HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen11 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE storage controllers for the HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen11, new and refurbished, tested for compatibility before shipping. The DL20 Gen11 ships with Intel VROC SATA Hybrid RAID embedded, so a controller purchase is about what the embedded option cannot do: SAS drives, NVMe drives, cached hardware RAID, or external storage. HPE lists three Gen11 Tri-Mode controllers and one external SAS controller for it.
DL20 Gen11 Storage Controller Specifications
- Embedded: Intel VROC SATA Hybrid RAID on all models — RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 for SATA drives, disabled by default and enabled in BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU), UEFI boot mode required, Windows and Linux only, no VMware
- Tri-Mode controllers listed: HPE MR216i-p Gen11 x16 lanes without cache, PCIe plug-in; HPE MR216i-o Gen11 x16 lanes without cache, OCP; HPE MR408i-o Gen11 x8 lanes with 4GB cache, OCP — all SPDM-capable
- External SAS: HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10, 8 external lanes, no cache, PCIe plug-in; HPE states it is to be used for external storage only
- Slots: one internal OROC (OCP storage) slot on the PCH for the -o controllers, and one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the -p controllers; HPE states the internal OROC and the external OCP 3.0 network slot can be used together
- Not supported: Tri-Mode controllers on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug model, which is embedded VROC SATA only
- Battery: HPE 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery with 145mm Cable Kit (P01366-B21), maximum one per server, listed on the parts page
- Boot device: HPE NS204i-u Gen11 NVMe Hot Plug Boot Optimized Storage Device with two 480GB M.2 NVMe SSDs in hardware RAID 1, requiring its DL20 Gen11 cable kit (P65410-B21), listed on the parts page
- Cabling: each controller and chassis pairing takes a specific cable kit — the 2LFF/4SFF OCP or PCIe kits, or the 2SFF OCP, PCIe and x1 OCP kits for the 4SFF + 2SFF build — all listed on the parts page
Check the chassis before choosing a controller. HPE states Tri-Mode controllers are not supported on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug model, where the embedded Intel VROC SATA RAID is the only storage controller. On the hot-plug models the OCP (-o) versions of the MR216i and MR408i sit in the internal OROC slot and leave the server's single PCIe slot free — and each controller-and-chassis pairing takes its own cable kit.
Which DL20 Gen11 controller do you need?
| Controller | Form | Cache | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel VROC SATA (embedded) | On the motherboard | None | SATA-only builds on any chassis; RAID 0/1/5/10; the only option on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug model |
| MR216i-o Gen11 | OCP (internal OROC slot) | None | SAS, SATA or NVMe with RAID 0/1/10, keeping the PCIe slot free for a network adapter or GPU |
| MR216i-p Gen11 | PCIe plug-in | None | The same controller in the PCIe slot, for a chassis whose OROC slot is otherwise used |
| MR408i-o Gen11 | OCP (internal OROC slot) | 4GB | Cached hardware RAID, including parity levels, on up to 8 lanes; pair with the 96W battery |
| E208e-p SR Gen10 | PCIe plug-in | None | External SAS storage only |
On a one-slot server the OCP form factor is the one to notice: the -o controllers sit in the internal OROC slot and leave the single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot free, which matters if the same server also needs a PCIe network adapter or one of the RTX GPUs. The -p versions are for the case where that slot is the one you have to use.
Choosing the Right DL20 Gen11 Storage Controller
- Check the chassis first. HPE states Tri-Mode controllers are not supported on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug server; on that model the embedded VROC SATA RAID is the storage controller.
- Prefer the OCP (-o) versions where you can. They occupy the internal OROC slot rather than the server's only PCIe slot, and HPE states the OROC slot and the external OCP network slot can be selected together.
- Order the matching cable kit. The 2LFF/4SFF OCP and PCIe cable kits serve the base chassis; the 2SFF OCP, 2SFF PCIe and 4SFF/2SFF x1 OCP kits serve the 4SFF + 2SFF build. HPE ties each kit to a controller type and chassis on the parts page.
- Cache needs a battery. The MR408i-o carries 4GB of cache; the 96W Smart Storage Battery with 145mm cable is the DL20 Gen11's backup for it, one per server.
- Do not expect the E208e-p to run internal drives. HPE lists it for external storage only.
- M.2 is outside the controllers. HPE states M.2 drives are not supported by Smart Array controllers; they run from the motherboard, and the NS204i-u boot device brings its own RAID 1.
Complete Your DL20 Gen11 Build
A controller is only as useful as the drives behind it: see DL20 Gen11 drives for the SAS, SATA and NVMe options by chassis, then memory, networking adapters and power supplies, or the full DL20 Gen11 parts listing for the battery, boot device and cable kits. The same MR216i and MR408i Gen11 controllers serve the DL320 Gen11 and the ML30 Gen11; the previous generation is under DL20 Gen10 storage controllers. Background: how the Gen10 and Gen11 generations compare and NVMe drives in HPE servers. Every model we stock is indexed under HPE parts by server model.
DL20 Gen11 Storage Controllers FAQ
Does the DL20 Gen11 need a RAID controller?
Not for SATA drives. Intel VROC SATA Hybrid RAID is embedded on every model and supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 once enabled in the BIOS. A controller is needed for SAS or NVMe drives, for cached hardware RAID, or for external SAS storage.
Which storage controllers does HPE list for the DL20 Gen11?
Three Gen11 Tri-Mode controllers - the MR216i-p PCIe and MR216i-o OCP without cache, and the MR408i-o OCP with 4GB cache - plus the Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 for external storage only. HPE states Tri-Mode controllers are not supported on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug model.
What is the difference between the MR216i-p and MR216i-o?
The same x16-lane cacheless controller in two form factors. The -p is a PCIe plug-in card for the server's single PCIe 5.0 slot; the -o is an OCP card for the internal OROC slot, which leaves the PCIe slot free. HPE states the OROC slot and the external OCP network slot can be used together.
Does the MR408i-o need a battery in a DL20 Gen11?
The MR408i-o carries 4GB of cache, and HPE lists the 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery with 145mm Cable Kit for the DL20 Gen11, with a maximum of one battery per server. It provides backup power for HPE storage controllers.
Can I use the E208e-p for the internal drives in a DL20 Gen11?
No. HPE lists the Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 for external storage only. It has 8 external lanes and no cache, and it is the controller for attaching an external SAS enclosure.
Which cable kit goes with which DL20 Gen11 controller?
It depends on the controller form and the chassis. The 2LFF/4SFF OCP Cable Kit supports OROC controllers and the 2LFF/4SFF PCIe Cable Kit supports PCIe controllers on the base chassis, neither on the 2 LFF non-hot-plug model. The 2SFF PCIe, 2SFF OCP and 4SFF/2SFF x1 OCP kits serve the 4 SFF + 2 SFF build, each tied to specific controllers.
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