What happens if a SAS 24G array card is embedded into a PCIe Switch?
Apr 21, 2023
In this question, we need to have a certain understanding of RAID 5, SAS 24G array card, PCIe Switch and other concepts. RAID 5 is one of the disk array schemes that uses distributed error correction coding technology to realize data redundancy and backup. Raid 5 generally features high performance, high availability, and high reliability. SAS 24 Gbit/s array controller card is a type of disk array controller card that supports SAS or SATA ports. The SAS 24 Gbit/s array controller card improves disk read/write speed and improves the performance and reliability of the storage system. PCIe Switch is a switching device based on PCI Express technology. It converts PCI Express channels into other forms of communication interfaces, improving communication bandwidth and data transmission rate.
If a SAS 24G array card is embedded into a PCIe Switch, you can increase the data transmission bandwidth by adding circuit boards and channels. Therefore, in this case, the write bandwidth of RAID 5 can be increased to 11.7GB/s, that is, 11.7GB of data can be written per second. This data transmission rate is very fast, which can meet the requirements of large-scale data centers and high-performance computing applications.
Note that the actual bandwidth is limited by many factors, such as disk read/write speed, memory bandwidth, and system stability. Therefore, in practical applications, it is necessary to optimize and adjust the system according to the specific situation to improve the performance and reliability of the system.
There are several manufacturers in the market offering SAS 24G array cards embedded in PCIe Switch products, and different models vary in terms of features, performance, interfaces, and prices. The following are some common models that insert a SAS 24G array card into a PCIe Switch:
Microsemi Adaptec Series 8: This is a powerful SAS/SATA RAID controller card that can support up to 16 disk drives and connect it to the host via a PCIe Gen3 x8 interface. The card also has advanced RAID features such as online fault-tolerant recovery and flash write-back caching.
Broadcom MegaRAID SAS 9361-8i: This card is a SAS/SATA RAID controller card that supports up to 240 disk drives and connects it to the host via a PCIe Gen3 x8 port. The card also has advanced RAID functions, such as online expansion and RAID cascading.
Avago HBA 9400-16i: The Avago HBA is a high-end Host Bus Adapter (HBA) that supports up to 1024 devices and connects to the host through PCIe Gen3 x16 ports. The card also supports the NVMe protocol, which provides faster data transfer rates and low latency.
QLogic QLE8262-CU-CK: The card is a combination of a high-performance 10GbE network adapter and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) controller. It supports PCIe Gen2 x8 interface connection and provides up to 20 Gbps of data bandwidth. It is suitable for high-performance computing and large-scale data centers.
The above are some common models that embed the SAS 24G array card into the PCIe Switch, but not all of them. Choosing the right product should be based on the specific application scenario and requirements.