HPE ProLiant BL460c Gen10 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array SR Gen10 controllers for the HPE ProLiant BL460c Gen10, new and refurbished. Blade storage is a two-bay affair, so the decision is not how many drives a card reaches but what it does with them: the Smart Array P204i-b carries 1GB of flash backed write cache, the embedded S100i is software RAID on chipset SATA, and the P408e-m looks outward instead.
BL460c Gen10 Storage Controller Specifications
- Smart Array P204i-b SR Gen10: 12G SAS modular controller, four internal lanes, 1GB flash backed write cache as standard, covering up to two SFF or four uFF hot-plug bays
- Smart Array S100i SR Gen10: embedded chipset SATA software RAID, supplied on the configure-to-order blade, with the same two SFF or four uFF bay coverage
- S100i RAID: HPE calls for the FIO Enable Smart Array S100i SR Setting (784308-B21) where RAID is required on the embedded controller, which is a factory setting rather than a part
- Smart Array P408e-m SR Gen10: 12G SAS mezzanine controller with eight external lanes and 2GB cache, for storage that lives outside the blade
- Cache protection: flash cache batteries back the flash backed write cache, and the blade's maximum weight is documented with two of them installed
- NVMe: the HPE Gen10 NVMe FIO Setting (873373-B21) is required for SFF NVMe drives and is not compatible with the P204i-b
Cached SAS and NVMe are mutually exclusive on this blade. The Smart Array P204i-b brings 1GB of flash backed write cache to the two front bays, and it is exactly the card HPE documents as incompatible with the Gen10 NVMe FIO Setting. RAID 5 is not on offer from either front-bay controller; it exists only for internal M.2 drives through the S100i in UEFI mode.
P204i-b, S100i or P408e-m?
| Controller | Cache | Reaches | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Array P204i-b SR Gen10 | 1GB flash backed write cache | 4 internal lanes, the front bays | A mirrored pair carrying real write traffic |
| Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 | None — software RAID | Chipset SATA, the front bays | SATA drives and internal M.2, already on the board |
| Smart Array P408e-m SR Gen10 | 2GB cache | 8 external lanes, mezzanine | Storage outside the blade |
The P204i-b and the S100i are alternatives for the same two bays; the P408e-m is not, and fitting one does not give the front bays a cache. One consequence catches people out: the P204i-b is the standard controller on built-to-order blades, and it is exactly the card HPE documents as incompatible with the NVMe factory setting, so a blade specified for cached SAS will not take the NVMe drives.
Choosing the Right BL460c Gen10 Storage Controller
- Decide whether write cache earns its keep. On a blade that boots locally and works from shared storage it usually does not; on one whose two drives carry logs or a database volume it usually does.
- The embedded controller needs enabling before it does RAID. HPE requires the FIO Enable Smart Array S100i SR Setting, and where the P204i-b is not chosen a SATA cable reaches the two bays instead.
- RAID 5 on this blade is an M.2 feature. The S100i provides RAID 0, 1 and 5 for M.2 drives in UEFI BIOS mode only; two front bays cannot stripe parity however the array is built.
- External SAS costs a mezzanine slot. The P408e-m occupies one of the two I/O expansion slots, the same slot a FlexFabric or Fibre Channel card would want.
- Check the NVMe setting before buying a cached card. The two are mutually exclusive, and the setting is factory-applied rather than something added later.
Complete Your BL460c Gen10 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see BL460c Gen10 drives for what the pair will hold. Also available: BL460c Gen10 memory, processors and networking adapters, or the full BL460c Gen10 parts listing, which also carries the 16Gb Fibre Channel mezzanine adapters. The adjacent generation is BL460c Gen9 storage controllers. Background reading: what HPE Flexible Smart Array controllers are, NVMe drives in HPE servers and the HPE parts by server model index.
BL460c Gen10 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller does the BL460c Gen10 use?
One of two for the front bays: the Smart Array P204i-b SR Gen10 with 1GB flash backed write cache, or the embedded Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 software RAID on chipset SATA. Both cover up to two SFF or four uFF bays.
Does the BL460c Gen10 support RAID 5?
Only for internal M.2 drives. HPE documents RAID 0, 1 and 5 through the S100i in UEFI BIOS mode for M.2, and the two front bays leave nothing for a parity stripe.
What is the P408e-m for?
Storage outside the blade. It is a 12G SAS mezzanine controller with eight external lanes and 2GB of cache, and it occupies one of the two I/O expansion slots rather than serving the front bays.
Can I use NVMe drives with the P204i-b?
No. HPE states that the Gen10 NVMe FIO Setting required for SFF NVMe drives is not compatible with the Smart Array P204i-b, and recommends a dual M.2 kit for boot when the setting is used.
Do I need a card at all, or will the embedded controller do?
For SATA drives the embedded S100i is enough, and where the P204i-b is not fitted a SATA cable reaches the two bays. RAID on the S100i needs the FIO Enable Smart Array S100i SR Setting applied at the factory.
Is there a battery for the write cache?
Yes. The flash backed write cache on the P204i-b is protected by a flash cache battery, and HPE quotes the blade's maximum weight with two of them installed.
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