LSI 9660-16i Tri-Mode SAS-SATA RAID Controller

Features

The LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller is a powerful and versatile storage solution designed to meet the demanding needs of modern data centers and enterprise environments. One of its standout features is its Tri-Mode SAS/SATA capability, which sets it apart from other RAID controllers on the market.

Tri-Mode SAS/SATA

The Tri-Mode SAS/SATA functionality of the LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller allows it to support both SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA (Serial ATA) drives. This means that users have the flexibility to choose either SAS or SATA drives based on their specific requirements. SAS drives are known for their high performance and reliability, making them ideal for mission-critical applications that demand maximum uptime. On the other hand, SATA drives offer a more cost-effective solution for less demanding workloads. With Tri-Mode SAS/SATA support, users can mix and match SAS and SATA drives within the same RAID array, optimizing their storage infrastructure based on performance, capacity, and cost considerations.

Benefits of Tri-Mode SAS/SATA

1. Flexibility: The ability to use both SAS and SATA drives gives users the flexibility to create storage configurations that perfectly align with their needs. They can leverage the high performance of SAS drives for critical applications while utilizing SATA drives for less demanding tasks, thus achieving an optimal balance between performance and cost.

2. Investment Protection: With Tri-Mode SAS/SATA support, organizations can future-proof their storage infrastructure. They can start with SATA drives initially and later upgrade to SAS drives as their performance requirements evolve. This flexibility ensures that investments made in storage infrastructure are not wasted and can be adapted to changing business needs over time.

3. Improved Scalability: Tri-Mode SAS/SATA allows for easy scalability of storage capacity. By mixing different types of drives within the same RAID array, users can add new drives as needed, expanding their storage capacity without disrupting existing operations. This scalability is crucial for businesses experiencing rapid data growth or those that need to accommodate unpredictable workloads.

16 Internal Ports

The LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller is equipped with 16 internal ports, providing ample connectivity options for a wide range of storage devices. These ports are essential for connecting SAS or SATA drives directly to the controller, enabling high-speed data transfer and efficient storage management.

Importance of 16 Internal Ports

1. Enhanced Performance: The 16 internal ports allow for simultaneous data transfer between multiple drives and the RAID controller. This parallelism significantly improves overall performance, reducing latency and ensuring smooth data flow even during heavy workloads. It is particularly beneficial for applications that require fast and consistent access to large volumes of data, such as databases or virtualized environments.

2. Increased Storage Capacity: The 16 internal ports enable users to connect a larger number of drives directly to the RAID controller. This translates into increased storage capacity, allowing organizations to store more data without the need for additional controllers or complex external storage setups. With the ability to support a larger number of drives, businesses can consolidate their storage infrastructure, simplifying management and reducing costs.

3. Simplified Cable Management: Having 16 internal ports means fewer cables are required to connect the drives to the controller. This leads to more organized cable routing and improved airflow within server enclosures, enhancing overall system reliability and reducing the risk of cable-related failures or connectivity issues.

Supports RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60

The LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller offers support for a wide range of RAID levels, providing users with flexibility in configuring their storage arrays to meet specific performance, redundancy, and capacity requirements.

Benefits of RAID Support

1. Data Protection: RAID levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 provide varying degrees of data redundancy, ensuring that critical data remains accessible even in the event of drive failures. This protection is crucial for businesses that cannot afford downtime or data loss due to drive failures. By implementing RAID, organizations can minimize the risk of data loss and maintain continuous operations.

2. Improved Performance: RAID levels 0, 10, 50, and 60 offer performance benefits by striping data across multiple drives. This striping allows for parallel access to data, resulting in faster read and write speeds. Applications that require high-performance storage, such as video editing or real-time analytics, can greatly benefit from these RAID levels.

3. Efficient Storage Utilization: RAID levels 5 and 6 provide a balance between performance and storage capacity by distributing parity information across multiple drives. This technique allows for efficient use of storage space while maintaining data integrity. Businesses with limited storage resources can make the most of their available capacity without compromising on reliability.

RAID Level Selection Guidance

When selecting the appropriate RAID level for a specific use case, it is essential to consider factors such as performance requirements, data protection needs, and available storage capacity. Here are some guidelines to help you make an informed decision:

1. RAID 0: Ideal for applications that prioritize performance over data redundancy. Offers improved read and write speeds by striping data across multiple drives but provides no fault tolerance.

2. RAID 1: Provides complete redundancy by mirroring data across two drives. Offers excellent data protection but sacrifices storage capacity.

3. RAID 5: Balances performance and data protection by distributing parity information across multiple drives. Suitable for environments where a good balance between storage capacity, performance, and fault tolerance is required.

4. RAID 6: Similar to RAID 5 but with dual parity, providing an extra level of fault tolerance. Offers better protection against multiple drive failures but requires additional drives for parity information.

5. RAID 10: Combines mirroring (RAID 1) and striping (RAID 0) to provide both high performance and redundancy. Suitable for applications that demand both speed and fault tolerance but requires a larger number of drives.

6. RAID 50: Uses a combination of striping (RAID 0) and parity (RAID 5) across multiple RAID 0 arrays. Offers improved performance and fault tolerance compared to RAID 5 alone.

7. RAID 60: Similar to RAID 50 but with dual parity, providing enhanced fault tolerance in environments with a larger number of drives.

In conclusion, the LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller's Tri-Mode SAS/SATA support, 16 internal ports, and extensive RAID level compatibility make it a highly versatile and capable storage solution. Whether it's the flexibility of choosing between SAS and SATA drives, the scalability offered by the abundance of internal ports, or the data protection and performance benefits of various RAID levels, this controller caters to the diverse needs of modern data centers and enterprise environments. By investing in the LSI Logic 9660-16i RAID Controller, businesses can optimize their storage infrastructure for maximum performance, reliability, and efficiency.