Solid-state drives

To install and configure solid-state drives (SSD), you must review the supported machine type model, adapter, and configuration details.

Solid-state drives, also known as flash drives, follow many of the same rules as a regular hard-disk drive (HDD). For example, SSDs physically resemble, install in the same manner, and in most of the same slots as HDDs. However, some restrictions and configuration rules that apply to SSD are different from HDD. The following tables can help you determine which operating system, adapter, machine type model, and disk drive configuration rules apply to your system.

After you have reviewed the configuration rules, you can install the drive as you would any other disk drive. For more information, see Installing a disk drive or solid-state drive.

Restriction: Solid-state drives must be part of a RAID array or System Mirroring (IBM® i).

Select the operating system for the server or partition where you will install drives from the following list:

Solid-state drive rules for the AIX® operating system
Solid-state drive rules for the Linux operating system
Solid-state drive rules for the IBM i operating system

Attention:

Before installing SSD into your system, you must ensure that you have all the prerequisite updates for both the SSD and the adapters. To do this, go to the following website: http://www-912.ibm.com/e_dir/eServerPrereq.nsf
To prevent logging of errors while installing an SSD in the 5802 or 5803 enclosure unit, ensure to set the SES Code (microcode) level to 81 before you install the SSD in the enclosure unit.

Table 1. Solid-state drive rules for the AIX operating system
Machine type model	Adapter	Mixing rules
5886	(5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5906 and 5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	Solid-state drives and hard-disk drives cannot be mixed in this drive enclosure. A maximum of eight drives are supported in this configuration. Only one 5886 can be attached to the adapter, or pair of adapters, when solid-state drives are installed. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters connected to 5886.
8203-E4A, 8204-E8A, and 8261-E4S	(5679) - SAS RAID Enablement: internal adapter (5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD can never be mixed in the same RAID array or mirroring group. SSD and HDD can be mixed in the system disk drive backplane if the backplane is not split. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. Restriction: Split backplane for these models is not supported with dual SAS Raid adapters. Remember: SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD drive types cannot be mixed within a parity set. If you are mixing SSD and HDD in a system, ensure that you have enough of each drive type to manage your protection scheme.
8234-EMA and 9117-MMA	Base planar embedded SAS controller (CCIN 572C) (5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same RAID array or mirroring group. SSD and HDD can be mixed in the system disk drive backplane if the backplane is not split. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane but each side of the split must have only SSD or HDD. Remember: SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. You must not mix drive types within a parity set. If you are mixing SSD and HDD in a system, ensure that you have enough of each drive type to manage your protection scheme. If you are adding solid-state drives to an 8234-EMA or 9117-MMA with multiple enclosures, each enclosure must have a supported adapter to manage the drives. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters to manage the SSD.
5802	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.
5803	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.

Table 2. Solid-state drive rules for the Linux operating system
Machine type model	Adapter	Mixing rules
5886	(5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5906 and 5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	Solid-state drives and hard-disk drives cannot be mixed in this drive enclosure. A maximum of eight drives are supported in this configuration. Only one 5886 can be attached to the adapter, or pair of adapters, when solid-state drives are installed. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters connected to 5886.
8203-E4A, 8204-E8A, and 8261-E4S	(5679) - SAS RAID Enablement: internal adapter (5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD can never be mixed in the same RAID array or mirroring group. SSD and HDD can be mixed in the system disk drive backplane if the backplane is not split. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. Restriction: Split backplane for these models is not supported with dual SAS Raid adapters. Remember: SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD drive types cannot be mixed within a parity set. If you are mixing SSD and HDD in a system, ensure that you have enough of each drive type to manage your protection scheme.
8234-EMA and 9117-MMA	Base planar embedded SAS controller (CCIN 572C) ( 5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same RAID array or mirroring group. SSD and HDD can be mixed in the system disk drive backplane if the backplane is not split. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane but each side of the split backplane must have only SSD or HDD. Remember: SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. You must not mix drive types within a parity set. If you are mixing SSD and HDD in a system, ensure that you have enough of each drive type to manage your protection scheme. If you are adding solid-state drives to an 8234-EMA or 9117-MMA with multiple enclosures, each enclosure must have a supported adapter to manage the drives. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters to manage the SSD.
5802	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.
5803	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.

Table 3. Solid-state drive rules for the IBM i operating system
Machine type model	Adapter	Mixing rules
5886	(5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5906 and 5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	Solid-state drives and hard-disk drives cannot be mixed in this drive enclosure. A maximum of eight drives are supported in this configuration. Only one 5886 can be attached to the adapter, or pair of adapters, when solid-state drives are installed. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters connected to 5886.
8203-E4A, 8204-E8A, and 8261-E4S	(5679) - SAS RAID Enablement: internal adapter (5904) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same RAID array or mirroring group. SSD and HDD can be mixed in the system disk-drive backplane. Remember: You can not mix SSD and HDD drive types within a parity set. If you are mixing SSD and HDD in a system, ensure that you have enough of each drive type to manage your protection scheme.
8234-EMA and 9117-MMA	Base planar embedded SAS controller (CCIN 572C) (5908) - PCI-X DDR 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapter (BSC) (5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	You can mix SSD and HDD in the disk drive backplane. Be sure you have enough of each drive type to cover your protection scheme. Restriction: If you have feature 3651 installed, you cannot mix SSD and HDD in the system backplane. If you are adding solid-state drives to an 8234-EMA or 9117-MMA with multiple enclosures, each enclosure must have a supported adapter to manage the drives. Same rules apply when using dual SAS Raid adapters to manage the SSD.
5802	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.
5803	(5903) - PCIe 380MB Cache Dual - x4 3Gb SAS RAID Adapter	SSD and HDD cannot be mixed in the same system disk drive backplane. SSD and HDD can both be present in a split backplane if each side of the split backplane has only SSD or HDD. SSD must be on one side of the split backplane and HDD must be on the other side of the split backplane. SSD and HDD cannot be mixed on a pair of 5903 adapters. A maximum of nine SSDs are supported on a pair of 5903 adapters.

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Last updated: Wed, August 06, 2014