HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen12 Storage Controllers

Genuine HPE storage controllers for the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen12, new and refurbished. The Gen12 storage stack is HPE MR controllers in two shapes — an OCP 3.0 module (-o) that sits in a rear OCP slot and a PCIe plug-in card (-p) — plus the x32-lane MR932i-p for the biggest NVMe fills, and a Gen10 Smart Array HBA for external SAS.

DL325 Gen12 Storage Controller Specifications

• HPE MR216i-o and MR216i-p Gen11: x16 lanes, no cache, OCP and PCIe plug-in respectively, for RAID without a write cache
• HPE MR408i-o and MR408i-p Gen11: x8 lanes with 4GB cache
• HPE MR416i-o and MR416i-p Gen11: x16 lanes with 8GB cache
• HPE MR932i-p: x32 lanes, PCIe Gen5 plug-in, listed for the 16-drive E3.S and 8-drive SFF/EDSFF configurations and the GPU chassis
• HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10: 8 external lanes, no cache, 12G SAS PCIe plug-in, for storage outside the server
• Cache protection: HPE Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor, 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery or 16W Smart Hybrid Capacitor, each with a 145mm cable; a maximum of one per server
• Boot: HPE NS204i-u v2 hot-plug NVMe boot device in 480GB, 960GB and 960GB SED versions — two M.2 NVMe SSDs on x4 PCIe Gen3 in preconfigured hardware RAID 1, mounting at the rear on the low-profile Slot 1 riser, beside power supply 2 with the rear cable kit, or in the front cage with the front cable kit

The -o controller and the network adapter want the same slot. HPE's storage configurations put the cabled RAID controller in a rear OCP slot on most layouts, and a 1U server has one standard OCP slot plus one optional one. Decide whether the OCP slots carry storage or networking before choosing between an MR416i-o module and an MR416i-p card, and remember that only one Smart Storage battery or capacitor is allowed per server.

OCP module or PCIe card for a DL325 Gen12?

The -o and -p versions of each MR controller are the same silicon in different slots. On a 1U server with at most two PCIe slots, the OCP module is usually the better buy because it leaves the stand-up slots for network adapters or a GPU, which is why HPE's storage configurations name an "OCP Controller" for most cabled RAID layouts. The -p card earns its slot when the OCP slots are already spoken for by network adapters, or when you need the MR932i-p, which only comes as a PCIe card.

Choosing the Right DL325 Gen12 Storage Controller

• Start from HPE's storage configuration table, not the controller list. Each chassis has numbered configurations that pair backplanes with SATA direct attach, x2 or x4 NVMe direct attach, an OCP controller, a PCIe controller or the MR932i-p, and each needs its own cable kit.
• Direct attach may be all you need. SATA and NVMe drives can cable straight to the processor with the matching direct-attach cable kit and no controller at all; a controller adds hardware RAID and, on the 408i and 416i, cache.
• Cache means a battery or capacitor. Only one Smart Storage battery or capacitor is allowed per server, and HPE lists three; the E208e-p and MR216i have no cache to protect.
• The GPU chassis does not do SATA AHCI. HPE states the SATA AHCI mode is not supported on the GPU CTO server, so SATA drives there go through a controller.
• Boot from the NS204i-u, not the array. The v2 boot device keeps the OS on mirrored M.2 NVMe away from the data drives; where it mounts decides which riser or cable kit you need, and beside power supply 2 it requires a 60mm-wide M-CRPS supply.

Complete Your DL325 Gen12 Build

Controllers and drives are bought together — see DL325 Gen12 drives for what each chassis holds, and the DL325 Gen12 parts page for the internal storage cable kits, backplane kits and NS204i-u boot devices. Also available: DL325 Gen12 memory, processors, networking adapters and power supplies. The adjacent generation is DL325 Gen11 storage controllers, cache batteries for every generation are under HPE Smart Array controller batteries, and NVMe drives in HPE servers explains direct attach against RAID. Every model is indexed under HPE parts by server model.

DL325 Gen12 Storage Controllers FAQ

Which RAID controllers does the DL325 Gen12 support?
HPE lists the MR216i-o and MR216i-p Gen11 (x16 lanes, no cache), MR408i-o and MR408i-p Gen11 (x8 lanes, 4GB cache), MR416i-o and MR416i-p Gen11 (x16 lanes, 8GB cache), the MR932i-p (x32 lanes, PCIe Gen5) and the Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 external HBA.

What is the difference between an -o and a -p controller?
The form factor. An -o controller is an OCP 3.0 module that installs in a rear OCP slot; a -p controller is a PCIe plug-in card that takes one of the server's stand-up slots. The lanes and cache are the same for a given model.

Does the DL325 Gen12 need a RAID controller at all?
Not always. HPE's storage configurations include SATA direct attach and x2 or x4 NVMe direct attach, where the drives cable straight to the processor with the matching cable kit. A controller adds hardware RAID and, on the MR408i and MR416i, a protected write cache.

How do I protect the cache on an MR408i or MR416i?
With one of the three listed options: the HPE Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor, the 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery or the 16W Smart Hybrid Capacitor, each with a 145mm cable. HPE allows a maximum of one per server.

What boot device does the DL325 Gen12 use?
The HPE NS204i-u v2 NVMe Hot Plug Boot Optimized Storage Device, in 480GB, 960GB or 960GB SED versions. It carries two M.2 NVMe SSDs in preconfigured hardware RAID 1 on x4 PCIe Gen3 and can mount at the rear on the low-profile riser, beside power supply 2, or in the front cage.

Can I connect external SAS storage to a DL325 Gen12?
Yes, with the HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10, a 12G SAS PCIe card with 8 external lanes and no cache. It is the only external controller HPE lists for this server.

✅ Looking for a specific DL325 Gen12 storage controller? Browse our full selection below.

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