ASHCI DS Part 1: Azure Stack HCI - the basics

[@LeandroBerisso]

Thanks, very useful!

[@GuruGulabKhatri973]

Can we have only 2 ssds (512gb ×2) per server?

[@primelinesolutions]

Yes, it is possible to have a configuration with only two SSDs per server in an Azure Stack HCI Cluster. According to the guidance provided by Microsoft, for single server configurations, you must use only a single drive type, which can be either Non-volatile Memory Express (NVMe) or Solid-State Drives (SSDs)1. However, it’s important to note that all flat single storage type configurations (for example, all-NVMe or all-SSD) are the only supported storage types for single server setups.
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure-stack/hci/concepts/single-server-clusters
For a standard multi-node Azure Stack HCI cluster, there are various options to maximize performance or balance performance and capacity, including configurations that use all SSDs2. If all your drives are the same model, there is no cache, but you can mix higher-endurance and lower-endurance SSD models and configure the former to cache writes for the latter.
It’s always recommended to consult with a Microsoft Azure expert to ensure that your configuration meets all requirements and best practices for Azure Stack HCI.
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure-stack/hci/concepts/choose-drives