HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 (8 External Lanes/No Cache) 12G SAS PCIe Plug-in Controller

Overview

The HPE 804398-B21 is a Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 controller designed to provide high-speed, reliable access to external SAS and SATA drives for ProLiant servers. It features eight 12G SAS lanes delivered through two Mini-SAS HD ports and installs in a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot, ensuring smooth data transfer and low latency even with multiple active disks. This controller supports various RAID levels and offers flexible storage management options, making it suitable for expanding storage capacity in virtualization clusters, backup repositories, and media servers.

Key features

• Provides eight external SAS lanes via two Mini-SAS HD ports for fast and efficient data movement
• Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations to protect data with flexible redundancy options
• Enables Mixed Mode operation to run RAID volumes alongside HBA pass-through disks for versatile storage management
• Compatible with both 12Gb/s SAS and 6Gb/s SATA drives, accommodating a wide range of storage devices
• PCIe 3.0 x8 interface ensures high bandwidth for demanding workloads
• Works seamlessly with HPE external enclosures like the D3610 and MSA 2040 for easy capacity expansion
• Supports encryption at rest with an optional license to safeguard sensitive data without additional hardware
• Standard PCIe plug-in form factor simplifies installation and upgrades in various server environments
• Backed by a three-year parts-only warranty for predictable maintenance and support

Key specs

• Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• External lanes: 8 SAS lanes
• Ports: 2 Mini-SAS HD
• Supported drive types: SAS 12Gb/s, SATA 6Gb/s
• RAID levels supported: 0, 1, 5, 10, Mixed Mode
• Encryption: Supports data-at-rest encryption with optional license
• Compatibility: Gen10 HPE ProLiant servers
• Warranty: 3 years parts-only

Connectivity and compatibility

This controller is designed to integrate smoothly with HPE Gen10 ProLiant servers and external storage enclosures such as the D3610 and MSA 2040. Its two Mini-SAS HD ports provide robust connections to multiple external drives, supporting both SAS and SATA protocols. The PCIe 3.0 x8 interface ensures that data flows quickly between the server and storage devices, making it a strong choice for environments that demand high throughput and low latency.

Ideal uses and environments

The Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 controller fits well in setups that require expanded external storage capacity, such as virtualization clusters, backup repositories, and media servers. It is particularly useful for IT professionals who need flexible RAID configurations and the option to mix managed RAID volumes with pass-through disks. Its encryption capabilities also make it suitable for environments where data security is a priority. The plug-in design and compatibility with common HPE enclosures make it practical for both branch offices and primary data centers.