HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen8 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array controllers and licences for the HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen8, new and refurbished. The two drive bays inside the blade are already wired to an embedded Smart Array P220i, so an add-in card here is not about them — the P721m is a mezzanine controller with four external ports, for direct attached SAS storage outside the blade.
BL660c Gen8 Storage Controller Specifications
- Embedded controller: one HPE Smart Array P220i per blade, on an x4 PCI Express host interface with a 6G SAS drive interface, driving the two internal SFF bays
- Embedded cache: 512MB flash backed write cache, standard on pre-configured models and optional on factory integrated ones; HPE notes the cache is not required for RAID, only for write performance and power-loss protection
- Embedded RAID levels: RAID 0 and RAID 1, with 64 logical drives supported once the 512MB cache is present
- Mezzanine controller: HPE Smart Array P721m, a four-port external SAS card stocked with either 512MB or 2GB of flash backed write cache
- Slot rule: the P721m is a Type B mezzanine card, so it fits mezzanine slots 2 and 3 only — slot 1 is x8 Type A and will not take it
- Capacitor packs: the blade has three install locations for the flash cache capacitor pack: one for the embedded P220i, one for a controller in mezzanine slot 3, and one for a controller in slot 1 or slot 2
- Licensing: Smart Array Advanced Pack 2.0 is a software licence rather than hardware, in media and electronic forms
The P721m is for storage outside the blade, not the bays inside it. The two internal drive bays are already wired to the embedded Smart Array P220i. The P721m is a four-port external SAS mezzanine card, and because it is Type B it fits mezzanine slots 2 and 3 only — slot 1 is x8 Type A.
Embedded P220i or a P721m Mezzanine Card?
| Smart Array P220i | Smart Array P721m | |
|---|---|---|
| What it drives | The two SFF bays inside the blade | Direct attached SAS storage outside the blade |
| Ports | Internal only | Four external |
| Where it fits | Embedded, one per blade | Mezzanine slot 2 or 3, as a Type B card |
| Cache stocked | 512MB flash backed write cache | 512MB or 2GB flash backed write cache |
The split is internal against external: the P721m cannot take over the two bays on the front of the blade, and the P220i cannot reach anything beyond them. What a P721m really costs is a mezzanine slot. There are only three, they are shared with networking, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand cards, and a Type B controller can occupy only two of them.
Choosing the Right BL660c Gen8 Storage Controller
- Decide internal or external before choosing a part number. A P721m will not drive the internal backplane, however much cache it carries.
- Type B means slot 2 or slot 3. Mezzanine slot 1 is the x8 Type A slot, so planning a P721m into it is a returned part.
- Cache is a performance decision, not a RAID one. HPE states the flash backed write cache is not required for RAID capability.
- Smart Array Advanced Pack is a licence. The controller works without it at its standard RAID levels; the pack only enables the additional features it covers.
Complete Your BL660c Gen8 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see BL660c Gen8 drives for what the two internal bays will hold. Also available: BL660c Gen8 memory, networking adapters and processors, or the full BL660c Gen8 parts listing, which carries the D2200sb storage blade and the Fibre Channel mezzanines. Comparable four-socket platforms: BL680c G7 storage controllers and DL560 Gen8 storage controllers. Background reading: what are HPE Flexible Smart Array controllers and the HPE parts by server model index.
BL660c Gen8 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller is built into the BL660c Gen8?
An embedded HPE Smart Array P220i. It drives the two internal small form factor bays, supports RAID 0 and RAID 1, and ships with a 512MB flash backed write cache on pre-configured models.
What is the Smart Array P721m for?
Direct attached SAS storage outside the blade. It is a four-port external mezzanine controller, stocked with 512MB or 2GB of flash backed write cache, and it does not take over the blade's own two drive bays.
Which mezzanine slots take the P721m?
Slots 2 and 3. The P721m is a Type B card, and only slots 2 and 3 are x16 Type B; slot 1 is x8 Type A and accepts Type A cards only.
Do I need the flash backed write cache for RAID?
No. HPE states the FBWC is not required for RAID capability. Its purpose is to increase hard drive write performance and to protect cached data if the blade loses power.
How many capacitor packs can the blade hold?
Three: one for the embedded P220i, one for a controller with FBWC in mezzanine slot 3, and one for a controller in slot 1 or slot 2.
Do I need the Smart Array Advanced Pack?
Only for the additional features it licenses. It is software rather than hardware, and the controller works without it at its standard RAID levels.
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