HP 869081-B21 Smart Array P408I-A Sr Gen10 - Storage Controller (Raid) With Low Profile Heatsink - 8 Channel - Sata 6Gb/S / Sas 12Gb/S - 12 Gbit/S - Raid 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, 1 Adm, 10 Adm - Pcie

The HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10 (869081-B21) is an 8-lane RAID controller for compatible HPE Gen10 servers, suited to IT teams configuring internal SAS or SATA storage with RAID levels including 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.

Recommended For

• IT teams adding internal SAS or SATA hardware RAID to a compatible HPE ProLiant Gen10 server, where the P408i-a is supported as a modular controller.
• Server administrators configuring internal drive arrays who need HPE Smart Array RAID levels such as RAID 5, 6, 10, 50, or 60, rather than a basic onboard storage controller.
• Operators connecting several internal SAS or SATA drives who can use the controller’s eight internal SAS lanes and two Mini-SAS ports, with additional drive expansion where the server’s storage setup supports it.
• HPE server administrators who want flash-backed write cache for RAID workloads and can provide the required compatible Smart Storage battery or hybrid capacitor.

Real-World Use Scenarios

• In an HPE ProLiant Gen10 server, an administrator combines internal SAS or SATA drives into a RAID volume for shared application or file storage; the selected RAID level determines the balance between usable capacity and drive-failure protection.
• For a database or other write-heavy server workload, the controller’s flash-backed write cache can help reduce write latency and preserve cached data during power loss, subject to the required server setup and cache configuration.
• When a server needs both managed RAID volumes and drives presented in HBA mode, an administrator can use Mixed Mode to handle both through the same controller rather than adding a separate controller.
• In a storage system with many SSDs and repeated reads, HPE SSD Smart Path can provide a faster I/O path between the controller and SSDs; the actual benefit depends on the drives and workload.
• For a capacity-focused HDD array with a smaller set of frequently accessed data, an administrator can use the optional SmartCache feature to cache hot data on SSDs; this requires the applicable license.
• During server deployment or maintenance, an administrator can create and manage logical drives using HPE Smart Storage Administrator or the server’s UEFI storage configuration tools, rather than configuring arrays from the operating system.

Spec Summary