LSI Extends Dual-Core 6Gb/s SATA/SAS RAID Controller

LSI Corporation announced a line of MegaRAID SATA+SAS controller cards designed to deliver the high I/O transaction performance required to accelerate demanding database applications and datacenter workloads.

Powered by the LSI dual-core 6Gb/s SAS RAID-on-Chip (ROC), the controllers deliver data quickly and reliably to mission-critical applications by combining the high server RAID performance, achieving up to 200,000 RAID-5 IOPS, with intelligent flash-based caching and enhanced data protection capabilities.

Flash-based features and functionality:

Supports MegaRAID Fast Path software, providing high-performance I/O acceleration for SSDs connected to a MegaRAID controller. The software option unlocks the performance benefits of hybrid or SSD arrays, delivering up to 465,000 RAID 5 random IOPS for applications requiring high transactional throughput like e-commerce and data warehousing workloads.
Supports MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0 read/write SSD caching software that accelerates application I/O performance for HDD-based arrays by intelligently caching frequently accessed data to SSDs. MegaRAID controllers featuring CacheCade Pro 2.0 software deliver up to 13X more transactions per second and an 82 percent cost savings compared to HDD-only arrays.
Supports MegaRAID CacheVault technology, providing flash-based cache data protection from power and server failures by automatically transferring data stored in MegaRAID controller cache to NAND flash memory in the event of a power failure or other system interruption. It creates a greener, lower total cost cache protection solution by eliminating the need for Lithium-ion battery backup units, and their hardware and maintenance costs.

"Cost-effective, superior performance is driving many datacenter managers to flash-based storage solutions to meet the challenges of rapidly growing data volumes and I/O-intensive workloads," said Thomas Pavel, director of channel sales EMEA, LSI. "With the new CacheCade Pro 2.0 software on a dual-core MegaRAID controller solution, LSI helps customers maximize the performance and cost benefits of flash technology to deliver the lowest cost per I/O and gigabyte."

Pricing and availability:

Internal ports

MegaRAID SAS 9266-4i: $540
MegaRAID SAS 9266-8i: $780
LSICVM01 CacheVault Accessory Kit: $255

External ports

MegaRAID SAS 9285CV-8e (Pricing reflects 9285CV-8e controller with CacheVault technology included.): $1,255

The controllers are expected to be generally available in April through the LSI worldwide network of distributors, system integrators and VARs.

The products will be demonstrated at CeBIT 2012 taking place March 6-10, 2012, at the Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany.

Technology demonstrations will include a real-time database acceleration demo showcasing the improvement in application performance that can be gained by using LSI next-generation caching hardware and software solutions. Technology demos will also feature next-generation LSI MegaRAID and HBAs based on the forthcoming PCI Express 3.0 specification.