HPE ProLiant BL490c G7 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array mezzanine controllers, cache modules and batteries for the HPE ProLiant BL490c G7, new and refurbished. What ships on the blade is a chipset SATA RAID controller good for RAID 0 and 1 only, with no write cache — anything beyond that is a Smart Array mezzanine card, and it spends one of the blade's two mezzanine slots.
BL490c G7 Storage Controller Specifications
- Embedded controller: an HPE Embedded SATA RAID controller built into the chipset, supporting RAID 0 and 1 with no battery backed write cache
- Enabling it: the RAID option is switched on in RBSU before an array can be built, and array monitoring in the operating system needs HPE's driver
- Hardware RAID: requires an optional Smart Array mezzanine card in one of the two x8 PCI Express mezzanine slots
- Internal card: Smart Array P712m/ZM, two internal ports, documented as providing RAID support for the internal non-hot-plug solid state drives
- External cards: Smart Array P700m with 256MB or 512MB of cache, four external SAS ports, for storage that sits outside the blade
- Cache and batteries: a 256MB P-series cache upgrade and a 650 mAh low profile battery for the P712m, and a separate P-series low profile battery for the P700m
The embedded controller is chipset SATA RAID: levels 0 and 1, no write cache. It also has to be enabled in RBSU before an array can be built. If a mirrored boot pair is all you need, that is already enough card; hardware RAID on the internal SSDs is what the Smart Array P712m is for.
Which controller reaches which drives?
| Controller | Ports | Reaches |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded SATA RAID (chipset) | internal | The two internal SSDs, RAID 0 and 1 only, no write cache |
| Smart Array P712m/ZM | 2 internal | The same two internal SSDs, under hardware RAID |
| Smart Array P700m/256 or /512 | 4 external | SAS storage outside the blade, not the internal bays |
Internal against external is the whole split, and on a blade it is easy to get wrong because both cards look identical in the slot. The P700m is an external card — four external SAS ports and nothing that presents the two drives above the processors — so it answers shared or direct-attach SAS storage, not the internal pair. The P712m/ZM is the card HPE documents for internal RAID, and ZM means zero memory: the 256MB cache upgrade and the 650 mAh battery are separate part numbers, and a Smart Array Advanced Pack licence needs both a cache module and a battery kit present before its features can be enabled.
Choosing the Right BL490c G7 Storage Controller
- Decide internal or external before the model number. All four of the P700m's ports face outward; it will not present the two internal SSDs to the operating system.
- The batteries are not interchangeable. HPE lists the P-series low profile battery for the P700m and the 650 mAh low profile battery for the P712m, and they are separate parts for separate cards.
- A controller costs a mezzanine slot. There are two, and the Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and I/O Accelerator options all want the same two.
- You may not need a card at all. If the requirement is a mirrored pair of boot SSDs, the embedded chipset controller already does RAID 1 — it just has to be enabled in RBSU first.
Complete Your BL490c G7 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see BL490c G7 hard drives for what the two internal bays will hold. Also available: BL490c G7 memory and processors, or the full BL490c G7 parts listing, which carries the mezzanine adapters competing for the same two slots. Adjacent blades: BL490c G6 storage controllers and BL460c G7 storage controllers. Background reading: what HPE Flexible Smart Array controllers are, with every model indexed under HPE parts by server model.
BL490c G7 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller does the BL490c G7 come with?
An embedded SATA RAID controller in the chipset. It supports RAID 0 and 1 only, has no battery backed write cache, and has to be enabled in RBSU before an array can be built.
Do I need a Smart Array card in a BL490c G7?
Only for hardware RAID, or for storage outside the blade. A mirrored pair of internal solid state drives is already within reach of the embedded chipset controller.
Which Smart Array card handles the internal SSDs?
The Smart Array P712m. HPE documents it as providing RAID support on the internal non-hot-plug solid state drives, through two internal ports.
What does the Smart Array P700m connect to?
External SAS storage. It carries four external ports and no internal ones, so it does not present the two drives inside the blade.
Which battery fits which controller?
The P-series low profile battery is listed for the P700m, and the 650 mAh low profile battery for the P712m. They are separate part numbers and are not interchangeable.
How many mezzanine cards can this blade take?
Two. The BL490c G7 has two x8 PCI Express mezzanine slots, shared between storage controllers, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and I/O Accelerator cards.
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