PCIe3 1.6 TB NVMe Flash Adapter (FC EKN2)

Learn about the specifications and operating system requirements for feature code (FC) EKN2 adapters.

Overview

See FC EKN3 for an adapter with more capacity.

The PCIe3 1.6 TB NVMe Flash Adapter is a PCI Express (PCIe) generation 3 (Gen3) x4 adapter. The adapter can be used in either a x8 or x16 PCIe (Gen3) slot in the system and uses Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe). NVMe is a high performance software interface that can read/write flash memory. Compared to a SAS or SATA SSD, the NVMe Flash adapter provides more read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS) and larger throughput (GB/sec). The NVMe Flash Adapter is read intensive and is not designed for high write intensive workloads. At about 8,760 to 17,000 TB of writes to the adapter, it will be at its maximum projected write capability. The nature of the workload has a great impact on the maximum write capacity. If a high percentage of more sequentially oriented writes is used instead of random writes, the maximum write capacity will be closer to the larger value in the range. In the case of a high percentage of random writes, the maximum will be closer to the smaller value in the range. Writes past the adapter's maximum write capacity will continue to work for some period of time, but much more slowly. A Predictive Failure Analysis message will indicate that it is time to replace the adapter if enabled by the system administrator. After the warranty period, if the maximum write capability is achieved, the adapter's replacement is not covered under IBM® maintenance. This adapter has protection against single Flash channel failures. To prevent the entire adapter from failing, software RAID should be used. For high value applications where the content in the adapter must be protected, additional NVMe Flash adapters with OS mirroring or software Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) are recommended. This adapter is not supported in the PCIe Gen3 I/O drawer.
Important: Before removing a NVMe Flash adapter, ensure that all data on the adapter or the array that contains the adapter is backed up. Restore the data after the adapter is replaced.
Figure 1. PCIe3 1.6 TB NVMe Flash Adapter
PCIe3 1.6 TB NVMe Flash Adapter
Important: The micro USB connector visible through the adapter tailstock has no function and cannot be used. Do not insert a cable of any kind into this port.

Specifications

Item
Description
Adapter FRU number
00E4941 (HDS-AVM-HUSPR3216AHP301) (Designed to comply with RoHS requirement)
I/O bus architecture
PCIe3 x4
Slot requirement
For details about slot priorities and placement rules, see PCIe adapter placement rules and slot priorities and select the system you are working on.
Supported Systems
POWER8® processor-based systems
  • 8001-12C and 8001-22C
Voltage
12 V
Form factor
Short, low-profile
Maximum number
For details about the maximum number of adapters that are supported, see PCIe adapter placement rules and slot priorities and select the system you are working on.
Attributes provided
1.6 TB of low latency flash memory
Non-Volatile write buffer
Hot plug capable

NVMe Flash adapter maximum write capability

Determine whether the NVMe Flash adapter maximum write capability is depleted by completing the following steps:
  1. Type the following command at the Linux command line and press Enter: nvme smart-log /dev/nvmeX, where nvmeX is the resource name of the NVMe Flash adapter.
  2. If the critical_warning field is 1 (bit 0 is set) and the percentage_used field is 90% or greater, replace the NVMe Flash adapter.
Note: The replacement of depleted NVMe Flash adapters is covered during the system warranty period. After the warranty period has expired, the cost that is incurred for the replacement of depleted NVMe Flash adapters is not covered under maintenance contracts, and is the responsibility of the customer.

Service tools for Linux on Power servers

To obtain the utility to update firmware, format storage, and complete other service tasks, complete the following steps:
  1. Go to Service and productivity tools and follow the instructions to download service tools.
  2. Install the NVMe management command line interface (CLI).
    • For Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), type yum install nvme-cli.
    • For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), type zypper install nvme-cli.
  3. For more information about using the NVMe CLI, see the README file.

Operating system or partition requirements

If you are installing a new feature, ensure that you have the software that is required to support the new feature and that you determine whether any prerequisites must be met for this feature and attaching devices. To check for the prerequisites, see IBM Prerequisite website.

The adapter is supported on the following versions of the operating systems:
Important: For a list of known Linux OS issues that may affect this adapter, see the IBM Power LC readme .
  • Linux
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2, little-endian, for Power, or later
    • Ubuntu 16.04.1, or later
    • Ubuntu 14.04.5, or later
    • For support details, see the Linux Alert website.
    • The latest version of the device driver or iprutils can be downloaded from the IBM Service and Productivity Tools website.
    • The latest version of enabling libraries and utilities may be downloaded from Fix Central.


Last updated: Tue, November 17, 2020