HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen10 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE Smart Array controllers, cache backup and cabling for the HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen10, new and refurbished. Storage starts on the embedded Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 software RAID, and knowing where that runs out is what decides whether a card is needed at all: it is SATA only, serves four ports on the drive cage, and runs in UEFI mode.
ML30 Gen10 Storage Controller Specifications
- Embedded controller: HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 software RAID, with four SATA ports for the drive cage and two more for drives in the media bays
- S100i limitations: UEFI mode only, and Windows only — for Linux, HPE points to an in-distro open-source two-disk RAID 1 boot volume instead
- Plug-in cards: Essential E208i-p and E208e-p SR Gen10 with no cache, and Performance P408i-p with 2GB and P408e-p with 4GB, all eight-lane 12G SAS PCIe cards
- Cache backup: the Performance cards require the HPE 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery (P01366-B21) or the Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor (P02377-B21), sold separately, plus a battery holder kit (786710-B21)
- Cabling: the ML30 Gen10 Mini SAS Cable Kit (P06307-B21) is required with an E208i-p or P408i-p — one kit for a 4 LFF hot-plug server, two for an 8 SFF
- Limits: a maximum of two Smart Array controllers, and only one P408i-p among them
Plenty of ML30 Gen10 servers need no card on this page. A four-drive SATA machine running Windows is already served by the embedded S100i SR Gen10 software RAID. The card becomes necessary at one of three points: SAS drives, a fifth cage drive, or a write cache — and a P408i-p is not complete without the Smart Storage Battery.
Does this server actually need a Smart Array card?
| Controller | Lanes and cache | What it serves | Also required |
|---|---|---|---|
| S100i SR Gen10 (embedded) | 6 SATA ports, no cache | Four SATA cage drives plus two media bay drives | Nothing — UEFI mode, Windows |
| E208i-p SR Gen10 | 8 internal, no cache | Internal SAS or SATA bays | Mini SAS cable kit |
| P408i-p SR Gen10 | 8 internal, 2GB cache | Internal bays with a write cache | Mini SAS cable kit and Smart Storage Battery |
| E208e-p SR Gen10 | 8 external, no cache | External SAS enclosures | Nothing internal |
| P408e-p SR Gen10 | 8 external, 4GB cache | External enclosures with a write cache | Smart Storage Battery |
Between the cards the split is the familiar one: the -i models drive the bays inside the chassis, the -e models drive enclosures outside it, and the P-series adds the write cache. What decides first is not the card at all but the drive count and the interface — SAS, or a fifth drive in the cage, is the point at which the embedded S100i stops being enough.
Choosing the Right ML30 Gen10 Storage Controller
- Count the drives before choosing a card. Four SATA drives in the cage is the embedded S100i's limit, and a fifth is the moment a card is required.
- Order the cable kit with the card. An E208i-p or P408i-p without the Mini SAS Cable Kit cannot reach the backplane: one kit for 4 LFF hot-plug, two for 8 SFF.
- A Performance card is not complete on its own. The P408i-p and P408e-p need the Smart Storage Battery or hybrid capacitor for cache protection, and the battery needs its holder.
- Internal and external are not interchangeable. An E208e-p or P408e-p will not drive the internal cage, and a non-hot-plug chassis takes no internal card at all — which caps those models at the embedded S100i and SATA.
Complete Your ML30 Gen10 Build
Controllers and drives are bought together — see ML30 Gen10 drives for what the array will hold. Also available: ML30 Gen10 memory, processors, networking adapters and power supplies, or the full ML30 Gen10 parts listing. Background reading: what HPE Smart Array controllers do. Other models are listed under HPE parts by server model.
ML30 Gen10 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controller does the ML30 Gen10 come with?
The embedded HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 software RAID. It serves four SATA ports on the drive cage and two more for drives in the media bays, with no cache.
Do I need a Smart Array card in an ML30 Gen10?
Only if you need SAS drives, more than four drives in the cage, or a write cache. A four-drive SATA server running Windows is fully served by the embedded S100i.
What is the difference between the E208i-p and the P408i-p?
Both carry eight internal lanes. The E208i-p has no cache; the P408i-p has 2GB of cache and therefore also requires the HPE Smart Storage Battery or hybrid capacitor for cache protection.
Does the S100i work with Linux?
Not as a RAID controller. HPE documents it as Windows only, and points Linux users to an in-distro open-source two-disk RAID 1 boot volume instead.
Why do I need a Mini SAS cable kit?
Because the internal cards do not ship with the cabling to reach the backplane. Select one kit for a 4 LFF hot-plug server and two for an 8 SFF hot-plug server.
Can I fit a Smart Array card in a non-hot-plug ML30 Gen10?
Not an internal one. HPE does not support the E208i-p or P408i-p in non-hot-plug models, so those servers run on the embedded S100i.
✅ Looking for a specific ML30 Gen10 storage controller? Browse our full selection below.
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