HP Smart Array P600 Controller

The HP Smart Array P600 serial attached SCSI (SAS) controller provides high levels of performance and reliability for HP servers, through its support of 3Gb/s SAS technology and advanced RAID capabilities. The SA-P600 raises the standards of performance offering twice the bandwidth of a 4-channel U320 array controller.

• Seamless upgrades to next generation HP high performance and high capacity Serial Attached SCSI Smart Array controllers.
  
• Recovery ROM protects against a ROM corruption.
  
• 3Gb/s SAS technology delivers high performance and data bandwidth up to 300 MB\s per physical link and contains full compatibility with 1.5G SATA technology.
  
• Modular, easy-to-upgrade design lets you optimize performance by upgrading from 256 to 512MB battery-backed cache (BBWC).
  
• Mix-and-match SAS and SATA hard drives, lets you deploy drive technology as needed to fit your computing environment.
  
• Software consistency among all Smart Array family products: Array Configuration Utility, Systems Insight Manager, Array Diagnostic Utility (ADU) and SmartStart.
  
• 64-bit, PCIX 133-MHz host interface provides 1 GB/s maximum bandwidth during burst transfers.
  
• 256 MB 72-bit wide DDR266, battery-backed write cache (upgradeable to 512 MB)

• Online Capacity Expansion
• Online RAID Level Migration
• Online Stripe Size Migration
• Online Spares (Global)
• User Selectable Expand and Rebuild Priority

• Eight (8) SAS physical links distributed across 2 internal x4 wide port connectors and 1 external x4 wide port connector. One of the internal x4 wide port connector shares 4 physical links with the external x4 wide port connector. When the shared internal x4 wide port connector is in use, the shared external x4 wide port is disabled.

Performance

HP's High Performance Architecture sets new boundaries of industry performance expectations!

• 3Gb/s SAS (300MB\s bandwidth per physical link)
• 8x 3Gb/s SAS physical links (compatible with 1.5G SATA)
• 256 MB 72-bit wide DDR266, battery-backed write cache (upgradeable to 512 MB)
• 64-bit, PCIX 133-MHz host interface provides 1 GB/s maximum bandwidth during burst transfers
• 440 PowerPC Processor

Given the increasing need for high performance and rapid capacity expansion, the SA-P600 offers:

• Up to 38TB of total storage with 38 x 1TB SATA 3.5" MDL hard drives.
• Up to6TB of external storage per PCI slot with 2x HP StorageWorks MSA50 SAS enclosures and 20 x 300GB SAS SFF hard drives.

NOTE: Support for greater than 2TB in a single logical drive.

Availability

Provides increased server uptime by providing advanced storage functionality:

• Online RAID Level Migration (between any RAID level)
• Online Capacity Expansion
• Logical Drive Capacity Extension
• Global Online Spare
• Pre-Failure Warranty
  

Fault Prevention

The following features offer detection of possible failures before they occur, allowing preventive action to be taken:

• S.M.A.R.T.: Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology first developed at HP detects possible hard disk failure before it occurs, allowing replacement of the component before failure occurs.
• Drive Parameter Tracking monitors drive operational parameters, predicting failure and notifying the administrator.
• Dynamic Sector Repairing continually performs background surface scans on the hard disk drives during inactive periods and automatically remaps bad sectors, ensuring data integrity.
• Smart Array Cache Tracking monitors integrity of controller cache, allowing pre-failure preventative maintenance.
• Environment Tracking for External Storage System: Monitors fan speed and cabinet temperature of StorageWorks Modular Smart Array Enclosures.

Fault Tolerance

Keeps data available and server running while a failed drive is being replaced; several fault tolerance configurations are supported including:

• Advanced Data Guarding (RAID 6): This is the highest level of fault tolerance. It allocates two sets of parity data across drives and allows simultaneous write operations. This level of fault tolerance can withstand two simultaneous drive failures without downtime or data loss.
• Distributed Data Guarding (RAID 5): This allocates parity data across multiple drives and allows simultaneous write operations. It is recommended for up to 14 hard drives.
  
• Drive Mirroring (RAID 1, 1+0): This allocates half of the drive array to data and the other half to mirrored data, providing two copies of every file. It is a high-performance RAID.

Fault Recovery

Minimizes downtime, reconstructs data, and facilitates a quick recovery from drive failure

• Recovery ROM: This new feature provides a unique redundancy feature that protects from a ROM image corruption. A new version of firmware can be flashed to the ROM while the controller maintains the last known working version of firmware. If the firmware becomes corrupt, the controller will revert back to the previous version of firmware and continue operating. This reduces the risk of flashing firmware to the controller.
• On-Line Spares: There is no limit to the number of spare drives that can be installed prior to drive failure. If a failure occurs, recovery begins with an On-Line Spare and data is reconstructed automatically.
• DRAM ECC corrects against single bit data and address corruption.

Consistency and Upgradeability make the Smart Array family unique in the industry:

• GUI based configuration, management and diagnostic software tools
• Common data format between generations of products
• Data migration between servers and external StorageWorks Modular Smart Array enclosures
  

Servers

• Powerful server and server options/storage manager tool
  
• Monitors over 1200 system wide parameters
  
• Configuration/Diagnostic Utilities

• Powerful Web based configuration utility for all Smart Array controllers
  
• Provides a graphical view of HP drive array configurations
  
• Allows for management of multiple arrays over a secure internet connection from anywhere in the world
  
• Easy to use Wizards for configuration
  
• Runs online on Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Linux, and NetWare

• An alternative method for easily viewing, creating, and deleting multiple arrays and logical volumes during system power up
  
• For advanced array configurations use ACU

• In depth diagnostic and reporting utility for all Smart Array controllers

The EU WEEE directive (2002/95/EC) requires manufacturers to provide treatment information for each product type for use by treatment facilities. This information (product disassembly instructions) is posted on the Hewlett Packard web site at: http://www.hp.com/go/green. These instructions may be used by recyclers and other WEEE treatment facilities as well as HP OEM customers who integrate and re-sell HP equipment.