PMC-Sierra: Adaptec 6Gb RAID Controllers to Be Available

PMC-Sierra, Inc. announced that the Adaptec by PMC family of Series 6 RAID controllers will be demonstrated in a 6Gb/s ecosystem at CeBIT 2011. Based on PMC-Sierra’s SRC 8x6G RoC and ARC RAID stack, the Series 6 delivers performance, scalability and reduced operating costs. The Series 6 also features a unique Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection feature that provides the highest level of maintenance-free data protection.

To ensure compatibility and interoperability, the Series 6 family of RAID controllers is tested with more than 300 host systems, enclosures, Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Disks. PMC-Sierra uses a two-staged approach to test new storage and server components for interoperability. During validation and product launch, the company tests more than 300 components with all supported controller platforms. In addition, PMC-Sierra’s Interoperability Test Lab (ITL) can test components introduced outside of product launches and add them to the ecosystem. Continuously refined and optimized, the company’s testing methods include automated processes to qualify new SSDs in order to keep pace with market requirements.

"As the 6Gb/s channel ecosystem expands, customers want storage solutions that deliver increased performance without compromising interoperability and compatibility," said Jared Peters, vice president and general manager of PMC-Sierra’s Channel Storage Division. "Our Series 6 RAID controllers allow for backwards compatibility, which enables an easy and cost-effective upgrade path for current 3Gb/s customers, who can continue to benefit from our innovative features such as Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection and Intelligent Power Management."

Key Features of the Series 6
The Adaptec by PMC Series 6 is a family of low profile MD2 form factor Unified Serial RAID adapters offering internal and external connectivity for SATA and SAS storage. With four to eight internal ports and up to four external ports using mini SAS connectors, it supports up to eight direct connected devices and up to 256 SATA/SAS devices using SAS expanders.

The Series 6 delivers more than 2GB/s sustained data transfer rate to a host of applications that require high bandwidth. At peak performance, this solution offers 4.8GB/s through up to eight SAS 2.0 interfaces and 4GB/s through the eight-lane PCIe Gen2 host interface. With the optional AFM-600 kit, the Series 6 is the first 6Gb/s Unified Serial RAID controller family offering Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection as an option.

The Series 6 supports the industry’s move to ‘green’ alternatives by offering technology innovations such as Intelligent Power Management and battery-less back up through ZMCP. In addition, the company has introduced a streamlined product package sleeve for the Series 6 products which will help to reduce waste created by excessive product packaging.

Henry Fabian, executive director of core product marketing, Seagate, said: "The Adaptec by PMC Series 6 RAID controllers are a welcome addition to the 6Gb/s ecosystem that will ensure continued demand for high-performance storage solutions. We believe customers considering upgrading to 6Gb/s will benefit from the compatibility and performance of using Seagate enterprise-class drives, including our Savvio® and Constellation® families, with Series 6 RAID controllers."

Krzysztof Franek, president and CEO, Open-E, said: "We are glad that the Adaptec by PMC Series 6 RAID controllers work perfectly with our Data Storage Software (DSS) V6. With the excellent bandwidth, reliability and energy efficiency of this new generation of RAID controllers, users will be able to reach a far higher storage throughput with Open-E DSS V6 in addition to a significant reduction in operating costs. Moreover, Open-E DSS V6 is the ideal extension for the innovative Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection to provide maximum data protection. Together with the Series 6, we will provide best-in-class components for optimal storage solutions."

Greg Hall, vice president of operations & engineering, Germane Systems, said: "The Series 6 early unit we evaluated performed well in our 6Gb/s COTS-based ruggedized storage platforms and also increased performance in a 3Gb/s configuration. The backward compatibility provides our 3Gb/s customers with a clear upgrade path, thus extending the product life cycle."

Torsten Schmidt, product manager server systems, transtec AG, said: "The time is right for 6Gb/s implementations in high-performance servers. Our evaluation shows that the Adaptec by PMC Series 6 RAID controllers seamlessly integrate in our 6Gb/s ecosystem and provide the required performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness."

Mike Turicchi, director of technical solutions, NCS Technologies, said: "The Series 6 early unit we evaluated performed well in our 6Gb/s ecosystem and also increased performance in a 3Gb/s configuration. The backward compatibility provides an extra incentive for our 3Gb/s customers."

Hank Chen, vice president of product development, Chenbro, said: "With the connected device support of the Adaptec by PMC Series 6 RAID controllers, the outstanding performance of our 6Gb/s backplanes, with or without expanders, compared to previous generations is obvious."

Jürgen Kabelitz, Happyware Server & Storage Solutions GmbH, said: "Happyware’s evaluations of the Adaptec by PMC Series 6 RAID controllers show that the Series 6 provides a high-performance, reliable and cost-effective seamless integration with our 6Gb/s ecosystem, creating ideal timing for 6Gb/s implementations in high-performance servers."

Availability and Pricing
Series 6 RAID controllers will be available in March 2011 at authorized Adaptec by PMC distributors and channel partners in singles and kits. The suggested retail pricing for the Adaptec RAID 6405, Adaptec RAID 6445 and Adaptec RAID 6805 ranges from $395 to $630.