PERC H745

SAS-SATA Controller PERC H745 Overview

The PERC H745 is a high-performance storage controller designed to provide seamless connectivity for SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA (Serial ATA) devices in enterprise environments. Manufactured by Dell Technologies, the PERC H745 SAS-SATA controller offers advanced features for managing and optimizing storage resources, ensuring data integrity, and providing enhanced performance for data centers, servers, and workstations. This controller is compatible with a wide variety of drives and is ideal for businesses looking for reliable storage solutions that offer both scalability and flexibility.

Key Features

• Support for SAS and SATA Drives: The PERC H745 controller supports both SAS and SATA hard drives and SSDs, offering businesses flexibility when choosing storage devices.
• High-Speed Data Transfer: This controller delivers impressive data transfer rates, which are essential for applications requiring rapid data processing, such as virtualization and high-performance computing.
• Scalability: The PERC H745 controller can handle multiple drive configurations, enabling businesses to scale their storage needs as the demand grows.
• Data Protection: Featuring advanced RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) functionality, the PERC H745 provides robust data protection options to ensure the integrity and security of business-critical information.
• Battery-Backed Cache: The controller includes a battery-backed cache, allowing for improved write performance and ensuring that data is preserved during power outages.
• Easy Management: Dell's OpenManage Storage services and integrated tools allow for straightforward management and configuration, simplifying storage administration for IT professionals.

PERC H745 vs. Previous PERC Models

The PERC H745 offers several advantages over its predecessors, making it a more efficient and versatile choice for modern data environments. While earlier PERC models offered good performance, the H745 introduces improvements in key areas:

• Faster Data Throughput: The PERC H745 supports higher data throughput, enabling faster access to stored data compared to older models.
• Enhanced RAID Capabilities: While previous PERC models supported standard RAID configurations, the H745 introduces more advanced RAID levels, providing better redundancy and fault tolerance.
• Improved Energy Efficiency: The H745 controller is designed with energy efficiency in mind, reducing the overall power consumption in large data environments.
• Better Compatibility with Newer Devices: The H745 offers enhanced compatibility with the latest SAS and SATA drives, ensuring that businesses can use the most up-to-date technology in their storage systems.

Understanding RAID with PERC H745

RAID Levels Supported by PERC H745

The PERC H745 controller supports a wide range of RAID configurations, making it versatile for different storage needs. Below are the RAID levels supported by the controller:

• RAID 0 (Striping): Offers increased performance by splitting data across multiple drives, but with no redundancy. Ideal for non-critical workloads requiring speed.
• RAID 1 (Mirroring): Provides data redundancy by duplicating data across two drives. This level ensures that data is preserved if one drive fails.
• RAID 5 (Striped with Parity): Offers both performance and data redundancy by distributing data and parity across multiple drives. A highly efficient solution for environments that need to balance speed and fault tolerance.
• RAID 6 (Striped with Double Parity): Similar to RAID 5, but with extra parity for better data protection. Ideal for environments with higher data integrity requirements.
• RAID 10 (Mirrored and Striped): Combines the benefits of RAID 0 and RAID 1, providing high performance and redundancy for mission-critical workloads.
• RAID 50 (RAID 5 Array of RAID 0s): A combination of RAID 5 and RAID 0, offering excellent redundancy and improved performance.
• RAID 60 (RAID 6 Array of RAID 0s): A high-performance, highly redundant RAID configuration combining RAID 6 and RAID 0, suitable for large-scale enterprise environments.

Advanced RAID Features in PERC H745

The PERC H745 also includes several advanced RAID features to further enhance data protection and management:

• Online Capacity Expansion (OCE): Allows users to add new drives to an existing RAID array without having to shut down the system, providing flexibility during storage expansions.
• Online RAID Level Migration (ORLM): Enables users to migrate an existing RAID array from one RAID level to another without losing data, ensuring smooth transitions as storage needs evolve.
• Drive Failure Prediction: The controller can monitor drive health and predict failures, allowing for proactive management and reducing the risk of data loss.
• Global Hot Spare: A hot spare drive can automatically take over in case of a drive failure, minimizing downtime and maintaining data integrity.

Benefits

In enterprise environments, the PERC H745 SAS-SATA controller offers several key benefits:

• Increased Performance: The controller enhances storage performance, especially in applications requiring high throughput, such as databases and virtualized workloads.
• Data Integrity: With its robust RAID functionality and advanced error detection capabilities, the PERC H745 ensures that data remains safe and accessible, even in the event of hardware failures.
• Reduced Downtime: Features like hot spare drives and RAID levels that provide fault tolerance contribute to minimizing the risk of downtime and data loss.
• Easy Integration: The PERC H745 can easily integrate with a variety of Dell server models, making it an ideal choice for businesses already using Dell hardware.
• Scalable Storage Solutions: With its ability to support a wide range of drive types and RAID configurations, the PERC H745 is highly scalable, allowing businesses to grow their storage capacity as needed.

Choosing the Right SAS-SATA Controller for Your Business

When choosing a SAS-SATA controller like the PERC H745, businesses should consider several factors to ensure that they meet their specific storage needs:

• Drive Compatibility: Consider the types of drives (SAS, SATA, or SSD) you plan to use and ensure that the controller supports them.
• Performance Requirements: Evaluate the speed and throughput needed for your applications. The PERC H745 is ideal for high-performance workloads, such as virtualized environments and large-scale databases.
• Data Protection Needs: Determine whether you require advanced RAID functionality for data redundancy and fault tolerance, as the PERC H745 offers various RAID levels to suit different levels of risk management.
• Scalability: If your storage needs are likely to grow, choose a controller like the PERC H745 that can handle future expansions seamlessly.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Ensure that the controller is compatible with your current server setup and software tools to avoid compatibility issues.