IBM ServeRAID M1215 SAS User manual

®
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
for IBM System x
User’s Guide
Part Number: 00FH243

First Edition (May 2014)
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2014.
US Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP
Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety
Safety
Bu ürünü kurmadan önce güvenlik bilgilerini okuyun.
Youq mwngz yungh canjbinj neix gaxgonq, itdingh aeu doeg aen
canjbinj soengq cungj vahgangj ancien siusik.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety
Statement 28:
CAUTION:
The battery is a lithium ion battery. To avoid possible explosion, do not burn the
battery. Exchange it only with the approved part. Recycle or discard the battery
as instructed by local regulations.

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Table of Contents
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.1 ServeRAID M1215 Controller Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
1.1.1 Controller Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2 Integrated MegaRAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
1.2.1 Summary of RAID Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Configuration Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
1.3.1 Number of Physical Disks Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.4 Benefits of the SAS Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
1.4.1 PCI Express Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.4.2 Operating System Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.5 Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
1.5.1 SAS Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5.2 SAS Array Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5.3 SATA III Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5.4 PCI Express Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5.5 Usability Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5.6 Flexibility Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.5.7 Protection Information (T10-DIF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.5.8 Drive Roaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.5.9 Drive Migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.5.10 New Drives Attached to a ServeRAID Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.5.11 Automatic Rebuilds on New Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.5.12 System (JBOD) Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.6 Hardware Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
1.7 Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Chapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.1 Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
2.2 Hardware installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
2.3 Connecting a ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller to a Drive Backplane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
2.4 After Installing the Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Chapter 3: ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.1 Board Layout and Connector Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
3.2 Characteristics of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
3.2.1 Controller Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.2.2 Array Performance Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.2.3 Fault Tolerance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.2.4 Power Supply Requirements for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.2.5 Operating and Non-operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.2.6 Safety Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Appendix A: Getting Help and Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
A.1 Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
A.2 Using the Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
A.3 Getting Help and Information from the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
A.4 Software Service and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
A.5 Hardware Service and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Table of Contents
A.6 IBM Taiwan Product Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Appendix B: Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
B.1 Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
B.2 Important Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
B.3 Documentation Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
B.4 Electronic Emission Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
ServeRAID M1215 Controller Description
Chapter 1: Overview
1.1 ServeRAID M1215 Controller Description
The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller is a PCI Express 3.0, low-profile, low-height RAID controller based on the
LSISAS3008 PCI Express-SAS/SATA I/O Processor chip.
The controller brings 12.0 Gb/s SAS and 6.0 Gb/s SATA performance to host controller, workstation, and server designs.
The controller supports internal storage devices, which allows you to use a system that supports enterprise-class SAS
drives, and desktop-class SATA drives. The controller can connect to drives directly. Simplified cabling between
devices is an additional benefit.
The controller supports eight internal SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8643 4i internal mini-SAS HD connectors. The
controller integrates eight high-performance SAS/SATA PHYs and a PCI Express bus master DMA core. Each of the
eight PHYs is capable of 12.0 Gb/s SAS link rates and 6.0 Gb/s SATA III link rates.
The LSISAS3008 device increases system performance and provides fault-tolerant data storage. The LSISAS3008 ROC
device supports data striping across multiple disks, which reduces disk access time because multiple disks
simultaneously read or write data. In addition, the device backs up data with either data mirroring or a parity block.
Either backup method enables you to recover lost data in the event of a disk failure. You can select the data backup
method that best suits your needs.
The controller supports the SAS protocol as described in the Serial Attached SCSI Standard, version 3.0, and the SATA III
protocol defined by the Serial ATA Revision 3.0 Specification.
Each port on the controller supports SAS devices and/or SATA devices using the following:
SAS Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP), which enables communication with other SAS devices
SATA, which enables communication with other SATA devices
Serial Management Protocol (SMP), which communicates topology management information directly with an
attached SAS expander device
Serial Tunneling Protocol (STP), which enables communication with a SATA device through an attached expander
1.1.1 Controller Guidelines
Before you install the controller, read the following guidelines:
You can connect only one device per SAS PHY unless you use an expander
Cables have to meet the SAS specification
You cannot mix SAS drives and SATA drives in the same virtual drive
You cannot mix SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs) or SATA SSDs and existing mechanical drives (SAS or SATA) in the
same virtual drive
You cannot mix Solid State SAS drives and Solid State SATA drives in the same virtual drive
See Section 3.2.4, “Power Supply Requirements for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller” for information about
the power requirements, and Section 3.2.5, “Operating and Non-operating Conditions”for information about the
minimum and the maximum temperature ranges.
NOTE You cannot mix SAS drives and SATA drives within the same virtual drive.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Integrated MegaRAID
1.2 Integrated MegaRAID
The ServeRAID M1215 controller runs in integrated MegaRAID (iMR) mode natively. iMR technology is a highly
integrated, low-cost RAID solution made possible by Fusion-MPT architecture. iMR mode is a processor-based,
hardware RAID solution designed for system environments requiring redundancy and high availability where a
full-featured RAID implementation is not required or might be cost prohibitive.
The major advantage of iMR is that it provides RAID at the processor level, so it does not burden the CPU, which allows
for more efficient operation. iMR mode is native to the ServeRAID M1215 controller and does not require a
transportable memory module.
iMR mode supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50. iMR mode supports 64k stripe size only.
1.2.1 Summary of RAID Levels
RAID levels describe a system for ensuring the availability and redundancy of data stored on large disk subsystems.
Table 1 describes the RAID levels supported by the ServeRAID M1215 controller.
Table 1 Summary of RAID Levels
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on Demand upgrade.
NOTE Refer to the ServeRAID-M Software User’s Guide for more information about RAID levels.
Raid Level Description Comments
0 RAID 0 uses striping to provide high data throughput RAID 0 is well suited for large files in an environment
that does not require fault tolerance.
1 RAID 1 uses mirroring so that data written to one drive
is simultaneously written to another drive.
RAID 1 is good for small databases or other applica-
tions that require small capacity but complete data
redundancy.
5 RAID 5 uses disk striping and parity data across all
drives (distributed parity) to provide high data
throughput, especially for small random access.
RAID 5 is best suited for networks that perform a lot of
small input/output (I/O) transactions simultaneously.
NOTE RAID 5 requires purchase of the Feature on
Demand upgrade.
10 RAID 10, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, consists
of striped data across mirrored spans. A RAID 10 drive
group is a spanned drive group that creates a striped
set from a series of mirrored drives.
RAID 10 allows a maximum of eight spans. You must
use an even number of drives, and the total number of
drives must be divisible by 4 in each RAID 10 drive
group in the span. The RAID 1 virtual drives must have
the same stripe size. RAID 10 provides high data
throughput and complete data redundancy but uses a
larger number of spans.
50 RAID 50, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 5, uses dis-
tributed parity and disk striping. A RAID 50 drive group
is a spanned drive group in which data is striped
across multiple RAID 5 drive groups.
RAID 50 works best with data that requires high reli-
ability, high request rates, high data transfers, and
medium-to-large capacity.
NOTE RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on
Demand upgrade.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Configuration Scenarios
1.3 Configuration Scenarios
There are two main scenarios in which you can use this ServeRAID controller:
Low-end, internal SATA configuration: In this configuration, use the ServeRAID controller as a high-end SATA
compatible controller that connects to several SATA disks. This type of configuration is mostly for low-end or entry
level servers. Enclosure management is provided through out-of-band I2C bus. Side bands of both types of
internal SAS connectors support the SFF-8485 and SFF-8448 (SGPIO) interface.
Midrange, internal SAS configuration: This configuration is like the internal SATA configuration, but with high-end
disks. This type of configuration is more suitable for low-range to midrange servers.
The following figure shows a direct-connect configuration. The Inter-IC (I2C) interface communicates with peripherals.
The external memory bus provides a 16-bit memory bus, parity checking, and chip select signals for pipelined
synchronous burst static random access memory (PSBRAM), nonvolatile static random access memory (NVSRAM), and
Flash ROM.
Figure 1 Example of a SAS Direct Connect Application
NOTE MegaRAID does not allow virtual drives of different RAID levels, such as RAID 0 and RAID 5, in the same
array. For example, if an existing RAID 5 virtual drive is created out of partial space in an array, the next virtual
drive in the array has to be RAID 5 only.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Configuration Scenarios
The following figure shows an example of a ServeRAID controller configured with an expander that is connected to
SAS disks, SATA disks, or both.
Figure 2 Example of a ServeRAID Controller Configured with an Expander
1.3.1 Number of Physical Disks Supported
Your configuration planning for your ServeRAID controller depends in part on the number of physical disks that you
want to use in a RAID array. The number of drives in an array determines the RAID levels that can be supported by this
controller. Only one RAID level can be assigned to each virtual disk. Table 2 shows the minimum number and the
maximum number of drives required for each RAID level.
Table 2 Physical Devices Required for each RAID Level
Raid Level Minimum # of
Physical Devices
Maximum # of
Physical Devices
0132
122
5332
10 4 32
50 6 32
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the SAS Interface
1.4 Benefits of the SAS Interface
SAS is a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device interface that leverages the proven SCSI protocol set. SAS
combines the advantages of SATA, SCSI, and Fibre Channel, and is the future mainstay of the enterprise and high-end
workstation storage markets. SAS offers a higher bandwidth per pin than parallel SCSI, and it improves signal and data
integrity.
The SAS interface uses the proven SCSI command set to ensure reliable data transfers, while providing the
connectivity and flexibility of point-to-point serial data transfers. The serial transmission of SCSI commands eliminates
clock-skew challenges. The SAS interface provides improved performance, simplified cabling, smaller connectors,
lower pin count, and lower power requirements when compared to parallel SCSI.
The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller leverages a common electrical and physical connection interface that is
compatible with Serial ATA technology. The SAS protocols and SATA protocols use a thin, 7-wire connector instead of
the 68-wire SCSI cable or 26-wire ATA cable. The SAS/SATA III connector and cable are easier to manipulate, allow
connections to smaller devices, and do not inhibit airflow. The point-to-point SATA III architecture eliminates inherent
difficulties created by the legacy ATA master-slave architecture, while maintaining compatibility with existing ATA
firmware.
1.4.1 PCI Express Architecture
PCI Express is a local bus system designed to increase data transfers without slowing down the central processing unit
(CPU). You can install your ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller in PCI Express computer systems with a standard
bracket type. With this controller in your system, you can connect SCSI devices and SATA devices over the bus.
PCI Express goes beyond the PCI specification in that it is intended as a unifying I/O architecture for various systems:
desktops, workstations, mobile, server, communications, and embedded devices.
1.4.2 Operating System Support
To check for the latest list of supported operating systems and to download the device drivers for those operating
systems, see http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.
The ServeRAID M1215 controller uses Fusion-MPT architecture for all major operating systems, thinner device drivers,
and better performance.
1.5 Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
This section provides a summary of the features and the benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller. It
contains information on SAS features, SATA features, PCI performance, integration, usability, and flexibility.
The controller offers the following features:
PCI Express x8 lane width
PCI Express performance up to 8 GT/s (1 GB/s) per lane
Two internal connectors
Support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50
Advanced array configuration and management utilities
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on Demand upgrade.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Online RAID level migration
Drive migration
Drive roaming
Media scan
No reboot necessary after expansion
More than 200 Qtags per array
User-specified rebuild rate
32-Kbyte nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) for storing RAID system configuration information; the
iMR firmware is stored in flash ROM for easy upgrade.
1.5.1 SAS Features
The following list describes the SAS features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Provides eight fully independent PHYs
Supports 12.0 Gb/s SAS data transfers per PHY
Supports SSP to enable communication with other SAS devices
Supports SMP to communicate topology management information
Provides a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level storage interface
Simplifies cabling between devices
Supports wide ports consisting of 2, 3, or 4 PHYs within a single quad port
Supports narrow ports consisting of a single PHY
Transfers data using SCSI information units
1.5.2 SAS Array Limitations
This section describes the array limitations of the controller. These include limitations such as the number of physical
disks supported, the maximum number of disks per controller, and the maximum number of virtual disks allowed per
controller.
Table 3 lists the array limitations for the ServeRAID M1215 controller.
Table 3 ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Array Limitations
Specification ServeRAID M51215
SAS/SATA Controller
Maximum virtual disks per controller 32
Maximum arrays per controller 32
Maximum virtual disks per array 16
Maximum physical devices per array 32
Maximum physical devices per controller 64
NOTE This controller can
support up to 64 devices, but
only 32 devices can be used in
a RAID configuration.
Maximum hot spares per controller 32
Maximum spans per virtual disk 8
Maximum Ports 2

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
The controller supports 64-bit logical block addressing (LBA), which makes it possible to connect a large number of
drives to the RAID controller, directly and through expanders. However, the actual number of drives that you can
attach depends on the limits listed in Table 2 rather than by the actual RAID volume capacity.
The maximum drive numbers in Table 3 depend on how many physical devices you have connected to the controller.
For example, the maximum number of arrays per controller is equal to the number of physical disks supported by the
controller up to the limit of 32 arrays per controller. In addition, though you can have up to 16 virtual disks per array,
and up to 32 arrays per controller, the controller supports a limit of 32 virtual disks.
1.5.3 SATA III Features
The following list describes the SATA III features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Supports SATA III data transfers of 6.0 Gb/s
Supports STP data transfers of 3.0 Gb/s
Provides a serial, point-to-point storage interface
Simplifies cabling between devices
Eliminates the master-slave construction used in parallel ATA
Allows addressing of multiple SATA III targets through an expander
Displays activity and fault indicators for each PHY
Supports Port Selector (for dual-port drives)
Each port on the controller supports SAS devices, SATA d e v i c e s , o r b o t h u s i n g S S P, S M P, S T P, a n d S ATA .
Enables the controller to communicate with other SATA devices.
Supports staggered spin-up
Supports hot plug
1.5.4 PCI Express Performance
The following list describes the PCI Express performance features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Provides a PCI Express 3.0 interface that:
—Supports a dedicated PCI Express bus
—Supports x8 lane configuration
—Supports transfer rates of up to 8 GT/s (1 GB/s) per lane
—Complies with the PCI Express Specification, Revision 3.0
Provides unequaled performance through the Fusion-MPT architecture
Provides high throughput and low CPU utilization to offload the host processor
1.5.5 Usability Features
The following list describes the usability features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Simplifies cabling with point-to-point, serial architecture
Supports smaller, thinner cables that do not restrict airflow
Provides drive spin-up sequencing control
Provides up to two LED signals for each PHY to indicate link activity and faults
Provides an I2C interface for enclosure management
Supports the external SAS Sideband signal SFF-8485 and SFF-8448 (SGPIO) standards.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
1.5.6 Flexibility Features
These features increase the flexibility of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Supports a Flash ROM interface, a nonvolatile static RAM (NVSRAM) interface, and a pipelined synchronous burst
SRAM (PSBRAM) interface
Offers a flexible programming interface to tune I/O performance
Allows mixed connections to SAS targets or SATA III targets
Leverages compatible connectors for SAS connections and SATA III connections
Allows grouping of up to four PHYs in a single quad port to form a wide port
Allows programming of the World Wide Name
1.5.7 Protection Information (T10-DIF)
The T10 Technical Committee of the INCITS standardized the basic requirements to implement a data protection
model for end-to-end data protection. This model protects your data within a storage system from various sources of
corruption that historically have gone undetected. Examples of corruption sources include hardware datapath errors
(such as FIFO overruns and underruns), firmware errors (such as arithmetic overflow or incorrect pointer usage), and
external agents overwriting the data in memory.
A fundamental component of the T10 data protection model is the addition of 8 bytes of extra protection information
transferred with each block of user data in the storage system, as shown in the following figure. Although not
specifically named in the T10 standards, this collection of 8 bytes is commonly referred to as the DIF. The DIF contains
three distinct values: a 2-byte logical block guard, a 2-byte logical block application tag, and a 4-byte logical block
reference tag. The T10 specification defines four types of usage models of data protection: Type 0, Type 1, Type 2, and
Type 3 (refer to the most current revision of INCITS T10/1799-D for further information)
Figure 3 T10 Data Integrity Field for MegaRAID Protection Information
1.5.8 Drive Roaming
Drive roaming occurs when the physical disks are changed to different ports on the same controller. When the drives
are placed on different channels, the controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the
drives.
Configuration data is saved in both the NVRAM on the RAID controller and on the drives attached to the controller.
This action maintains the integrity of the data on each drive, even if the drives have changed their target ID.
NOTE In a clustering environment, drive roaming is supported within the same channel only.
NOTE If you move a drive that is being rebuilt, the rebuild operation restarts; it does not resume from where
the rebuild operation stopped.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Perform the following steps to use drive roaming:
1. Turn off the power to the server and all physical disks, enclosures, and system components. Disconnect the power
cords from the system.
2. Remove the server cover by following the instructions in the host system technical documentation.
3. Move the drives to different positions on the backplane to change the targets.
4. Determine the SAS target requirements.
5. Perform a safety check.
6. Make sure that the drives are inserted correctly.
7. Reinstall the server cover.
8. Reconnect the power cords to the system.
9. Turn on the power to the system.
10. The controller then detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the drives.
1.5.9 Drive Migration
Drive migration is the transfer of a set of drives in an existing configuration from one controller to another. The drives
must remain on the same channel and must be reinstalled in the same order as in the original configuration. The
controller to which you migrate the drives cannot have an existing configuration.
Perform the following steps to migrate drives:
1. Make sure that you clear the configuration on the system to which you migrate the drives, to prevent a
configuration data mismatch between the drives and the NVRAM.
2. Turn off the power to the server and all physical disks, enclosures, and system components. Disconnect the power
cords from the systems.
3. Open the host system, following the instructions in the host system technical documentation.
4. Remove the SAS cable connectors from the internal drives that you want to migrate.
5. Make sure that pin 1 on the cable matches pin 1 on the connector.
6. Make sure that the SAS cables conform to all SAS specifications.
7. Remove the physical disks from the first system, and insert them into drive bays on the second system.
8. Connect the SAS cables to the physical disks in the second system.
9. Determine the SAS target requirements.
10. Perform a safety check.
11. Make sure that all of the cables are attached correctly.
12. Make sure that the RAID controller is installed correctly.
13. Reinstall the server cover.
NOTE Only whole virtual disks can be migrated automatically; partial virtual disks can be migrated manually.
NOTE Drive roaming and drive migration cannot be supported at the same time.
NOTE When you migrate drives, move only the disks that make up the virtual disk (not all of the physical disks
in an array), so that you do not have an NVRAM mismatch error (providing a configuration is on the
destination controller). The NVRAM mismatch error appears only if you move all of the drives to the other
controller.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
14. Reconnect the power cords to the system.
15. Turn on the power to the system.
16. The controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the drives.
1.5.10 New Drives Attached to a ServeRAID Controller
In the Integrated RAID mode, when you insert a new drive with valid metadata into a ServeRAID system, the drive
state of the new drive is either foreign or unconfigured bad.
The specific drive state depends on the Maintain PD Fail History setting, and whether the drive had been inserted in
the system before. The Maintain PD Fail History setting, when enabled, maintains the history of all drive failures.
A foreign configuration is a storage configuration that already exists on the new drive that you install in the system.
The configuration utilities allow you to import the foreign configuration to the controller, or to clear the configuration
so you can create a new configuration using the new drive.
1.5.11 Automatic Rebuilds on New Drives
Automatic rebuilds occur when the drive slot status changes. For example, an automatic rebuild occurs when you
insert a new drive or when you remove a drive and a hot spare replaces the removed drive.
1.5.12 System (JBOD) Drives
The iMR mode supports drives in pass-through mode, which are identified as "system" drives. These drives are also
known as JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) drives. When a drive without valid metadata is inserted in a system, if the drive
has a drive state of unconfigured good, it is identified as unconfigured good; otherwise, the drive is marked as a
system drive.
System drives are exposed directly to the operating system. The host system can read data from and write data to the
system drives; however, you cannot use system drives in a RAID configuration.
You can change system drives into unconfigured good drives (you can also change unconfigured good drives into
system drives). When a system drive is changed to an unconfigured good drive, the unconfigured good drive state of
the drive is maintained after reboot, drive removal, or drive insertion.
You can use system drives as bootable drives. iMR supports up to 63 system drives and up to 16 unconfigured good
drives.
NOTE See the ServeRAID-M Software User’s Guide for the procedures used to import a foreign configuration or
change a drive state from unconfigured bad to unconfigured good.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 1: Overview
Hardware Specifications
1.6 Hardware Specifications
You can install your ServeRAID M1215 controller in a computer with a mainboard that has a PCI Express slot. Table 4
describes the hardware configuration features of the controller.
1.7 Technical Support
For information about the technical support available for this product, see Appendix A:
Table 4 ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Feature Description
RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the
Feature on Demand upgrade.
Devices Supported per Port Up to 8 SAS devices or 8 SATA devices (such as drives and
expanders)
Ports Eight Internal
Data Transfer Rate Up to 12Gb/s per phy
Bus PCI Express 3.0
Cache Function No. See the note at the bottom of this table
Multiple Virtual Disks per Controller Yes. Up to 64 virtual disks per controller
Multiple Arrays per Controller Yes. Up to 64 virtual disks per controller
Online Capacity Expansion Yes
Dedicated and Global Hot Spares Yes
Hot Swap Devices Supported Yes
Non-Disk Devices Supported Yes
Mixed Capacity Physical Disks Supported Yes
Number of Internal Connectors Two SFF-8643 4i internal mini-SAS HD connectors
Direct I/O No
Architecture Fusion-MPT
NOTE The ServeRAID M1215 SAS\SATA controller does not support cache policy, which includes write-back,
write-through, adaptive read ahead, non-read ahead, read ahead, cache I/O, and direct I/O settings.

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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Chapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation
Requirements
Chapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation
2.1 Requirements
The following items are required for installation:
A ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller
A host system with an available PCI Express expansion slot
The ServeRAID M Documentation CD containing the documentation
The necessary internal cables
SAS physical disks or SATA physical disks (disk drives or Solid State Devices, SSDs)
2.2 Hardware installation
This section provides detailed instructions for installing a ServeRAID M1215 controller.
1. Unpack the Controller
Unpack and remove the controller. Inspect it for damage. If it appears damaged, or if any of the following items
are missing, contact your place of purchase. The controller is shipped with the following items:
A CD containing an electronic version of this User’s Guide and other related documentation
IBM Warranty Information
2. Turn off the Power to the System
Review all safety information provided with the server; then, turn off the power to the server, unplug the power
cords from the power supplies, disconnect the server from the network, and remove the server cover. See the
documentation provided with the server for instructions. Before you install the controller, make sure that the
server is disconnected from the power and from any networks.
3. Review the Controller Connectors
See Chapter 3: ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics" for a diagram of the ServeRAID M1215
controller with its connectors.
4. Review the Controller Limitations
Review Section 1.1.1, “Controller Guidelines,” before you install the controller in the system.
5. Install the Controller
Select a PCI Express slot and align the controller’s PCI Express bus connector to the slot. Press down gently but
firmly to ensure that the controller is correctly seated in the slot. Secure the bracket to the server chassis.
Figure1 shows the installation of the ServeRAID M1215 controller in a PCI Express slot.
NOTE For optimal performance, use an un-interruptible power supply.
NOTE Some PCI Express slots support PCI Express graphics cards only. A RAID controller installed in one of those slots
will not function.
ATTENTION To avoid damage to the server, it is best to remove the controller from the PCI Express slot before you
relocate or ship the server.