HighPoint in Partnership with Phison to Deliver Field-Proven PCIe Gen5 x16 NVMe Storage Solutions

HighPoint Technologies, Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with Phison Electronics Corporation.

This collaboration promises to compact PCIe storage solutions for x86 server and workstation platforms. The company’s NVMe Gen5 x16 Switch and RAID AIC Series, when equipped with Phison-powered M.2 NVMe SSDs, delivers fast, densest, and secure PCIe Gen5 x16 NVMe storage in marketplace, suitable for a range of applications and workflows, including data centers, professional workstations, SMB platforms, and personal computing.

Introducing NVMe AIC storage solutions

Armed with the firm’s PCIe Switching technology and x48 lanes of internal Gen5 bandwidth, Rocket series PCIe Gen5 x16 NVMe RAID and Switch AICs deliver storage performance and flexibility. Each AIC allocates a full x16 lanes to the upstream port for connection with the host platform, with x4 dedicated lanes assigned to each NVMe SSD. This hardware architecture ensures optimal PCIe signal integrity, minimizing latency and maximizing data throughput.

Precision engineered to comply with a range of chassis form factors, the firm’s PCIe Gen5 NVMe AICs are fully PCI-SIG compliant, and can be integrated into any industry-standard workstation or server platform with a free Gen5 x16 slot.

In addition, the firm’s NVMe AICs are equipped with a data security suite, which includes the SafeStorage encryption solution for OPAL SSC compliant SED drives and arrays, and features hardware secure boot, to ensure data is always well protected. Pro-Class AICs, such as the Rocket 7608A, feature integrated RAID-0, -1, and -10 capability, which provides the flexibility, speed, and redundancy needed to meet the demands of any data-intensive application, whether personal or professional.

“Phsion’s Consumer class and Pascari enterprise channel NVMe M.2 SSDs are a perfect match for our PCIe Gen5 Switch and RAID solutions.” explains May Hwang, VP, marketing, HighPoint. “Our Rocket 7608A RAID AIC is capable of leveraging 8 Phison E26-based M.2 SSDs to fully maximize Gen5 x16 bus bandwidth. The transfer speed is amazing; approaching 60GB/s, with 32TB of storage capacity. If maximizing space is your goal, E18-based SSDs can double available capacity; up 64TB with a single AIC.”

“We are excited to work with Highpoint Technology to expand the PCIe Gen5 ecosystem.” says Michael Wu, GM and president, Phison. “HighPoint’s switching and RAID technology is among the best in the industry, just like our Pascari enterprise and datacenter products. Through our joint efforts in developing approved vendor lists (AVL), Phison and HighPoint ensure that customers will achieve unparalleled success with our high-performance product pairings.”

Optimize performance and reliability with HighPoint’s advanced cooling and storage sensor analysis solutions
The company’s Active Sensor Logging and Analysis Suite closely monitors the NVMe storage environment in real-time. Tracking and logging critical metrics such as temperature, power usage, and drive health enables administrators to take a proactive approach to storage management, and rapidly identify and troubleshoot potential issues to ensure the target platform runs smoothly and efficiently.

Designed to operate in conjunction with the Sensor and Logging Suite, the company’s Pro-Active PCIe Gen5 Cooling Solution leverages the industry’s most advanced hardware cooling system with a selection of management tools to maintain optimal operating temperatures for the NVMe storage environment. This solution will automatically establish temperature thresholds for each SSD, then dynamically adjust the AIC’s cooling fans based on real-time environmental data. Not only does the solution reduce wear and tear on sensitive hardware, it actively combats the threat of thermal throttling to ensure NVMe storage performs optimally even under maximum load.

Enhance maintenance efficiency with field service feature suite
The company’s Field Service Feature Suite was designed to enhance the efficiency of maintenance and service workflows. The suite incorporates a series of self-diagnostic LED indicators and an audible alarm, which enables technicians to instantly assess the operating status and condition of the NVMe storage solution, including the temperature of the NVMe media and Switch IC, strength of the PCIe host connection, and physical status of hosted SSDs and RAID arrays. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and ensures NVMe storage operates at peak performance. An intuitive ‘1-click’ Information Collection service will automatically compile critical log files and environmental data to expedite the troubleshooting and support process, ultimately maximizing system up-time and end customer experience. The suite also features Online RAID Roaming capability, which facilitates the migration of RAID arrays and field replacement, on the fly.

Approved vendor list
HighPoint’s Gen5 x16 NVMe Switch and Pro/RAID AIC product line is capable of supporting a wide range of PCIe Gen5 and Gen4 NVMe media powered by Phison NAND controller technology. A few of the most well-known examples are outlined below.