The 12 Gbps SAS expansion adapter allows FlashSystem NVMe controllers to connect to SAS
expansion enclosures to implement a tiered storage system.
The 12 Gbps SAS expansion adapter provides two 12 Gbps SAS wide-port connections, providing a
maximum bandwidth of 5 GBps per port. Each port connects to a chain of one or more expansion
enclosures.
Figure 1. Dual-port 12 Gbps SAS expansion adapter
The SAS expansion adapter is implemented as a quad-port card that is numbered from 1 to 4
starting from the left (horizontal placement) or the top (vertical placement). Only ports 1 and 3
are used for expansion attach, and ports 2 and 4 are unused.Figure 2. Dual-port 12 Gbps SAS - front view
Each port has a Mini-SAS HD connector and can be connected with a Mini-SAS HD cable of up to six
meters. SAS cables are available as IBM orderable features.
