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Controller spare integrated smoothly into CS500 system.
Q8F81A
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HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller
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Q8F81A
- Description:
- HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller
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Q8F81A Overview
Q8F81A is a NAS storage system featuring 8 drive bays designed to support SATA HDD and SATA SSD drive types with a total storage capacity of up to 128 TB. It supports multiple RAID levels including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10, and is powered by an Intel Xeon processor with 8 cores, pre-installed with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and expandable up to 64 GB. It includes interfaces such as USB 3.0 and Ethernet for connectivity.
Q8F81A also delivers dual LAN port network support, expansion capability, redundant power supplies rated at 350W, and redundant fan cooling for enhanced reliability. Designed for use cases such as SMB backup, enterprise data centers, virtualization, and media servers, it meets the rigorous demands of mission critical storage applications.
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Q8F81A Specifications
- Product Type
- Storage System
- Storage Type
- NAS
- Form Factor
- Rackmount
- Bay Count
- 8-bay
- Supported Drive Types
- SATA HDD / SATA SSD
- Hot-Swap Support
- Yes
- Max Supported Capacity
- 128 TB
- RAID Support
- RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10
- CPU Type
- Intel Xeon
- CPU Cores
- 8
- Installed RAM
- 8 GB
- Max RAM Capacity
- 64 GB
- RAM Type
- DDR4
- Network Ports
- 1GbE
- LAN Ports
- 2
- USB Ports
- USB 3.0
- Expansion Support
- Yes
- Cooling
- Redundant Fan
- Power Supply
- Redundant
- Power Supply Wattage
- 350W
- Operating System
- Custom OS
- Snapshot Support
- Yes
- Cloud Sync Support
- Yes
- Virtualization Ready
- Yes
- iSCSI Support
- Yes
- Surveillance Support
- No
- Use Case
- SMB / Enterprise Data Center / Virtualization / Media Server
- Product Name
- Q8F81A Enterprise NAS
- Height
- 3.5
- Width
- 17.5
- Depth
- 27.5
- Weight
- 25 lbs
Q8F81A Use Case
Zero-Downtime Controller Replacement in High-Availability Data Centers
In large enterprise data centers running mission-critical applications, IT teams pre-stage the Q8F81A-HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller for hot-swap operations during scheduled maintenance windows. This approach eliminates storage-array downtime, preserves continuous I/O performance and ensures compliance with 99.99% availability SLAs.
Proactive Disaster Recovery with Instant Failover
In regulated healthcare and financial environments requiring sub-5-minute recovery time objectives, organizations integrate the Q8F81A-HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller into their mirrored-array design. Upon primary-controller failure, automated workflows trigger an immediate controller swap, minimizing RTO/RPO and safeguarding critical patient records or transaction logs.
Seamless Storage Scaling for Virtualized Hybrid Clouds
In hybrid cloud infrastructures supporting hundreds of virtual machines, IT architects deploy the Q8F81A-HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller to expand capacity and boost throughput without interrupting workloads. This modular spare-controller strategy accelerates VM provisioning by up to 30%, optimizes resource utilization and delivers high-performance storage on demand.
Quality Certifications
To get the detailed certification, please go to the Compliance Center.
Product Comparison Table 
| Q8F81A |  Q8D08A |  Q8D29A |  Q8D11A |  Q8G63A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Type | Storage System | Storage System | Storage System | Storage System | Storage System |
| Storage Type | NAS | NAS | SAN | NAS | SAN |
| Form Factor | Rackmount | Rackmount | Rackmount | Rackmount | Rackmount |
| Bay Count | 8-bay | 8-bay | 8-bay | 12-bay | 8-bay |
| Supported Drive Types | SATA HDD / SATA SSD | Mixed | SATA HDD / SAS HDD / SATA SSD / NVMe SSD | SATA HDD / SATA SSD / NVMe SSD | SATA HDD / SAS HDD / SATA SSD / NVMe SSD |
| Hot-Swap Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Max Supported Capacity | 128 TB | 1 PB | 512 TB | 192 TB | 256 TB |
| RAID Support | RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10 | RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 | RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10 | RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10 | RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10 |
| CPU Type | Intel Xeon | Intel Xeon | Intel Xeon | Intel Xeon | Intel Xeon |
| CPU Cores | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Installed RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Type | DDR4 | DDR4 | DDR4 | ECC DDR4 | ECC DDR4 |
| Network Ports | 1GbE | 10GbE | 10GbE | 10GbE | 10GbE |
| LAN Ports | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| USB Ports | USB 3.0 | USB 3.2 | USB 3.2 | USB 3.0 | USB 3.1 |
| Expansion Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cooling | Redundant Fan | Active | Active | Redundant Fan | Active |
| Power Supply | Redundant | Redundant | Redundant | Redundant | Redundant |
| Power Supply Wattage | 350W | 350W | 500W | 350W | 500W |
| Operating System | Custom OS | Custom OS | Custom OS | Custom OS | Custom OS |
| Snapshot Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud Sync Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtualization Ready | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iSCSI Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Surveillance Support | No | No | No | No | No |
| Use Case | SMB / Enterprise Data Center / Virtualization / Media Server | Enterprise Data Center | SMB / Enterprise Data Center / Media Server / Virtualization | SMB / Enterprise Data Center / Virtualization / Media Server | SMB / Enterprise Data Center / Virtualization / Media Server |
| Product Name | Q8F81A Enterprise NAS | Q8D08A Enterprise NAS | Q8D29A High Performance SAN Solution | Q8D11A Enterprise NAS | Q8G63A Enterprise SAN Storage |
| Height | 3.5 | 3.5 inches | 3.5 inches | 3.5 inches | 3 inches |
| Width | 17.5 | 17.5 inches | 17.3 inches | 17.5 inches | 17 inches |
| Depth | 27.5 | 28 inches | 27.56 inches | 28 inches | 28 inches |
| Weight | 25 lbs | 25 lbs | 35 lbs | 35 lbs | 45 lbs |
Reviews & Ratings
M
Martin Ellis
5
System stability returned immediately.
G
George Turner
5
Reliable replacement hardware.
S
Samuel Brooks
5
No compatibility issues.
I
Ian Cooper
4
Met expectations.
Questions & Answers
What is the HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller (SKU Q8F81A)?
The HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller (SKU Q8F81A) is an OEM-authorized replacement controller module designed to maintain high availability and performance in HPE NS CS500 storage arrays.
Which HPE Storage platforms support the NS CS500 Spare Controller?
The NS CS500 Spare Controller is fully compatible with HPE CS500 and CS500 Gen10 storage systems and integrates seamlessly with existing controller bays in those arrays.
How do I install the HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller?
Power down the storage node, remove the faulty controller, insert the NS CS500 Spare Controller into the slot until it clicks, reconnect all interface cables, and power the node back on.
Is the HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller hot-swappable?
Yes. The NS CS500 Spare Controller supports hot-swap functionality when used in a redundant controller configuration, minimizing downtime.
Does the spare controller include firmware and software licenses?
The NS CS500 Spare Controller ships with factory-installed firmware; existing software licenses and configurations remain active upon installation.
What warranty covers the HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller?
This spare controller is covered by HPE’s standard one-year limited warranty, with options to extend through HPE Care Pack services.
How do I verify firmware compatibility before installation?
Check the HPE Support Center for the latest NS CS500 firmware release notes and ensure your array firmware version matches or is later than the controller’s shipped firmware.
What steps should I take if the replacement controller fails to initialize?
Confirm proper seating, power cycling, and cable connections; if the issue persists, consult the HPE Storage diagnostics guide or contact HPE Support for advanced troubleshooting.
Can I mix different controller firmware versions in the same array?
HPE recommends matching firmware versions across all controllers; mixed versions may lead to performance degradation or unsupported configurations.
How long does delivery typically take for SKU Q8F81A?
Delivery times vary by region; standard shipments are processed within 24 hours and typically arrive within 3–5 business days in North America.
What performance impact does the NS CS500 Spare Controller have?
As an OEM-certified replacement, it restores full throughput and IOPS capabilities, ensuring the array continues to meet SLA-driven workloads.
Do I need special tools to install the spare controller?
No special tools are required; the NS CS500 Spare Controller features a tool-less design for quick insertion and removal.
How do I order the HPE NS CS500 Spare Controller (Q8F81A)?
You can purchase SKU Q8F81A through authorized HPE resellers, the HPE Parts Store, or by contacting HPE sales directly.
What support options are available for this spare controller?
HPE offers 24x7 phone support, online chat, and optional Care Pack services for on-site parts replacement and accelerated response times.
Can I perform a controller swap without data loss?
Yes. In redundant configurations, you can swap a failed controller without data loss; the surviving controller maintains array operations during the swap.
How do I register the new controller with HPE Insight Online?
Connect the controller to your management network, open HPE InfoSight or Insight Online, and follow the guided registration wizard to add the new module.
Are configuration settings preserved after replacing the controller?
Yes. In a redundant setup, the replacement controller automatically inherits configuration settings from its peer, preserving logical volumes and network parameters.