Oct 18, 20233 min read

SSD6200 Series AICs: Revolutionizing Virtualization with Native Driver Support and Hardware RAID

Virtualization solutions, such as an HCI (hyperconverged infrastructure) or VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) servers utilize unified software applications to replace traditional server hardware. These types of platforms are extremely costly to setup and maintain. The large-scale multi-rack server installations require considerable real estate to house, dedicated IT staff, substantial power draw, and can lead to environmental concerns (heat exhaust or water resources needed for evaporative cooling hardware). As a result, business and organizations, large and small are increasingly adopting HCI and VDI based solutions.

HighPoint SSD6200 series NVMe RAID AICs are ideal for such applications. The products were designed to host multiple, bootable virtual drives for both server and client-side services and are natively supported by leading HCI and VDI suites, such as VMware vSAN and ESXi, and Microsoft’s Azure & Hyper-V. The PCIe x8 host interface is universally compatible with any PCIe Gen3 4 or 5 platform, and can deliver up to 7,000MB/s of real-world performance form just a pair of off-the-shelf M.2 SSDs. They are equipped with an impressive array of hardware and software features designed to maximize performance, reliability and serviceability.

SSD6200 series AICs provide a feature set that is essential for virtualization solutions

Native Driver Support – as embedded devices, SSD6200 series AICs will be automatically recognized by all major HCI, Virtualization and operating system platforms; this includes VMware ESXi, Windows/Windows Server/Hyper-V, any flavor of Linux running kernel v3.10 and later, and FreeBSD/FreeNAS. This equates to plug-and-play installation with streamlined OS updates and patching. Unlike NVMe solutions that require binary drivers, SSD6200 series AICs require no additional downtime, and any hosted SSD/array will remain online and accessible.

SSD6200 Series NVMe AICs utilize the Marvel NR2241 controller IC, which is natively supported by VMware platforms.

Hardware RAID – SSD6200 series NVMe AICs support RAID 1, 0 and JBOD at the hardware level. In fact, the products allow you to create the arrays using simple switches integrated directly into the AIC; you don’t even need an operating system to get everything up and running.

Integrated Boot Security: Mirroring (RAID 1) Protection. Mirroring a bootable SSD will essentially create an automated backup. If the primary disk should fail, the SSD6200 AIC ensures the backup is seamlessly transitioned into its place. This will ensure that the host system remain online, and continue to operate. The redundancy delivered by mirrored configuration is essential for Virtual Machine and hosting solutions, which must remain available for client access on a continual basis.

Superior Performance – As NVMe storage solutions, SSD6200 series AICs deliver a level of performance and

responsiveness far superior to that of an SAS/SATA SSD. The minimized latency, massive queue depth and dedicated PCIe bandwidth for each SSD work to minimize boot times and can greatly enhance the overall performance of any system disk they are hosting. A sustained transfer speed of over 7000MB/s combined with random IOPs measures in the 100’s of thousands to millions are particularly well suited for a HCI or VDI workflow which must cater to clients with a wide-range of application and use requirements.

Ultra-Compact Form Factor – easy to install in compact tower servers and 1U/2U rackmounts. The SSD6202 models in particular, are available in a Half-Height/Half-Length form factor, and directly host the NVMe media. No drive bays or supplemental cooling/power/or cabling related hardware is required.

Integrated LED’s, Audible Alarm and OOB Port: These features are ideal for field-service workflows and enable even inexperienced administrators to keep tabs on hosted SSD and arrays with a simple glance. The color-coded LEDs will instantly convey the status of the media (Red – fail or alert / Green – normal/optimal). The OOB port (out-of-band) provides a secure connection to the controller to troubleshoot, diagnose and service outside of an OS.