SSD Configuration for Minisforum MS-A2 in a vSphere Cluster
User’s Goal
The user purchased the following SSDs for their Minisforum MS-A2 and wants to know the optimal slot configuration for a vSphere Cluster. The planned use cases are:
- ESXi installation, ESX-OSData, and VMFS volume
- NVMe Tiering
- vSAN ESA
Purchased SSDs
- 2 x Samsung 980 Pro 500GB (PCIe 3.0x4, NVMe M.2 2280)
- 2 x WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X (Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280)
- 2 x Samsung 990 PRO SSD 4TB (PCIe 4.0, M.2 2280)
Minisforum MS-A2 Storage Capabilities
- M.2 Slots: 3 x NVMe slots
- Slot 1: PCIe 4.0 x4 (primary)
- Slots 2 & 3: PCIe 3.0 x4 (configurable to PCIe 4.0 x4 in BIOS)
- PCIe Slot: 1 x PCIe x16 (electrically x8) with bifurcation support
Recommended SSD Slot Allocation
| Slot | SSD | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 (PCIe 4.0 x4 - Primary) | Samsung 980 Pro 500GB | ESXi installation, ESX-OSData, VMFS volume |
| Slot 2 (PCIe 3.0/4.0 x4) | Samsung 990 PRO 4TB | vSAN ESA storage tier |
| Slot 3 (PCIe 3.0/4.0 x4) | WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB | NVMe Tiering/Cache or additional vSAN capacity |
Important Configuration Notes
- BIOS Configuration: Manually enable PCIe 4.0 for slots 2 and 3 in the BIOS.
- vSAN ESA Requirements: Both 4TB drives meet the requirements for vSAN ESA (Class F or higher performance, >1.6TB capacity).
- Network Requirements: vSAN ESA requires 25Gbps networking. The dual 10GbE SFP+ ports on the MS-A2 can be bonded to approach this.
- Cooling: The MS-A2 has a dedicated fan for the SSD slots, which is crucial for sustained performance.