch capacity was qualified across more platforms over a longer period.

Product family spread

Substitution coverage

284 of the 381 nearline parts carry a documented replacement in the official catalogue. That is high for this index — controllers sit at 14 of 269 — because nearline drives are replaced part-for-part far more often than platforms are.

Which capacities travel furthest

The bands with the highest average model count are the ones worth holding as stock. A 4TB or 6TB part that fits twelve models is a safer holding than a 20TB part that fits two — even though the 20TB is the more expensive drive.

Why 8TB alone needs 57 part numbers

Every 8TB part in this list is the same form and the same encryption state, so the count is not explained by hardware variants. It is explained by model qualification: 23 of the 57 fit exactly one model. Nearline drives were qualified per platform, and each qualification produced a part number.

The practical consequence is the opposite of the SSD page: here the differences are mostly qualification, not hardware, so two 8TB parts can be physically the same drive qualified for two platforms. Match the model and the part number follows.

Full part-number list, 381 P/Ns

Replacing a failed nearline drive

• Pull the part number from the failed drive label, not from the capacity.
• If the pool is encrypted, the replacement must be the encryption variant of the same part.
• Rebuild time scales with capacity and pool width — plan the window before the drive is pulled.
• On wide pools, a larger replacement drive can lengthen the rebuild risk window rather than shorten it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between NL-SAS and SAS here?

NL-SAS is nearline: 7200 rpm, 3.5-inch, capacity-oriented. The SAS page covers 2.5-inch 10K and 15K drives. They are separate part-number sets.

Can I use a 4Kn drive where a 512e drive was fitted?

Not freely. Sector format is fixed by the enclosure and the pool. Check the description and confirm before substituting.

Does a bigger nearline drive always expand the pool?

It adds capacity up to the enclosure and pool limits, but rebuild time grows with it. On wide pools a larger drive can lengthen the risk window.

Are SED drives listed separately?

Yes — 21 encryption variants carry their own part numbers. Mixing them into a non-encrypted pool’s role is not supported.

Why does the list include 2TB and 4TB drives?

Because installed systems still run them. The catalogue keeps legacy capacities for the platforms that were built with them.

Is 24TB the largest capacity available?

It is the largest in this catalogue. Capacity beyond that would be a newer part and would not appear until the catalogue is updated.