LSI Corporation
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6Gb/s MegaRAID SAS RAID Controllers User Guide
August 2012
Chapter 1: Overview
Overview
Chapter 1: Overview
This document is the primary reference and user’s guide for the LSI® MegaRAID® SATA+SAS RAID controllers based on
the 6Gb/s SAS/SATA RAID on a chip devices. This document contains complete installation instructions for these RAID
controllers and includes specifications for them.
1.1 Overview
The 6Gb/s MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controllers are high-performance intelligent PCI Express®-to-SATA+SAS
controllers with RAID control capability. The 6Gb/s MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controllers provide reliability,
high-performance, and fault-tolerant drive subsystem management. They are an ideal RAID solution for the internal
storage of workgroup, departmental, and enterprise systems.The 6Gb/s MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controllers offer a
cost-effective way to implement RAID in a server.
SAS technology brings a wealth of options and flexibility with the use of SAS and SATA devices within the same
storage infrastructure. However, SAS devices and SATA devices bring individual characteristics that make each one a
more suitable choice depending on your storage needs. MegaRAID gives you the flexibility to combine these two
similar technologies on the same controller, within the same enclosure, and in the same virtual drive.
LSI offers a family of MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controllers that address the needs for both internal and external
solutions. The 6Gb/s MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controllers are based on the LSI first-to-market SAS IC technology and
proven MegaRAID technology. As second-generation PCI Express RAID controllers, these controllers address the
growing demand for increased data throughput and scalability requirements across midrange and enterprise-class
server platforms. These controllers provide these features:
6.0 Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) performance
6.0 Gb/s SATA III performance
Eight-lane, 5 GT/s (4Gb/s) PCI Express host interface
1.1.1 MegaRAID SATA+SAS Controllers with Disk Encryption Support
The MegaRAID SAS 9260DE-8i RAID controller and the MegaRAID SAS 9280DE-8i RAID controller offer data security
using disk encryption. This feature offers the ability to encrypt data on drives and use disk-based key management to
provide data security. This solution provides data protection in the event of theft or loss of physical drives. With
self-encrypting drives, if you remove a drive from its storage system or the server in which it is housed, the data
on that drive is encrypted and is useless to anyone who attempts to access without the appropriate
security authorization.
For more information about self-encrypting drives, refer to the MegaRAID SAS Software User Guide on the MegaRAID
Universal Software Suite CD.
NOTE Carefully assess any decision to mix SAS drives and SATA drives within the same virtual drive. Although
you can mix drives, the practice is strongly discouraged.
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