HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen12 Storage Controllers

Genuine HPE storage controllers for the HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen12, new and refurbished. The platform uses the HPE MR tri-mode controller family, each model offered twice: as an OCP-type RAID controller (-o) that slots into OCP A and takes no PCIe slot, or as a PCIe plug-in card (-p). Which one you pick decides how many slots are left for everything else.

ML350 Gen12 Storage Controller Specifications

• HPE MR216i-o and MR216i-p Gen11: 16 lanes, no cache, up to 16 SAS, SATA or NVMe drives in RAID 0, 1 and 10
• HPE MR408i-o and MR408i-p Gen11: 8 lanes, 4GB cache, up to 8 SAS, SATA or NVMe drives; a Smart Storage Battery or Smart Hybrid Capacitor must be fitted
• HPE MR416i-o and MR416i-p Gen11: 16 lanes, 8GB cache, up to 16 SAS, SATA or NVMe drives; battery or capacitor required
• HPE MR932i-p: 32 lanes of PCIe Gen5 for NVMe and SAS SSD only, no hard drive or SATA SSD support; on the ML350 Gen12 it drives NVMe SSDs in the 8SFF x4 or 12EDSFF cage
• HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10: 8 external 12G SAS lanes across two x4 Mini-SAS HD ports, no cache, for external tape and storage
• Cache protection: HPE 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery, Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor or 16W Smart Hybrid Capacitor, each with a 260mm cable, plus the ML350 Gen11/Gen12 Smart Storage Battery Cable Kit
• Cabling: every cage needs a cable kit matched to both the cage and the controller type — OROC or PCIe kits for the SAS/SATA cages, direct-attach or MR932i-p kits for the NVMe cages
• Software RAID: Intel VROC on direct-attached NVMe, UEFI mode only, enabled by licence rather than a card

Cache means a battery, and -o means OCP A. The MR408i and MR416i require the 96W Smart Storage Battery or a Smart Hybrid Capacitor plus the ML350 Gen11/Gen12 battery cable kit; the MR216i has no cache and needs neither. An OCP-type -o controller saves a PCIe slot but can only sit in OCP A, which leaves OCP B as the sole OCP slot for networking. Pick the form first, then the cable kit that matches both the cage and the controller.

Which ML350 Gen12 controller for which build?

HPE's default Smart Chassis for this server pairs one 8SFF x1 Tri-Mode cage with an MR408i-o: an OCP controller, cached, covering eight drives. Move to an MR416i when the second or third cage arrives, or to an MR216i when sixteen drives without a cache battery and RAID 0, 1 or 10 is enough.

Choosing the Right ML350 Gen12 Storage Controller

• -o saves a PCIe slot and spends OCP A. An OCP-type RAID controller can only be installed in OCP A and needs no OCP enablement kit, but a build that carries one has only OCP B left for networking.
• Cache means a battery and a cable. The MR408i and MR416i require the 96W Smart Storage Battery or one of the two Smart Hybrid Capacitors, and this chassis needs the ML350 Gen11/Gen12 Smart Storage Battery Cable Kit with it.
• The MR932i-p is not a hard-drive controller. NVMe and SAS SSD only; one MR932i-p per x4 cage set, two for a 12EDSFF cage on the PCIe cable kit.
• Tape needs a port. An internal LTO drive takes one available port from an MR216i or MR408i, in -o or -p form, plus the LTO cable kit and the tertiary riser.

Complete Your ML350 Gen12 Build

Controllers, cages and cable kits are bought as a set — see ML350 Gen12 drives for what each cage holds and the ML350 Gen12 parts listing for the cages, cable kits and cache batteries themselves. Also available: ML350 Gen12 memory, processors, networking adapters and power supplies. The adjacent generation is ML350 Gen11 storage controllers, and cache batteries for every generation sit under HPE Smart Array controller batteries. Background reading: NVMe drives in HPE servers and the HPE parts by server model index.

ML350 Gen12 Storage Controllers FAQ

Which RAID controller does the ML350 Gen12 use?
The HPE MR tri-mode family: MR216i (16 lanes, no cache), MR408i (8 lanes, 4GB cache) and MR416i (16 lanes, 8GB cache), each as an OCP -o or PCIe -p card, plus the MR932i-p x32 PCIe Gen5 controller for NVMe. HPE's default Smart Chassis pairs an MR408i-o with one 8SFF Tri-Mode cage.

What is the difference between an -o and a -p controller?
The -o is an OCP-type RAID controller that fits only the OCP A slot and does not occupy a PCIe expansion slot; no OCP enablement kit is needed. The -p is a PCIe plug-in card. The RAID capability is the same, but each form takes its own cable kits.

Do I need a battery with an ML350 Gen12 controller?
With the MR408i and MR416i, yes: HPE requires the 96W Smart Storage Battery or a Smart Hybrid Capacitor, and on this chassis the ML350 Gen11/Gen12 Smart Storage Battery Cable Kit as well. The MR216i has no cache and needs none.

Can an MR controller run NVMe drives in the ML350 Gen12?
Yes. The MR216i, MR408i and MR416i are tri-mode and handle SAS, SATA and NVMe drives in the 8SFF x1 Tri-Mode cage at one lane each. Four-lane NVMe uses the 8SFF x4 cage with direct attach or the MR932i-p.

Can I run NVMe RAID without a controller?
Yes, with Intel VROC on direct-attached NVMe drives in the x4 or EDSFF cages. It runs in UEFI mode only, supports NVMe SSDs and no PCIe cards, and is enabled by an Intel VROC licence rather than hardware.

Which controller do I need for hard drives?
An MR216i, MR408i or MR416i with the OROC or PCIe cable kit for your 4LFF or 8SFF cage. The MR932i-p will not do: HPE states it supports NVMe and SAS SSD only, without hard drive or SATA SSD support.

✅ Looking for a specific ML350 Gen12 storage controller? Browse our full selection below.

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