SSD6200 Series NVMe Host RAID controllers feature nativtive, in-box driver support for all major Virtual Machine platforms and Linux distributions. SSD6200 NVMe RAID arrays are Recognized as Ordinary Drives The SSD6200’s NVMe driver is embedded directly into every kernel release – this enables VM and Linux platforms to recognize and support these controllers without the need for user intervention. When installing the VM host or Linux distribution, SSD6200 RAID arrays will be recognized as ordinary drives. No Hassle Kernel Updates This also simplifies any OS related update – especially if a new kernel is released. Unlike devices that require a separate binary driver in order to function within the OS, SSD6200 controllers don’t require that every kernel update be patched in order to recognize the RAID storage. Host RAID Controller Standard RAID Controller The NVMe driver is embedded into the kernel - The NVMe device driver must be installed when the OS no installation is required. Subsequent kernel is first setup,and recompiled/reinstalled for every updates also incorporate the NVMe driver. No driver update is required! subsequent kernel update.

Which Generation of NVMe RAID controllers is right for my application? At first glance, the answer is straight-forward; PCIe Gen3 if you need up to 14K MB/s, PCIe Gen4 if you need something faster. In truth, the real answer to this question is a bit more nuanced than that. Many customers are limited by their platform - upgrading may not be an option due to other requirements, such as compatibility or form factor. Other customers may find that a Gen3 NVMe solution is perfectly suited to their target application, despite working with a Gen4 platform. Likewise, many customers now use Gen 4 NVMe SSDs with Gen3 NVMe RAID controller, and vise-versa. Why? Basically for most applications, it really boils down to Cost vs. performance - how much speed do you need and how much are you willing to spend for it? Why PCIe Gen3? Gen3 is tried and true. PCIe 3.0 technology is mature, predictable, easily replaced, and easily serviced. The ideal performance number for a Gen3 workstation or server platform is 14,000 MB/s. To achieve this, all you need is a PCIe slot with x16 dedicated lanes. Our Gen3 Solutions The performance target of 14,000 MB/s can easily be met with our 8-port SSD7140A. However, you can still reach this number using a 4-port controller, with one caveat; Gen4 M.2 SSDs High-end workstations and server motherboards with multiple dedicated PCIe 3.0 x16 slots can double this to 28,000 MB/s, thanks to our revolutionary Cross-Sync RAID Technology. This is on par with a PCIe Gen4 8-port RAID controller. Not too shabby... Cross-Sync enables Gen3 platforms to break the 14,000 MB/s barrier that would otherwise require you to upgrade to a PCIe Gen4 platform. When would I need PCIe Gen 4? Despite being introduced nearly 2 years ago, Gen4 platforms are still not the norm. While Gen4 NVMe SSDs and RAID controllers are getting increasingly afforable, actual Gen4 computing platforms are still priced at a premium. The best Gen4 workstations are often built using a server class motherboard. Why? CPU and memory performance. If you want to max Gen4 performance, you will need a host platform with multi-processor capability and a ton of RAM. Gen4 is only an absolute must if you need a single-controller solution capable of breaking the 14,000 MB/s (PCIe Gen3) barrier. Use Cases Example Gen4 applications include high-end media production, editing and playback solutions. Video Projection Applications rely on large-scale LCD or OLED screens for commercial advertising and public events, such as a digital billboard or full motion video display designed to broadcast coverage of a live sporting tournament or fan convention. The resolution requirements can vary drastically, from as low as 4K to an astronomical 36K! The storage solution must be able to adjust for these requirements; PCIe Gen3 simply won’t cut it. Our Gen4 Solutions With the 2-port SSD7502, you can reach 14,000 MB/s. Using the 4-port SSD7505 M.2 RAID controller can deliver up to 25,000 MBs. An 8-port SSD7540 can push your performance thresholds to 28,000 MBs. And if you need even faster speeds, dual Cross-Synced SSD7540 controllers will get you extreme transfer speeds - upwards of 55,000 MB/s! Learn more

HighPoint’s Auto-Compile feature has been integrated into the open-source driver packages released for SSD7000 and SSD7500 series NVME RAID controllers. Auto-Compile was designed to streamline the Kernel update process by minimizing downtime of the Linux server environment. Once initially installed by an administrator, Auto-Compile enables the open-source driver to handle all future updates automatically. Anytime the host system is restarted, Auto-Compile will check the status of kernel releases. If the current driver is unable to support the new kernel it will automatically initiate the upgrade process; the package will check the controller’s driver database and download the corresponding file. Checks Kernel/Driver compatibility after every reboot. If the kernel and driver are mismatched: a) Will check remote database for updates b) Download required update Automatically compile & install a new driver Once the download is complete, the Auto-Compile feature will prepare the system environment, recompile the NVMe driver for the new kernel, and finally, install the driver. Did the Linux system automatically install an incompatible Kernel? No problem – the Auto-Compile feature will revert to the last known working Kernel Release. The Auto-Compile feature automatically configures the kernel to load the Linux driver on boot. However, if the system attempts to reboot into a kernel not supported by the existing driver (say, after an automated update), Auto-Compile will ensure the system is booted using the previous stable kernel, download the required update from the controller’s remote driver database, recompile a compatible driver, then boot into the new kernel. What if Auto-Compile is unable to compile a new driver? Again – no problem. It will revert the kernel to the previous working version to ensure the platform remains operational. However, if you experience such an issue, don’t hesitate to contact our Support Team.

This article discusses the differences between Random and Sequential NVMe storage performance, the types of applications that utilize each one, and which type of NVMe media is suitable for the task at hand. Random Performance By using NVMe storage tailored to maximize random performance, you can increase the responsiveness of file servers, databases, and virtualization solutions. These applications must be capable of accomodating a large user base simulataneously, likely carrying out a different sets of tasks (hence the term "random"). A high random performance is also ideal for the boot volume for a general use computing platform, such as home desktop/laptop running Windows 10 or 11. Example Applications: Datacenters File Servers Virtualization Platforms General Use/bootable solutions Sequential Performance Applications that have very strict performance requirements and are designed to accomplish a very specific set of tasks, use NVMe storage solutions that are designed to maximize sequential I/O (most often write transfers). For sequential I/O operation, data is transferred from start to finish, in a linear fashion. Some examples include an 8K video editing platform, a 3D design and animation workstation, and AI training and development systems for autonomous vehicles. Example Applications: High-speed data acquisition AI Training & Automation Engineering & Data Analysis High-end media production NVMe Media For applications that require a high level of random/sequential write transfer performance for an extended period of time, the best match are U.2 SSDs. They feature enterprise reliability and lifespans, are up to 16TB of storage, and deliver excellent random and sequential performance The next best option are datacenter class M.2 SSDs. Like U.2 SSDs, datacenter class M.2 SSDs are designed for 24/7 operation and are available in larger sizes.

RocketStor 6430 employ a newly-designed Cooling System with built-in monitoring and control features. New Cooling Hardware The RS6430 series features dedicated fans and temperature sensors for the drive bays and power supply. The power supply (PSU) fan is completely silent, and will adjust speed on the fly to keep the unit at a consistent operating temperature. The drive bay fan (or fans in the case of the 8-bay RS6438) operate in a similar manner. The enclosure will raise or lower fan RPM based on ambient conditions. However, the default operating state can be changed by the administrator. All RocketStor 6430 enclosures are equipped with a 16x2 backlit LCD that provides temperature reading in real time, along with manual fan speed controls (buttons) and an option to enable/disable the audible alarm (which will sound if the enclosure’s ambient temperature exceeds 60 degrees Celsius). Five speed settings are provided; 0 to 4 (0 being the lowest RPM, and 4 being the highest), and two mode settings: SMART Control (default) and Manual Control. Media professionals will likely appreciate the Mode and Speed settings features – they enable administrators to lower fan speeds to minimize noise. Selecting Manual, then choosing the lowest fan setting (0) will enable near silent operation. Fair warning; the lowest setting may not be ideal for long-term use. Depending on the type of drives you are working with, and the target application, the enclosure may have trouble to keeping ambient temperatures within the recommended range unless you intervene and reenable the SMART Control mode, or up the fan speed. Configurable Temperature Thresholds The WebGUI and CLI interfaces can be used to establish the temperature thresholds of the hard drives. By default, the interfaces will display a warning message if one or more drives reaches the threshold. Instead of relying on an audio/visual cue, administrators can use the CLI/WebGUI interfaces to trigger an automated Email warning message. You can set the disk temperature threshold (shown above as “HDD Temperature Threshold”) using the WebGUI’s SHI Tab. You can select between Fahrenheit or Celsius using the setting tab.

Thunderbolt 3 provides the most bandwidth for storage devices If you use Thunderbolt Connectivity for Storage devices, stick with Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 4 is shiny and new, but is actually slower for storage related applications. While it is true that Thunderbolt 4 controllers are capable of providing up to 3 Thunderbolt downlink ports (as opposed to 1 for Thunderbolt 3), this comes at a cost. The PCIe 3.0 bandwidth is limited to x1, versus x4 for Thunderbolt 3. In other words, Thunderbolt 4 will provide more connections, but will limit storage devices to PCIe 3.0 x1 speeds (985MB/s, MAX). By storage device we mean any drive; HDD, SSD, RAID array or enclosure, of any interface type (USB, NVMe, SAS, SATA). HighPoint Thunderbolt 3 products, such as the RocketStor 6661A PCIe Expansion chassis and RocketStor 6662A Hardware RAID Enclosure, require x4 lanes to perform optimally. These devices are capable of delivering up to 2800MB/s of transfer performance using a Thunderbolt 3 connection. The Takeaway: If you use Thunderbolt for storage, we recommend Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. It is able to allocate 400% more transfer bandwidth for storage devices. If you work primarily with video devices, or need general-use connectivity for large arrays of USB peripherals, Thunderbolt 4 may be a better option. However, it limits storage devices to PCIe 3.0x1 speeds.

HighPoint’s SSD7580B is the industry’s only true Hot-Plug and Hot-Swap capable NVMe RAID controller. It allows administrators to add or remove an entire RAID array, or individual SSDs for specific RAID related tasks, using either the HighPoint WebGUI or CLI storage management and monitoring software. Removing an SSD or RAID Array (aka Hot-Eject): Provided the array is not in use, administrators can use the CLI unplug command line, or the WebGUI “Unplug” button. The management utilities will then safely “park” each SSD (power off and unmount), then notify the host operating system of the change. Once the operating system storage/drive utility recognizes that the array or disk has been unmounted, the SSD(s) can be safely removed from the system. Adding an SSD: After the SSD is attached, Administrators can command the controller to scan its device ports for any changes, using the CLI rescan command, or the WebGUI’s Rescan button. Once the SSD is detected (this normally only takes a few seconds), it will immediately report this to the operating system. Example Screenshot (CLI): RAID arrays can also be unplugged or added to the controller while the system is live, but this requires an extra step, albeit a simple one. Administrators will have to use the SSD7580B CLI (Command Line Interface) and enter “Unplug” and the “Rescan” commands located on the left-side of the interface when adding or removing an array. Once the CLI carries out the command, it should only take a few seconds for the operating system to catch up. Learn More: How can I hot-swap individual NVMe SSDs (non-RAID)? SSD7580B Hot-Swap/Hot-Plug capable Cabling Options

The RocketU 1411C USB 3.2 HBA is the perfect partner for the RocketMate 110 external NVMe enclosure. The RU1411C’s Per-Port Performance architecture and PCIe 3.0 x4 host interface delivers 20Gb/s of transfer bandwidth (2000MB/s). Works with: · Windows 11/10, Windows Server 2022/2019/2016, Hyper-V · Linux kernel v3.10 and later RocketU 1411C The RocketU 1411C is the fastest single-port USB controller in today’s marketplace. The compact, half-height PCIe controller can be easily added to any PCIe Gen3 or Gen4 platform, and delivers uncompromised host to device 20Gb/s USB 3.2 bandwidth. While it is capable of supporting any industry standard USB 3.x device (USB 3.2/3.1/3.0), it has been fined tuned to interface with storage devices. RocketMate 110 The RocketMate 110 is stand-alone NVMe to USB 3.2 20G enclosure, and can support any off-the-shelf 2242/2260/2280 form factor M.2 NVMe SSD (including PCIe Gen4 models). RocketMate 110 RocketU 1411C The RocketU 1411C and RocketMate 110 are available as a kit, or separately. Hot-Swap Your NVMe Drives! Due to the industry standard USB 3.2 interface, you can hot-swap a RocketMate when paired with a RocketU 1411C (or any other RU1400 series controller, such as the4-port RocketU 1444C and 8-Port RocketU 1488C).

The RocketU 1444C is the first commercially available USB HBA that is capable of functioning as a true Thunderbolt™ 3 replacement. Although each USB port is slightly slower than a Thunderbolt™ 3 port (up to 2,500 MB/s vs. approximately 2,800MB/s), each of the RocketU 1444C’s ports can operate simultaneously! While it is true that Thunderbolt™ 3 is nothing to sneeze at, many do not realize that only a portion of the 40Gb/s bandwidth is available to storage devices. A single Thunderbolt™ 3 controller can allocate up to 2.8Gb/s of usable transfer bandwidth to storage media. However there is a major potential bottleneck to consider; many if not most Thunderbolt™ 3 capable host platforms only provide a single Thunderbolt™ 3 controller. This is also true for the majority of Thunderbolt™ 3 AIC’s (add-in cards), hubs and PCIe expansion devices. If you need a device or platform capable of providing four dedicated TB3 controllers, it will not come cheap. The RocketU 1444C on the other hand, provides four dedicated USB 3.2 controllers via a single PCIe 3.0 host connection. Each port is 100% independent, and can operate at 2,500MB/s 100% of the time (10,000MB/s total bandwidth). This is due to the controller’s unique “Per-Port Performance” architecture. Essentially, the controller design assigns a dedicated USB controller to each USB port (the controllers are highlighted blue, above). Combine this with our controller’s generous PCIe bus bandwidth (PCIe 3.0 x16 in the case of the RocketU 1444C), and it’s clear how our Rocket U HBA’s are capable of living up to their performance claims.

Superior Cooling System for Industrial Applications The cooling fan can be disabled by unplugging this power connector from the PCB. The 8-port RocketU 1388D (RU1388D) features the improved cooling system first developed for our 20G RocketU 1400 Series. The full-length anodized aluminum heat sink now features an integrated low-noise cooling fan to help ensure the USB controller hardware does not overheat, even when installed into crowded hardware environments, or custom-built chassis required for industrial applications. The fan however is an optional component. If the RocketU 1388D has been installed into a platform capable of maintaining the recommended temperature thresholds, the fan can be safely disabled (simply unplug the power connector from the controller’s PCB). The heat sink’s passive cooling ability is more than adequate for your average computing environment. This feature is useful for sensitive working environments, such as a media editing or streaming platform, which are designed to minimize noise and vibration.

If you need bootable NVMe RAID storage for a VMware based virtual machine application, we would recommend our FnL BRD Series NVMe AIC RAID drives. BRD Drives are true plug-and-play RAID solutions and are available with 1-8TB of preconfigured RAID 1 or 0 storage. FnL BRD series AIC drives are fully compatible with PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 host platforms, and are natively supported by current versions of VMware; no driver, or separate application is required! Just install VMware per standard procedure; it will automatically recognize the BRD RAID volume as a standard disk. Tuned for Virtual Machine Platforms BRD series NVMe AIC RAID drives are tuned to deliver exceptional random I/O performance - ideal for bootable configurations and Virtual Machine solutions. Each OS hosted by the VMware server is known as a Virtual Machine – virtual machines are designed to function as remote workstation platforms – essentially as virtual replacements for physical computers. A single BRD6204PB, equipped with four Samsung 980PRO Series SSD’s is capable of delivering and astounding 1,579,000 IOPS! However, The BRD6204PB is also capable of delivering over 7000MB/s of sequential transfer performance – basically, maxing out the PCIe 3.0 x8 bus. Benchmarking Each Virtual Machine We recently tested a VM platform configured to manage four virtual machines, using the BRD6202P and BRD6204P AIC drives. The Windows 10 and Server 2019 VM’s were benchmarked using CrystalDiskMark. FIO was used to test the RHEL and Ubuntu server VM’s. The BRD AIC Drives were configured as RAID 0 arrays in order to maximize transfer throughput. The results show how well equipped the BRD series are for a VM platform even with only 4 NVMe SSD’s (maximum) and a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface. Note: The IOPS results (I/O’s per second) are lower than the base test shown above, as they were generated for each individual virtual machine (while these virtual machines were in use), as opposed to the virtual machine platform itself (VMware). Test Platform: ASUS WS X299 (Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-7900X CPU @3.30GHz / 32GB) Virtual Machine #1: Windows 10 BRD6202: BRD6204: Virtual Machine #2: Windows Server 2019 BRD6202: BRD6204: Virtual Machine #3: Ubuntu server 20.04.2 Virtual Machine #4: RedHat Enterprise 8.3

What is VDI? Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a form of desktop virtualization. An administrator can install multiple instances of a desktop operating system (such as Windows 10) to a server, which clients can then access via a local network or more commonly, a cloud-based service. These desktop images reside within a server that is running a Virtual Machine (VM) platform (such as Citrix Hypervisor or VMware). The VM platform manages client access to each desktop mage. VDI solutions are sometimes referred to as “Desktops on Demand” and are ideal for clients that are often on the move, or away from the office. It enables inexpensive, compact portable devices such as a tablet, laptop or thin client terminal, to utilize applications normally restricted to a physical, high-performance workstation. Virtualization solutions are becoming increasingly popular with modern workforces, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic. How Does VDI benefit from NVMe Storage? While the speed of the network or internet connection is paramount to a successful VDI deployment, the host server storage environment should not be ignored. NVMe technology provides significant performance advantages over SAS or SATA based media, and the compact form factor allows it to be easily integrated into just about any modern computing platforms. A single NVMe SSD can outperform an entire array of platter disk drives or SAS/SATA SSD’s. NVMe RAID storage is even faster. Introducing the FNL BRD Series: NVMe RAID solutions for VM Platforms HighPoint FNL BRD Series NVMe RAID controllers and FnL BRD series AIC RAID Drives can be easily configured to host a wide-spectrum of VM (Virtual Machine) platforms, and are universally compatible with both PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 capable motherboards. The compact, half-height BRD6202P is available with up to 4TB of preconfigured RAID 0 or 1 storage. The full-height SSD6204 doubles storage capacity up to 8TB, and features our Silent Running, fan-less cooling system. Both models combine native boot support with excellent random and sequential transfer performance, and are capable of supporting a wide range of virtual machine platforms. IOP RAID Architecture BRD 6200 AIC drives employ IOP RAID architecture to support RAID 0 and 1 configurations. As a result, BRD AIC RAID drives are natively supported by all major PC-compatible operating systems, and will be automatically recognized as ordinary “drives”. This includes current VM platforms, such as VMware, Citrix Hypervisor, Proxmox, and Hyper-V, amongst others. As a result, BRD AIC RAID drives are essentially plug-and-play storage devices; users will not have to install any device driver, software application or manually configure the device before use. Seamless Software Updates: Native hardware support enables you to update the VM platform and virtual machine images as needed, using standard update procedures. You will not need to compile a driver, or patch the kernel in order to continue using the BRD RAID drive. Which VM Platform is right for my application? Future posts will take a closer look at today’s leading VM platforms, and how they can benefit from NVMe RAID technology.