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Abstract
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters provide a new generation of ultra-high-performance storage based on solid state device technology for System x and BladeCenter. These adapters are alternatives to disk drives and are available in several sizes, from 160 GB to 1.2 TB. Designed for high-performance servers and computing appliances, these adapters deliver throughput of up to 300,000 I/O operations per second (IOPS), while providing the added benefits of lower power, cooling, and management overhead, and a smaller storage footprint.
Note: All of the adapters listed in this document have been withdrawn from marketing and are no longer available for ordering from IBM. See the Internal storage category for Product Guides on other High IOPS adapters.
Introduction
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters provide a new generation of ultra-high-performance storage based on solid state device technology for System x and BladeCenter. These adapters are alternatives to disk drives and are available in several sizes, from 160 GB to 1.2 TB. Designed for high-performance servers and computing appliances, these adapters deliver throughput of up to 300,000 I/O operations per second (IOPS), while providing the added benefits of lower power, cooling, and management overhead, and a smaller storage footprint.
The IBM 320GB High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapter is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The IBM 320GB High IOPS SS and MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter
Did you know?
These adapters use flash memory as the storage medium, contain no moving parts, and do not have the issues associated with vibration, noise, and mechanical failure. The adapters are built as block devices on a PCIe bus with advanced wear-leveling, advanced ECC, and N+1 chip-level redundancy, providing unparalleled reliability and efficiency.
Part number information
Table 1 lists the ordering part numbers and feature codes.
Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes
The part numbers for the adapters include the following items:
Figure 2 shows the 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x
Figure 2. 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x
Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes
| Description | Part number | Feature code |
| IBM 160GB High IOPS SS Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0877 | 0096 |
| IBM 320GB High IOPS MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0898 | 1649 |
| IBM 320GB High IOPS SD Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0878 | 0097 |
| 320GB High IOPS SLC Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4535 | A1NE |
| 640GB High IOPS MLC Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4531 | A1NC |
| 640GB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4519 | 5985 |
| 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4539 | A1ND |
| 1.28TB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4527 | A1NB |
The part numbers for the adapters include the following items:
- One PCIe adapter with 3U bracket
- 2U bracket (except for the Duo adapters, 81Y4519, 81Y4539, and 81Y4527)
- Quick install guide
- Documentation on a USB key
- Safety flyer
Figure 2 shows the 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x
Figure 2. 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x
Features
Based on standard PCIe architecture coupled with silicon-based NAND clustering storage technology, the High IOPS Adapters are optimized for System x racks and can be deployed in blades via the PCIe expansion units. These scalable designs come with both Single Level Cell (SLC) and MultiLevel Cell (MLC) technologies in standard PCIe form factors. While MLC offers a cost-effective alternative, SLC provides over 12X more endurance and up to 30% better performance over MLC.
These adapters use NAND flash memory as the basic building block of solid-state storage and contain no moving parts, thus they are less sensitive to issues associated with vibration, noise, and mechanical failure. These adapters are built as block devices on a PCIe bus with advanced wear-leveling, ECC, and N+1 chip-level redundancy providing unparalleled reliability and efficiency.
Typical uses are applications with ultra-high performance I/O needs:
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters have the following features:
Performance features:
Reliability features:
Energy efficiency features:
These adapters use NAND flash memory as the basic building block of solid-state storage and contain no moving parts, thus they are less sensitive to issues associated with vibration, noise, and mechanical failure. These adapters are built as block devices on a PCIe bus with advanced wear-leveling, ECC, and N+1 chip-level redundancy providing unparalleled reliability and efficiency.
Typical uses are applications with ultra-high performance I/O needs:
- Data-in-memory applications
- Medium to large databases
- Cache
- Video
- Data warehousing
- Business intelligence and analytics
- Decision support
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters have the following features:
Performance features:
- High performance - 230 times better IOPS. That means, for example, 97,014 IOPS at 4K block random reads versus 420 IOPS for a 15K RPM 146GB disk drive.
- Low latency of 50 ?s - 1% of the latency of a 15K RPM 146GB disk drive.
- 600 MB/s random writes sustained.
Reliability features:
- Predictable lifetime.
- Up to 25 years of data retention.
- N+1 redundancy built-in to ensure data protection
- Available in SLC or MLC
- 11-bit ECC protection.
- Advance bad-block management algorithms enable taking blocks out of service when their failure rate becomes unacceptable.
- IBM High IOPS Launch Manager management suite.
Energy efficiency features:
- Low power consumption for performance: 9W delivering 100,000 IOPS versus 5.5W for 420 IOPS from a 15K RPM 146GB disk drive.
- Only 57 kWh/yr at 100,000 IOPS sustained.
Specifications
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters have the following specifications:
Note: These adapters cannot be used as bootable devices.
Table 2. PCI Express host interface specification
- Storage capacity from 160 GB to 1.28 TB
- Functions as a PCIe storage and controller device -- operating system sees a block device
- PCI Express host interface as listed in Table 2
Note: These adapters cannot be used as bootable devices.
Table 2. PCI Express host interface specification
| Description | Part number | PCIe interface |
| IBM 160GB High IOPS SS Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0877 | PCIe 1.0a (Gen1) x4 |
| IBM 320GB High IOPS MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0898 | PCIe 1.0a (Gen1) x4 |
| IBM 320GB High IOPS SD Class SSD PCIe Adapter | 46M0878 | PCIe 2.0 (Gen2) x8 |
| 320GB High IOPS SLC Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4535 | PCIe 1.0a (Gen1) x4 |
| 640GB High IOPS MLC Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4531 | PCIe 1.1 (Gen1) x4 |
| 640GB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4519 | PCIe 2.0 (Gen2) x8 |
| 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4539 | PCIe 2.0 (Gen2) x8 |
| 1.28TB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x | 81Y4527 | PCIe 2.0 (Gen2) x8 |
Comparison
Table 3 shows a comparison between the High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters and solid-state drives.
Table 3. Comparison
Table 3. Comparison
 |
High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters |
Solid-state drive |
||||||||
| Model | 160 SLC | 320 MLC | 320 SLC | 320 SLC Duo | 640 MLC | 640 MLC Duo | 640 SLC Duo | 1.28 MLC |
eXFlash 1.8” 50GB MLC (8 drives) |
eXFlash 1.8” 200GB MLC (8 drives) |
| Part number | 46M0877 | 46M0898 | 81Y4535 | 46M0878 | 81Y4531 | 81Y4519 | 81Y4539 | 81Y4527 | 43W7726 | 43W7746 |
| Capacity | 160 GB | 320 GB | 320 GB | 320 GB | 640 GB | 640 GB | 640 GB | 1.28 TB | 400 GB | 1.6 TB |
|
Max IOPS 4KB Read |
129K | 128K | 189K | 301K | 129K | 301K | 358K | 316K | Non-RAID: 203K; RAID 5: 121K | |
|
Max IOPS 4KB Write |
130K | 108K | 154K | 110K | 136K | 109K | 374K | 277K | Non-RAID: 140K; RAID 5: 22K | |
|
Max transfer Read |
754 MBps | 735 MBps | 787 MBps | 1524 MBps | 763 MBps | 1703 MBps | 1538 MBps | 1511 MBps | Non-RAID: 2052 MBps; RAID 5: 1668 MBps | |
|
Max transfer Write |
635 MBps | 476 MBps | 769 MBps | 1129 MBps | 543 MBps | 961 MBps | 1047 MBps | 818 MBps | Non-RAID: 1864 MBps; RAID 5: 1141 MBps | |
Physical specifications
Table 4 lists the dimensions and weight of each card.
Table 4. Physical specifications
Table 4. Physical specifications
| Adapter | Dimensions |
| IBM 160GB High IOPS SS Class SSD PCIe Adapter IBM 320GB High IOPS MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter 320GB High IOPS SLC Adapter for IBM System x 640GB High IOPS MLC Adapter for IBM System x |
Height: 1.6 cm (0.625 in) Width: 7.0 cm (2.75 in) Depth: 16.8 cm (6.625 in) Weight: 138 g (0.3 lb) |
| IBM 320GB High IOPS SD Class SSD PCIe Adapter 640GB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x 640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x 1.28TB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
Height: 1.6 cm (0.625 in) Width: 11.0 cm (2.75 in) Depth: 17.0 cm (6.625 in) Weight: 279 g (0.61 lb) |
Operating environment
The adapters are supported in this environment:
- Temperature:
- 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F) at 0 to 914 m (0 to 3,000 ft)
- 10° to 32°C (50° to 32°F) at 914 to 2,133 m (3,000 to 7,000 ft)
- Relative humidity:
- 20% to 80% (non-condensing)
Warranty
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters have a three-year limited warranty.
Supported servers
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters are supported in the IBM System x servers listed in Table 5.
Table 5. Supported System x servers (Part 1)
Table 5. Supported System x servers (Part 2)
* The HS22 supports these adapters with the addition of the IBM BladeCenter PCI Express I/O Expansion Unit (PEU3e), part number 43W4391
† The HX5 supports these adapters with the addition of the IBM BladeCenter PCI Express Gen 2 Expansion Blade (BPE4), part number 46M6730
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information on the adapters supported by each System x server type: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/.
Table 5. Supported System x servers (Part 1)
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IBM 160GB High IOPS SS Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0877 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
|
IBM 320GB High IOPS MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0898 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
|
IBM 320GB High IOPS SD Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0878 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
|
320GB High IOPS SLC Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4535 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
640GB High IOPS MLC Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4531 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
640GB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4519 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4539 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
1.28TB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4527 |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Table 5. Supported System x servers (Part 2)
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IBM 160GB High IOPS SS Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0877 |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y* |
N |
|
IBM 320GB High IOPS MS Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0898 |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y* |
N |
|
IBM 320GB High IOPS SD Class SSD PCIe Adapter |
46M0878 |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y† |
|
320GB High IOPS SLC Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4535 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
|
640GB High IOPS MLC Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4531 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
|
640GB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4519 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y* |
N |
|
640GB High IOPS SLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4539 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
|
1.28TB High IOPS MLC Duo Adapter for IBM System x |
81Y4527 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
† The HX5 supports these adapters with the addition of the IBM BladeCenter PCI Express Gen 2 Expansion Blade (BPE4), part number 46M6730
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information on the adapters supported by each System x server type: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/.
Supported operating systems
The IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapters support the following operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Datacenter x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Enterprise x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Standard x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Web x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition
- Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server with Xen x64 Edition
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server x64 Edition
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server x64 Edition
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
Related product families
Product families related to this document are the following:
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Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
BladeCenter®
ServerProven®
System x®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows Server®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
