PERC H810

SAS-SATA Controller Overview

The SAS-SATA controller is an essential component for managing storage devices in a server environment. These controllers are responsible for connecting and controlling multiple storage devices such as hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). By utilizing the SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) or SATA (Serial ATA) interface, these controllers provide high-speed data transfer, reliability, and scalability, making them ideal for enterprise-level storage solutions. Whether you're looking to set up a new server or upgrade an existing system, SAS-SATA controllers play a vital role in maximizing storage efficiency and system performance.

SAS-SATA Controller Types

SAS-SATA controllers come in various models to support different configurations and use cases. The most common types include:

• Host Bus Adapters (HBAs): These controllers allow direct access to storage devices without RAID functionality, offering high throughput and low latency.
• RAID Controllers: These controllers support redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), providing data redundancy and fault tolerance. RAID configurations such as RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 are common in enterprise environments.
• Expander Controllers: Used to connect additional devices to the storage network, expander controllers extend the number of devices that can be connected to the server through the SAS interface.

Benefits of SAS-SATA Controllers

• High Performance: SAS-SATA controllers provide fast data transfer rates, essential for handling high-performance applications like databases and virtualization.
• Scalability: With the ability to support multiple devices, these controllers can easily scale to accommodate expanding storage needs in data centers and enterprise environments.
• Flexibility: SAS-SATA controllers are compatible with both SAS and SATA drives, offering flexibility in the types of storage devices you can connect to your server.
• Redundancy and Data Protection: RAID functionality in SAS-SATA controllers provides redundancy, ensuring that data is protected in the event of drive failure.
• Cost Efficiency: By offering a choice between SAS and SATA drives, businesses can balance performance and cost based on their specific storage requirements.

PERC H810 Controller Details

The PERC H810 is a powerful SAS-SATA controller developed by Dell. This controller is designed to deliver high-performance storage capabilities while offering flexibility and scalability for a wide range of enterprise environments. The PERC H810 supports both SAS and SATA hard drives and SSDs, providing users with the option to configure their systems according to performance and budget needs.

Key Features of PERC H810

• High-Speed Data Transfer: The PERC H810 is designed to provide high data throughput with support for both SAS and SATA interfaces. It delivers speeds up to 6Gb/s per port, ensuring quick access to data in demanding environments.
• RAID Support: With support for multiple RAID configurations, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, RAID 50, and RAID 60, the PERC H810 ensures both performance and data protection. These RAID levels provide varying levels of redundancy and performance optimizations.
• Flexible Connectivity: This controller offers a mix of SAS and SATA ports, allowing you to connect both high-performance SAS drives and cost-effective SATA drives. This flexibility enables you to balance performance and budget effectively.
• Advanced Management Tools: The PERC H810 features advanced management tools such as Dell OpenManage, which helps administrators manage storage, monitor performance, and configure RAID settings with ease.
• Firmware and Software Compatibility: The PERC H810 is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, ensuring broad compatibility across various server environments. Its firmware can be updated to provide continued support for new features and performance enhancements.

Supported Storage Devices

The PERC H810 supports a variety of storage devices to meet the needs of different enterprises:

• SAS Hard Drives: Ideal for high-performance, enterprise-level applications, SAS drives offer faster read/write speeds, durability, and higher reliability.
• SATA Hard Drives: While slower than SAS drives, SATA drives are more cost-effective and still provide reliable performance for general-purpose workloads.
• SATA and SAS SSDs: The PERC H810 also supports SSDs, providing faster data access speeds for applications requiring high performance, such as database management and virtualized environments.

RAID Configuration Options

The PERC H810 controller allows users to configure various RAID levels, each offering different levels of performance and data protection. The most common RAID configurations supported by the PERC H810 include:

• RAID 0 (Striping): This configuration offers the best performance by striping data across two or more drives. However, it lacks redundancy, making it suitable only for non-critical applications.
• RAID 1 (Mirroring): RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives, providing redundancy in case of a drive failure. This configuration is ideal for applications that require data protection without compromising too much on performance.
• RAID 5 (Striping with Parity): RAID 5 combines striping and parity, offering a good balance of performance, redundancy, and storage efficiency. It requires at least three drives and can survive a single drive failure without data loss.
• RAID 10 (Stripe and Mirror): RAID 10 combines the benefits of RAID 1 and RAID 0. It provides both performance and redundancy but requires a minimum of four drives.
• RAID 50 (RAID 5 with Striping): RAID 50 combines RAID 5’s parity with RAID 0’s striping for enhanced performance and redundancy, making it suitable for applications requiring high data throughput and fault tolerance.
• RAID 60 (RAID 6 with Striping): RAID 60 combines RAID 6’s dual parity with RAID 0’s striping, providing superior data protection and performance for high-demand applications with large storage requirements.

Compatibility and Expansion

The PERC H810 is compatible with a wide range of Dell PowerEdge servers, making it a versatile solution for various enterprise environments. It also supports drive expanders, allowing users to extend the number of connected storage devices beyond the limits of the onboard controller.

Supported Servers

• Dell PowerEdge R620
• Dell PowerEdge R630
• Dell PowerEdge R720
• Dell PowerEdge T620

Drive Expanders

To further enhance scalability, users can integrate drive expanders with the PERC H810 controller. These expanders allow the connection of more drives than the controller’s built-in ports can support. This is particularly useful for applications requiring large-scale storage solutions, such as high-performance databases and virtualized environments.