HP ProLiant DL280 Technology implementation in HP ProLiant G6 Intel-based serv - Page 5

HP Smart Array technologies, SATA native command queuing, Improved battery life

Page 5 highlights

HP Smart Array technologies The HP Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)-2 Smart Array controllers boost I/O performance to 6Gb/s in ProLiant G6 servers compared to 3Gb/s for SAS-1 controllers. The SAS-2 controllers-Smart Array P410i, P410, P411, P212, and P712-provide administrators with configuration, management, and diagnostic tools for direct attach and storage area network (SAN) requirements. SAS expander devices offer higher system performance by expanding the number of disk drives that can be attached to an HP Smart Array controller. Other Smart Array controller features include SATA native command queuing, improved battery life, and the HP Smart Array Advanced Pack. For a compatibility matrix and an up-to-date listing of HP Smart Array controllers that support the SAS-2 specification, go to www.hp.com/products/smartarray. SATA native command queuing Native Command Queuing (NCQ) increases SATA HDD performance by internally prioritizing read/write command execution without assistance from the CPU. This reduces unnecessary drive head movement which results in increased performance, especially in server or storage applications where multiple simultaneous read/write requests are common. Improved battery life Battery-backed write cache life has been improved so that a single battery can last up to two days. Previously, two days of battery life required two batteries. Flash-backed write-cache HP implemented a flash-backed write-cache (FBWC) system to protect against data loss beyond the 48-hour battery life limitation of write caches with battery backup. During a power loss, the FBWC uses power provided by super-capacitors (Super-caps) to write cache data to NAND1 flash devices. On the next system power up, the FBWC posts the data to the disk drive. HP Smart Array Advanced Pack Release 1 of the Smart Array Advanced Pack (SAAP) provides additional functionality that you can initiate on-demand with a software key from HP:  RAID 6 - protects against the simultaneous failure of two drives in an array without downtime or data loss  RAID 60 (RAID 6+0) - uses RAID 0 block-level striping across multiple RAID 6 arrays with dual distributed parity, which splits the RAID storage across multiple external boxes  Advanced Capacity Expansion (ACE) - allows the contents of a disk array to be transferred to a second set of physical drives in order to upgrade the capacity or speed of the drives. ACE can also help shrink the size of the array (remove excess drives) after its capacity has been expanded.  Erase Drive - securely erases the contents of hard drives or logical units without running a "shredder" utility on the host computer HP Thermal Logic technologies HP Thermal Logic technologies (Dynamic Power Capping, thermal sensors, and common slot power supplies) implemented in ProLiant G6 servers can double the power efficiency of the previous generation of ProLiant servers. 1 Non-volatile semiconductor memory that can be electronically erased and reprogrammed. No power is needed to maintain data stored in the chip 5

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HP Smart Array technologies
The HP Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)-2 Smart Array controllers boost I/O performance to 6Gb/s in
ProLiant G6 servers compared to 3Gb/s for SAS-1 controllers. The SAS-2 controllers—Smart Array
P410i, P410, P411, P212, and P712—provide administrators with configuration, management, and
diagnostic tools for direct attach and storage area network (SAN) requirements. SAS expander
devices offer higher system performance by expanding the number of disk drives that can be attached
to an HP Smart Array controller. Other Smart Array controller features include SATA native command
queuing, improved battery life, and the HP Smart Array Advanced Pack. For a compatibility matrix
and an up-to-date listing of HP Smart Array controllers that support the SAS-2 specification, go to
www.hp.com/products/smartarray
.
SATA native command queuing
Native Command Queuing (NCQ) increases SATA HDD performance by internally prioritizing
read/write command execution without assistance from the CPU. This reduces unnecessary drive
head movement which results in increased performance, especially in server or storage applications
where multiple simultaneous read/write requests are common.
Improved battery life
Battery-backed write cache life has been improved so that a single battery can last up to two days.
Previously, two days of battery life required two batteries.
Flash-backed write-cache
HP implemented a flash-backed write-cache (FBWC) system to protect against data loss beyond the
48-hour battery life limitation of write caches with battery backup. During a power loss, the FBWC
uses power provided by super-capacitors (Super-caps) to write cache data to NAND
1
flash devices.
On the next system power up, the FBWC posts the data to the disk drive.
HP Smart Array Advanced Pack
Release 1 of the Smart Array Advanced Pack (SAAP) provides additional functionality that you can
initiate on-demand with a software key from HP:
RAID 6 – protects against the simultaneous failure of two drives in an array without downtime or
data loss
RAID 60 (RAID 6+0) – uses RAID 0 block-level striping across multiple RAID 6 arrays with dual
distributed parity, which splits the RAID storage across multiple external boxes
Advanced Capacity Expansion (ACE) – allows the contents of a disk array to be transferred to a
second set of physical drives in order to upgrade the capacity or speed of the drives. ACE can also
help shrink the size of the array (remove excess drives) after its capacity has been expanded.
Erase Drive – securely erases the contents of hard drives or logical units without running a
“shredder” utility on the host computer
HP Thermal Logic technologies
HP Thermal Logic technologies (Dynamic Power Capping, thermal sensors, and common slot power
supplies) implemented in ProLiant G6 servers can double the power efficiency of the previous
generation of ProLiant servers.
1
Non-volatile semiconductor memory that can be electronically erased and reprogrammed. No power is needed to maintain data stored in the
chip
5