HP ML150 HP ProLiant G6 Technology Overview - Page 5

DIMMs, the memory bus speed drops to 800 MHz to maintain signal integrity. Therefore, the type of workload dictates the optimum number and type of DIMMs to use. Memory capacity may be of primary importance in virtualization environments, while memory channel speed may be more critical for high performance computing applications. Because there are several memory options, HP simplifies memory selection by providing two helpful resources. First, the on-line ProLiant Memory Configuration Tool (www.hp.com/go/ddr3memoryconfigurator) will walk you through the steps to configure your server's memory and provide an orderable parts list. Second, the DDR-3 Memory for Dummies booklet provides information and tips about populating the system memory of ProLiant G6 servers. Smart Array technology Smart Array controllers The latest Smart Array controllers, introduced in January 2009, are capable of boosting the I/O performance of ProLiant G6 servers up to 200% over the previous generation of servers. The new modular design is the industry's first to scale from entry RAID solutions for small and medium businesses, to high end RAID functionality for larger enterprises, all through the simple addition of hardware and software expansion options. The latest Smart Array controllers have 3Gb SATA capability. Some ProLiant G6 servers support 6Gb SAS today, and the remaining G6 servers will support 6Gb SAS when a firmware upgrade becomes available in mid-2009. Other Smart Array controller features include SATA native command queuing, improved battery life, and the HP Smart Array Advanced Pack. SATA native command queuing SATA native command queuing (NCQ) enables 3.0-Gb/s SATA hard drives to queue and rearrange the order of multiple data requests to maximize throughput without any assistance from the CPU. NCQ is available across the entire line of the latest Smart Array controllers. Improved battery life The battery life for battery-backed write cache has been improved so that a single battery can last up to two days. Previously, two days of battery life required two batteries. HP Smart Array Advanced Pack The Smart Array Advanced Pack (SAAP) provides additional and enhanced features that can be initiated on-demand with a software key from HP. Release 1 of SAAP includes several features: • RAID 6 - protects against the simultaneous failure of two drives in an array without downtime or data loss • RAID 60 - provides enhanced protection for JBODs (just a bunch of disks) • Advanced Capacity Expansion (ACE) - allows you to transfer the contents of a disk array to a second set of physical drives in order to upgrade the capacity or speed of the drives. ACE also allows you to shrink the size of the array (remove excess drives) after its capacity has been expanded. • Secure Drive Erase - securely erases the contents of hard drives or logical units without running a "shredder" utility on the host computer HP SAS Expander Card If you need to create or expand a RAID array across more than eight internal drives, the HP SAS Expander Card is ideal. It allows you to expand or create a RAID array of up to three drive cages, each containing eight drive bays. Without the HP SAS Expander Card, each drive cage requires a separate Smart Array controller, and each controller can drive a single RAID array of eight drives. The HP SAS Expander Card attaches to a Smart Array P410 or P410i (internal) controller through two mini SAS ports. It also has a mini SAS 4x (external) port to connect to a SAS tape device. 5