IBM PCIe 6Gb RAID Adapter for 8 SAS SSDs

The ServeRAID B5015 SSD Controller (46M0969) from IBM Corp. provides a solution to realize higher levels of performance in storage solutions utilizing solid state disks (SSDs).

This controller provides support for SSDs and the highest levels of data protection with RAID capabilities.

• Multi-threading and contention-free architecture provide highest levels of performance necessary to connect SSD-based storage.
• RAID capabilities ensure data is protected and is always available.
• Hot spare support ensures an immediate rebuild and protection of data in the case of a drive failure.
• Easy-to-use management allows users to easily create and manage arrays, as well as monitor the status of all logical and physical devices.
• A smaller adapter footprint enables SSD optimization in the smallest of server solutions.

The ServeRAID B5015 SSD Controller combines the PM8013 maxSAS RAID-on-Chip (RoC) controller and the RAID stack from PMC Sierra to accommodate the most rigorous server environments and support high-performing SSDs.

Features and functions:

• RAID 1 and 5 support
• 6 Gbps per SAS port
• x8 PCI Express, Gen 2 (5 Gb/s)
• PCI MD2 low profile form factor
• Two x4 internal connectors
• Up to eight disk drives per RAID adapter
• Performance optimized for SSDs
• Three multi-threading MIPS processing cores
• High-performance contention-free architecture
• Ability to create up to 32 arrays/logical volumes

Key prerequisites
This SSD controller can be used on supported System x servers with an available PCI Express expansion slot.

Planned availability date: June 1, 2010