HPE ProLiant BL465c Gen8 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array controllers and licences for the HPE ProLiant BL465c Gen8, new and refurbished. The two internal bays are already served by an integrated Smart Array P220i with 512MB flash backed write cache — so what is bought here is external SAS, on a mezzanine card that fits only one of the blade's two slots.
BL465c Gen8 Storage Controller Specifications
- Integrated controller: HPE Smart Array P220i with 512MB flash backed write cache, RAID 0 and RAID 1, up to 64 logical drives, on an x4 PCI Express host interface at 6Gb/s SAS and 3G SATA
- External controller: HPE Smart Array P721m, a four-port external 6Gb SAS mezzanine controller, stocked with a 2GB or a 512MB flash backed write cache
- Slot rule: the P721m is a Type B mezzanine and is supported only in mezzanine slot 2, the x16 PCIe 2.0 slot — it will not go in slot 1
- What it connects: external direct attach and shared SAS storage, the documented route past the blade's two internal bays
- Licence: HPE Smart Array Advanced Pack 2.0, listed as a media-free one-server licence and as an electronic licence
The internal bays already have a controller. Every BL465c Gen8 ships with an integrated Smart Array P220i and 512MB flash backed write cache driving its two drive bays at RAID 0 or RAID 1. The P721m on this page is an addition for external SAS storage: it is a Type B mezzanine, and slot 2 is the only slot that will take it.
Do you need a controller for this blade at all?
| What you need | Answer |
|---|---|
| RAID across the two internal bays | Already fitted — the integrated P220i, RAID 0 or RAID 1 |
| RAID 5 or RAID 6 on internal drives | Not available on this blade at any cache size |
| External direct attach or shared SAS | Smart Array P721m, in mezzanine slot 2 |
| More write cache on an external array | P721m with 2GB FBWC rather than the 512MB card |
Most orders here are additions rather than replacements: the P220i keeps the two internal bays whatever else is installed. The P721m is what puts a Smart Array in front of storage outside the chassis, and the price of it is mezzanine slot 2, the only slot that accepts Type B cards. If a Type B networking card is already in there, the controller has nowhere to go.
Choosing the Right BL465c Gen8 Storage Controller
- Confirm mezzanine slot 2 is free first. The P721m is a Type B card and slot 2 is the only slot that takes one; slot 1 is x8 PCIe 2.0 Type A and will not accept it.
- Pick the cache by the array, not the blade. Both P721m forms carry flash backed write cache, so neither has a battery to age out; the 2GB card is for larger external arrays, the 512MB card for modest ones.
- The Advanced Pack is software. It licenses additional Smart Array features rather than adding hardware, and the controllers work at their standard RAID levels without it.
- Nothing here changes the internal bays. Two bays, RAID 0 or RAID 1, is the ceiling of the integrated controller, and no add-in card raises it.
Complete Your BL465c Gen8 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see BL465c Gen8 drives for what the internal bays hold, and the networking adapters page for the cards competing for slot 2. Also available: memory, processors and the full BL465c Gen8 parts listing, with the previous generation at BL465c G7 storage controllers. Background reading: what HPE Smart Array controllers do and the HPE parts by server model index.
BL465c Gen8 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller is built into the BL465c Gen8?
An integrated HPE Smart Array P220i with 512MB flash backed write cache. It drives the two internal bays at 6G SAS and 3G SATA, supports RAID 0 and RAID 1, and handles up to 64 logical drives.
What is the Smart Array P721m for?
External SAS. It is a four-port external 6Gb SAS mezzanine controller for direct attach and shared SAS storage outside the blade, the documented way past the two internal drive bays.
Which mezzanine slot does the P721m go in?
Slot 2 only. HPE lists the P721m as a Type B mezzanine, and slot 2 is the x16 PCIe 2.0 slot that accepts Type A or Type B cards. Slot 1 takes Type A cards only.
Should I buy the 2GB or the 512MB P721m?
Both use flash backed write cache, so neither carries a battery to replace. The 2GB card suits larger external arrays and heavier write loads; the 512MB card is enough for a modest enclosure.
Can I add RAID 5 to a BL465c Gen8?
Not on the internal bays. The integrated P220i supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, and two drive bays give a parity level nothing to stripe across.
Do I need the Smart Array Advanced Pack?
Only for the extra features it licenses. It is software rather than hardware, and a Smart Array controller works at its standard RAID levels without it.
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