HPE ProLiant BL685c G7 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array controllers and cache options for the HPE ProLiant BL685c G7, new and refurbished. Storage inside this blade runs on the embedded Smart Array P410i, which HPE lists as an option on factory integrated models and also requires on any blade whose hot-plug bays are meant to work — so its presence is worth confirming before anything else.
BL685c G7 Storage Controller Specifications
- Embedded controller: HPE Smart Array P410i with a 1GB flash backed write cache, listed as a factory integration option rather than fitted to every blade
- RAID levels: RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, with up to 32 logical drives and a maximum logical drive capacity of 2.4TB
- Connections: two internal SFF8484 x4 wide port connectors on an x4 5G PCIe 2.0 link, good for 2GB/s, running 6G SAS and 3G SATA
- Embedded cache: a 72-bit 1GB cache with ECC protection, capacitor-backed, so there is no battery on the P410i to age out
- Mezzanine controllers: Smart Array P700m in 256MB and 512MB cache forms, a four-port external PCIe x8 SAS card that occupies one of the blade's three mezzanine slots
- Cache battery: the Smart Array Cache Battery Kit, documented by HPE as supporting the BL685c G7 and the P700m controller
The P410i is not a given on this blade. HPE lists it as an option on factory integrated models, and separately requires it on any blade whose hot-plug bays are meant to work — so a BL685c G7 without one has two drive bays that will do nothing. Confirm it is there before ordering drives for it.
Internal Bays or Storage Outside the Blade?
| Controller | Ports | What it drives |
|---|---|---|
| P410i (embedded) | 2 internal | The two hot-plug bays in the blade, at RAID 0 or RAID 1 |
| P700m/256 (mezzanine) | 4 external | Storage blades and external SAS arrays, with 256MB of cache |
| P700m/512 (mezzanine) | 4 external | The same reach, with 512MB of cache for write-heavy arrays |
| Smart Array Cache Battery Kit | n/a | Holds the P700m write cache through a power loss |
The split is internal against external, and on this blade it is not a close call: the P410i is the only route to the two bays in the chassis, and a P700m is what carries SAS out of it. That reach costs an I/O slot, because a mezzanine controller draws on the same budget of three slots as the Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand cards. HPE also documents the Smart Array P712m and P711m mezzanine controllers for this platform.
Choosing the Right BL685c G7 Storage Controller
- Confirm the P410i before buying drives. HPE requires it on any blade with working hot-plug bays and lists it as an option on factory integrated models, so a blade without one has two bays that do nothing.
- Cache size is the only difference between the two P700m cards. 256MB and 512MB are otherwise the same four-port external controller.
- The P700m cache is battery-backed, not flash-backed. That battery is a separate kit and it ages, unlike the capacitor-backed cache on the embedded P410i.
- Budget a mezzanine slot. There are three in the blade, shared with every networking and fibre adapter, so putting SAS outside the blade costs one of them.
Complete Your BL685c G7 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see BL685c G7 hard drives for what the array will actually hold. Also available: BL685c G7 memory and processors, or the full BL685c G7 parts listing and the wider HPE parts by server model index. Background reading: what are HPE Flexible Smart Array controllers and understanding data transfer rate in hard disk drives.
BL685c G7 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller does the BL685c G7 use?
The HPE Smart Array P410i with a 1GB flash backed write cache. HPE lists it as an option on factory integrated models and requires it on any blade whose hot-plug drive bays are to function.
Does the BL685c G7 support RAID 5?
No. The P410i on this blade supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, which is as much as two drive bays allow in any case.
What is the Smart Array P700m for?
Storage outside the blade. It is a four-port external PCIe x8 SAS mezzanine controller for storage blades and external SAS arrays, not for the two internal bays.
Does the P700m need a battery?
Its write cache is battery-backed rather than flash-backed. HPE lists the Smart Array Cache Battery Kit as supporting both the BL685c G7 server blade and the P700m controller.
How much cache does the embedded controller have?
1GB. It is a 72-bit ECC-protected cache that is capacitor-backed, so unlike the P700m there is no battery on the P410i to replace.
Does a mezzanine storage controller use up an expansion slot?
Yes. The blade has three x8 PCIe 2.0 mezzanine slots in total, and a P700m takes one of them, leaving two for Ethernet, Fibre Channel or InfiniBand adapters.
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