ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller for Flex System

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller is a high-performance offering for Flex System™ compute nodes. It enables a high-performance RAID solution composed of combinations of SAS or SATA drives or high-throughput solid-state drives (SSDs). The offering is designed around a base RAID adapter with a set of upgrades that are rich with features, designed to minimize parts-on-the-floor, optimized for storage performance, and consistent with existing industry-leading ServeRAID products.

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller for Flex System is capable of delivering several focused solutions depending on business needs, offering two-drive HDD connectivity or support for up to eight 1.8-inch SSDs or combinations of HDDs and SSDs. Software upgrades include SSD performance features or an extra layer of redundancy with RAID 6. These solutions are realized by pairing M5115 with one or more available hardware kits and Lenovo Features-on-Demand (FoD) license upgrades.

The following figure shows the ServeRAID M5115 controller.

Figure 1. ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA controller is optimized for high-performance, internal data storage that integrates a dual-core chip architecture, DDR3 1333 MHz cache memory, and PCIe 3.0 host interface. Upgrade features, such as support for RAID 6/60, performance optimization, and caching with SSDs, no longer require a hardware key, as they are implemented through FoD software licenses.

The following table provides the ordering part numbers and feature codes.

Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes

* Not supported in x240 Compute Nodes with Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors

The ServeRAID M5115 controller has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• PCI Express 3.0 x8 host interface
• 6 Gbps throughput per port
• 800 MHz dual-core IBM PowerPC® processor with LSI SAS2208 6 Gbps RAID on Chip (ROC) controller
• Onboard 1 GB data cache (DDR3 running at 1333 MHz)
• Support for RAID levels 0, 1, 10, 5, 50 standard; support for RAID 6 and 60 with optional upgrade using 90Y4411
• Optional flash backup (MegaRAID CacheVault technology) as part of the Enablement Kit 90Y4342
• Support for SAS and SATA HDDs and SSDs
• Support for intermixing SAS and SATA HDDs and SSDs; mixing different types of drives in the same array (drive group) is not recommended
• Support for self-encrypting drives (SEDs) with MegaRAID SafeStore
• Optional support for SSD performance acceleration with MegaRAID FastPath and SSD caching with MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0 (90Y4447)
• Support for up to 64 virtual drives, up to 128 drive groups, up to 16 virtual drives per one drive group, and up to 32 physical drives per one drive group
• Support for logical unit number (LUN) sizes up to 64 TB
• Configurable stripe size up to 1 MB
• Compliant with Disk Data Format (DDF) configuration on disk (COD)
• S.M.A.R.T. support
• MegaRAID Storage Manager management software

Optional add-ons to the ServeRAID M5115 controller are RAID 6 support, SSD performance accelerator, and SSD caching enabler. The feature upgrades are as listed in the following table. These are all FoD activations.

Table 2. Supported upgrade features

These features are described as follows:

• RAID 6 Upgrade (90Y4410)

  Adds support for RAID 6 and RAID 60. This is a Feature on Demand license.

• Performance Upgrade (90Y4412)

  The Performance Upgrade for Flex System (implemented using the LSI MegaRAID FastPath software) provides high-performance I/O acceleration for SSD-based virtual drives by using an extremely low-latency I/O path to increase the maximum I/O per second (IOPS) capability of the controller. This feature boosts the performance of applications with a highly random data storage access pattern, such as transactional databases. Part number 90Y4412 is a Feature on Demand license.

• SSD Caching Enabler for traditional hard drives (90Y4447)

  The SSD Caching Enabler for Flex System (implemented using the LSI MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0) is designed to accelerate the performance of hard disk drive (HDD) arrays with only an incremental investment in solid-state drive (SSD) technology. The feature enables the SSDs to be configured as a dedicated cache to help maximize the I/O performance for transaction-intensive applications, such as databases and web serving. The feature tracks data storage access patterns and identifies the most frequently accessed data. The hot data is then automatically stored on the SSDs that are assigned as a dedicated cache pool on the ServeRAID controller. Part number 90Y4447 is a Feature on Demand license. This feature requires at least one SSD drive be installed.

  Note: Not all SSDs support the SSD Caching Enabler (CacheCade) feature. See https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/MIGR-5094754 for details. Supported SSDs are listed in Table 5 and Table 7.

The following table lists the Flex System compute nodes that support the ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller.

Table 3. Supported servers

Description	Part number
ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller	90Y4390	Y	N	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	N

See ServerProven® at the following web address for the latest information about the expansion cards that are supported by each blade server type:
http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/serverproven/flexsystem.shtml

With the ServeRAID M5115, the compute node can support contain up to eight 1.8-inch solid-state drives. The M5115 attaches to the I/O adapter 1 connector and can be attached even if the Compute Node Fabric Connector is installed (used to route the embedded Ethernet controller to chassis bays 1 and 2). The ServeRAID M5115 cannot be installed if an adapter is installed in I/O adapter slot 1.

The following figure shows where the ServeRAID M5115 is installed in an Flex System compute node (x240 is shown as an example).

Figure 2. ServeRAID M5115 installed in the x240 Compute Node

The ServeRAID M5115 supports combinations of 2.5-inch drives and 1.8-inch solid state drives:

• Up to two 2.5-inch drives only
• Up to four 1.8-inch drives only
• Up to two 2.5-inch drives, plus up to four 1.8-inch solid state drives
• Up to eight 1.8-inch solid state drives

The ServeRAID M5115 provides an advanced RAID controller supporting RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, and, optionally, 6 and 60. It includes 1 GB of cache, which can be backed up to flash memory when attached to the supercapacitor included with the optional ServeRAID M5100 Series Enablement Kit (90Y4342).

At least one hardware kit is required with the ServeRAID M5115 controller, and there are three hardware kits that are supported that enable specific drive support:

• ServeRAID M5100 Series Enablement Kit for Flex System x240 (90Y4342) or Flex System x220 (90Y4424) or Flex System x440 (46C9030) enables support for up to two 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs in the hot-swap bays in the front of the server. It includes a CacheVault unit, which enables MegaRAID CacheVault flash cache protection. This enablement kit replaces the standard two-bay backplane (which is attached through the planar to an onboard controller) with a new backplane that attaches to an included flex cable to the M5115 controller. It also includes an air baffle, which also serves as an attachment for the CacheVault unit.

  MegaRAID CacheVault flash cache protection uses NAND flash memory powered by a supercapacitor to protect data stored in the controller cache. This module eliminates the need for a lithium-ion battery commonly used to protect DRAM cache memory on PCI RAID controllers. To avoid the possibility of data loss or corruption during a power or server failure, CacheVault technology transfers the contents of the DRAM cache to NAND flash memory using power from the supercapacitor. After the power is restored to the RAID controller, the saved data is transferred from the NAND flash back to the DRAM cache, which can then be flushed to disk.

  Tip: The Enablement Kit is only required if 2.5-inch drives are used. If you plan to install four or eight 1.8-inch SSDs only, then this kit is not required.

• ServeRAID M5100 Series Flex System Flash Kit for x240 (90Y4341, 47C8808) or Flex System x220 (90Y4425) or Flex System x440 (46C9031, 47C8809) enables support for up to four 1.8-inch SSDs. This kit replaces the standard two-bay backplane with a four-bay SSD backplane that attaches to an included flex cable to the M5115 controller. Because only SSDs are supported, a CacheVault unit is not required, and therefore this kit does not have a supercap.

  The v2 Flash Kits (47C8808 for x240, 47C8809 for x440) provide support for the latest high-performance SSDs that the older Flash Kits (90Y4341 for x240, 46C9031 for x440) do not support.

• ServeRAID M5100 Series SSD Expansion Kit for Flex System x240 (90Y4391) or Flex System x220 (90Y4426) or Flex System x440 (46C9032) enables support for up to four internal 1.8-inch SSDs. This kit includes two air baffles which can attach two 1.8-inch SSD attachment locations and Flex cables for attachment to up to four 1.8-inch SSDs.

The following table shows the kits required for each combination of drives. For example, if you plan to install eight 1.8-inch SSDs, then you need the M5115 controller, the Flash kit, and the SSD Expansion kit.

Table 4. ServeRAID M5115 hardware kits

The following figure shows how the ServeRAID M5115 and the Enablement Kit are installed in the x240 to support two 2.5-inch drives with MegaRAID CacheVault flash cache protection (row 1 of the preceding table). The configuration is the same for the x220.

Figure 3. The ServeRAID M5115 and the Enablement Kit installed (x240)

The following figure shows how the ServeRAID M5115 and Flash and SSD Expansion Kits are installed in the x240 to support eight 1.8-inch solid-state drives (row 4 of the preceding table). The configuration is the same for the x220.

Figure 4. ServeRAID M5115 with Flash Kit and SSD Expansion Kits installed (x240)

The eight SSDs are installed in the following locations:

• Four in the front of the system in place of the two 2.5-inch drive bays
• Two in a tray above one the memory banks for processor 1
• Two in a tray above one the memory banks for processor 2

The following figure shows how the ServeRAID M5115 and Flash and SSD Expansion Kits are installed in the x440 to support eight 1.8-inch solid-state drives.

Figure 5. ServeRAID M5115 with Flash and SSD Expansion Kits installed (x440)

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller for Flex System part number includes the following items:

• ServeRAID M5115 controller
• Documentation package

The ServeRAID M5100 Series Enablement Kit part number (90Y4342 or 90Y4424 or 46C9030) includes the following items:

• Air baffle to replace the standard air baffle (over the memory DIMMs) to hold the Power Module
• 2.5-inch backplane for the installation of up to two 2.5-inch SAS HDDs, SATA HDDs, or SSDs
• Power Module
• Power Module cable
• Flex cable
• Documentation package

The ServeRAID M5100 Series Flex System Flash Kit part number includes the following items:

• 1.8-inch backplane for the installation of up to four SSDs
• Flex cable
• Drive caddies for four SSDs
• Bezel
• Documentation package

The ServeRAID M5100 Series SSD Expansion Kit part number (90Y4391 or 90Y4426 or 46C9032) includes the following items:

• Two air baffles where up to four SSDs are mounted
• Flex cable
• Documentation package

The following part numbers come in form of a flyer with the M5100 Series upgrade activation key and instructions:

• ServeRAID M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade for Flex System (90Y4410)
• ServeRAID M5100 Series Performance Upgrade for Flex System (90Y4412)
• ServeRAID M5100 Series SSD Caching Enabler for Flex System (90Y4447)

The 1.8-inch solid-state drives supported with the Flash Kit and SSD Expansion Kit are listed in the following table. The table also lists if the drives support SSD Caching Enabler (CacheCade), part number 90Y4447.

Table 5. Supported 1.8-inch solid-state drives

* Requires ServeRAID M5100 Series Flex System Flash Kit v2 for x240 (47C8808). Flash Kit 90Y4341 is not supported.
** Requires ServeRAID M5100 Series Flex System Flash Kit v2 for x440 (47C8809). Flash Kit 46C9031 is not supported.

The 2.5-inch drive bays in the Enablement Kit (90Y4342 or 90Y4424 or 46C9030) support SAS or SATA hard disk drives (HDDs) or SATA solid state drives (SSDs). The following table lists the supported 2.5-inch HDD options.

* Supports self-encrypting drive (SED) technology. For more information, see Self-Encrypting Drives for System x at http://lenovopress.com/tips0761.

The following table lists the supported 2.5-inch SSD options. The table also lists if the drives support SSD Caching Enabler (CacheCade), part number 90Y4447.

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller support the following operating systems:

• 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 Server 2012
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• 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
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
• VMware ESX 4.1
• VMware ESXi 4.1
• VMware vSphere 5.0 (ESXi)
• VMware vSphere 5.1 (ESXi)
• VMware vSphere 5.5 (ESXi)

See the Operating System Interoperability Guide for the latest information about the specific versions and service levels supported and any other prerequisites:
http://lenovopress.com/osig

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller has the following physical specifications:

Dimensions (approximate):

• Height: 38 mm (1.5 in.)
• Width: 96 mm (3.75 in.)
• Depth: 120 mm (4.75 in.)
• Weight: 142 g (0.36 lb)

Shipping dimensions (approximate):

• Height: 128 mm (5.0 in.)
• Width: 128 mm (5.0 in.)
• Depth: 128 mm (5.0 in.)
• Weight: 908 g (2.0 lb)

The ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller is supported in the following environment:

• Temperature:
  • 10 - 35 degrees C (50 - 95 F) at 0 - 914 m (0 - 3,000 ft.)
  • 10 - 32 degrees C (50 - 90 F) at 914 - 2,133 m (3,000 - 7,000 ft.)
• Relative humidity: 20% - 80% (noncondensing)
• Maximum altitude: 2,133 m (7,000 ft.)

The adapter has a 1-year limited warranty. When installed on an Flex System Compute Node, the adapter assumes the system’s base warranty and any warranty upgrades.

The adapter conforms to the following standards:

• EN55022
• EN55024
• EN60950 / CE
• EN 61000-3-2
• EN 61000-3-3
• IEC 950 CB Scheme
• FCC Part 15 Class A, and Class B
• UL 1950
• CSA C22.2 950-95
• VCCI
• NZ AS3548 / C-tick
• RRL for MIC (KCC)
• BSMI
• UL 94-/V

For more information, see the following documents:

• Flex System Information Center (User's Guides for servers and options)
  http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/flexsys/information
• Flex System Interoperability Guide
  http://lenovopress.com/fsig
• Flex System Products and Technology by Lenovo, SG24-8255
  http://lenovopress.com/sg248255
• System x and Cluster Solutions configurator (x-config)
  https://lesc.lenovo.com/products/hardware/configurator/worldwide/bhui/asit/
• ServeRAID software matrix:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=SERV-RAID
• ServerProven for Flex System
  http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/serverproven/flexsystem.shtml