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Microsemi is announcing two new adapters they are adding to their award-winning lineup of Microsemi® Adaptec® Series 8 product lineup of RAID solutions for server storage applications. The 8405E and 8805E provides server storage customers with two entry-level options for systems with redundant array of independent disks (RAID) devices that provide application acceleration performance with a built-in cache, as well as uncompromised reliability.
Microsemi’s Adaptec Series 8 adapters are the original true hardware RAID devices that offer 12Gb/s throughput at each port. Their new Series 8E adapter solutions provide entry-level workstations and servers with cost-effective redundant boot support, as well as high bandwidth for input/output (I/O) intensive applications, including databases, network video recording (NVR) and video editing. The 8405E and 8805E support hybrid RAID to attain maximum performance when utilizing solid state drives (SSDs), creating cost-effective redundancy.
According to Pete Hazen, vice president of scalable storage solutions for Microsemi, “Our new additions to the Series 8 family were driven by customer demand for a true hardware RAID solution at the entry level. We went a step further by providing on-board cache for accelerated performance, making these devices attractive to both current and new customers. This is the ideal solution for cost-effective servers and workstations that do not require the full-featured capabilities of our Series 8 RAID adapters.”
Microsemi Adaptec 8405E
Microsemi’s new Series 8E devices provide a migration path for users seeking to transition from alternative software RAID solutions to a more robust hardware RAID setup. The Series 8E adapters are also a cost-effective upgrade for current users of Series 6E 6Gb/s solutions to a 12Gb/s solution with additional capabilities to help future-proof their servers and/or workstations. The 8405E and 8805E provide more than 9 X the random read SATA SSD performance over the Series 6E devices, and more than 16 X the bandwidth capability with SAS/SATA drives, not to mention improved data reliability.
Microsemi Adaptec 8805E
IDC, the global market intelligence and advisory firm, indicates that enterprise SSD shipments grew 44% year over year in Q2 of 2016, attaining 3.9 million units per quarter. SAS and SATA SSDs are reported to make up more than 85% of the server storage market SSD unit shipments today, and 100% of the HDD market shipments. SAS/SATA connectivity and usability remain to be a key component in enterprise storage architectures.
Jeff Janukowicz, research vice president at IDC, observes that “Entry-level hardware RAID is an essential technology to maximize the performance of SSDs or provide critical data protection in a cost-effective redundancy solution. Microsemi has become a key player in the storage market and the addition of an entry-level RAID card to expand its proven 12G Series 8 SAS/SATA product line is another example of that commitment.”
Principal features of Microsemi’s latest 8405E and 8805E solutions include:
- Hardware RAID 0/1/10 to provide data reliability and performance acceleration for up to four (8405E) and eight (8805E) direct attach devices
- Built-in high performance DRAM cache for HDD and SSD performance acceleration
- Consistent suite of management tools across platforms and operating systems, offering ease of use
- Support of SAS/SATA devices (versus competing solutions with only SATA support)
For more information you can view the Microsemi Series 8E product page here, and the press release announcing them in its entirety here.
