High-performance desktop workstations like the HP Z6 G5 A platform do a lot. They handle AI-driven workflows, simulation, and HPC (high-performance computing). They're responsible for a wide range of professional media workflows, like 3-D rendering, animation, and post-production. But these diverse applications share a common factor: they're data-intensive, and require lag-free transfer and immediate response time. The Rocket 1608A 8-Channel M.2 NVMe Switch AIC and Rocket 7608A M.2 NVMe RAID AIC take heavyweight workloads in stride. Rocket-series devices like the 1608A and 7608A double  the port count of HP's own NVMe AICs. They also leverage advanced engineering to make the most of x16 lanes of Gen5 host bandwidth. You gain optimal port capacity and performance potential, and none of it goes to waste. Massive Storage Expansion Capacity The Rocket 1608A and 7608A AICs work with nothing more than an x16-lane PCIe Gen5 slot. In other words, you could install four Gen5 AICs on your Z6 G5 and still have room for additional devices. In storage terms, this means up to 128 TB of Gen 5 capacity  with maxed-out 4 TB Gen5 M.2 SSDs. Switch to 8TB Gen4 M.2 media, and you're looking at an insane 256TB expansion! High-Performance PCIe Gen5 Switch Architecture: Full Bandwidth, Maximum Performance Under the hood, HighPoint’s High-Performance PCIe Gen5 Switch Architecture powers the Rocket 1608A and 7608A. Thanks to a Broadcom PEX89048 Switch IC and some precision engineering, these AICs can fully use all x16 lanes of available bandwidth. This is more than enough for up to 8 M.2 NVMe SSDs: · x48 lanes of independent, self-managed Gen5 bandwidth per AIC:  Deliver x16 lanes of dedicated upstream bandwidth (to the host) and x32 lanes downstream (to your SSDs). · Maximum possible Gen5 transfer performance: Achieve more, faster with up to 64 GB/s of transfer bandwidth (56 GB of real-world transfer performance). · Consistent, robust performance: HighPoint PCIe Switching Technology   minimizes latency and optimizes signal integrity for dependable I/O throughput. · Dedicated Gen5 cooling: Boost SSD endurance, reliability, and transfer rates with integrated cooling. · Hardware Secure Boot: Protect your data and storage infrastructures. Secure boot support prevents unauthorized code execution at startup, reducing your threat exposure. Get to Know HighPoint's 8-Channel Gen5 x4 M.2 NVMe AICs HighPoint offers two distinct Gen5 solutions for M.2 media; The Rocket 1608A Switch AIC, and the Rocket 7608A RAID AIC. Rocket 1608A Switch AIC The Rocket 1608A leads the industry in 8x M.2 plug-and-play storage speed. Modern OSes with native NVMe driver support automatically recognize this AIC, making it perfect for Windows 11/Server 2022/Hyper-V, VMware ESXi, and all major Linux distributions. The Rocket 1608A takes the hassle out of managing storage hardware. Any SSD you host with the AIC appears as an ordinary physical disk ready for immediate use. Read more about the HighPoint Rocket 1608A PCIe Gen5 x16 NVMe Switch AIC . Rocket 7608A RAID AIC The Rocket 7608A RAID AIC reinforces the 1608A's strong foundation with HighPoint's proven RAID 0, 1, and 10 technology . It also adds the industry's most comprehensive storage monitoring and management suite. Maximize your NVMe media's performance, reliability, and security with: · A Comprehensive storage health monitoring, management, and analysis suite  enables administrators to easily configure and maintain NVMe storage with simple clicks and commands · SafeStorage data encryption solution  utilizes OPAL SSC TCG based NVMe Hardware Encryption to protect media assets by preventing access to stored data when physical disks are misplaced or stolen · Advanced intelligent PCIe Gen5 Cooling Solution  features a full-Length Aluminum Heatsink with copper SSD contacts and a powerful low-decibel cooling fan ensures M.2 media always operates at optimal temperature to maximize endurance and transfer speed. Read more about the HighPoint Rocket 7608A PCIe Gen5 x16 NVMe RAID AIC . Should You Choose a Rocket 1608A/7608A over HP's Turbo Drive Duo/Quad NVMe AIC? The short answer? Yes. HP's NVMe AIC accessories only supports up to 4 SSDs per SSD. At most, you get just half the storage capacity and performance potential of a compatible Rocket-series AIC. Availability and Pricing Look for HighPoint's PCIe Gen5 NVMe AICs in early May 2024. They'll be available worldwide from our e-store or Authorized Global Resale and Distribution Partners. NVMe Switch Series Rocket 1608A – PCIe Gen5 x16 to 8-M.2x4 NVMe Switch AIC NVMe RAID Series Rocket 7608A – PCIe Gen5 x16 to 8-M.2x4 NVMe RAID AIC Optimized Storage Solutions Your HP G5 Z6 workstation is pretty capable. But "capable" doesn't quite cut it for intensive workloads. A high-performance professional media workstation deserves an optimized storage solution. HighPoint Gen5 NVMe AICs, armed with their innovative PCIe switching technology, can help you maximize the performance potential of your chosen platform. Installing multiple Rocket 1608A Switch AICs or Rocket 7608A RAID AICs can net you as much as128 TB of storage capacity, with each card delivering up to56GB/s of real-world transfer speed.

Hot-Plugging, or the ability to insert and remove a device without having to power down one’s system, has been an important feature for users who are attempting to maximize their total uptime on often times mission critical systems. For decades this has been a standard feature supported by a wide variety of data storage devices like SAS/SATA Hard Drives (HDDs) and Solid-State Drives (SSDs). In addition, this feature is also a mainstay with most USB devices. Given that this feature has been around and is widely adopted by many different protocols, one might be forgiven in thinking that it would be standard with NVMe storage, however that is not the case. Unlike the SAS/SATA interface, which was designed with hot plugging in mind, NVMe instead, was designed originally to bypass the performance limitations of the aforementioned interfaces. That is not to say that that NVMe media doesn’t have this feature at all. While NVMe hot-plug support isn’t as standardized as it is for SAS/SATA drives, there are some NVMe SSDs that do have the ability to hot-plug. However, this is no simple task; and this support is contingent on the following main factors. It is important to note, that all of these factors must be met; and if one is missing, NVMe hot-plug will not be supported. 1. System Requirements for NVMe Hot-plug : The system/motherboard the drives will be connected to must supports NVMe hot-plug. Typically, this information can be found with the associated user/technical manuals. 2. Operating System Support for NVMe Hot-plug: Certain operating systems and drivers are designed to be able to handle hot plugging of NVMe devices. 3. Drive Requirements for NVMe Hot-plug:  Hot Plugging is a feature typically supported by DC or Enterprise grade NVMe drives. As such this is a feature supported by U.2/U.3 NVMe drives. M.2 drives, were not designed to support hot-plugging and since most of them are client grade, they don’t have the support to begin with. 4. PCIe Switch Solution for NVMe Hot-plug: NVMe drives require dedicated amounts of resources. A PCIe Switch will ensure that system CPU provides the resources to each channel where an NVMe could go. Assuming you meet the criteria of all three of the requirements, this brings up the initial question, is it safe to simply remove the NVMe SSD from the system and replace it with a new one? In short, no. While it is possible to remove and replace an NVMe SSD from a running system, there are a series of best practices for NVMe Hot-Plugging that need to be taken in order to avoid any issues. Primarily this requires understanding of both the device and host side. In this scenario, the NVMe SSD drive would be a member of the device side and the host side refers to the system/OS. Before removing the drive, you must first notify the host that you would like to remove the drive. This is because the host side is responsible for managing the overall files system and structure. It is also in charge of maintaining data integrity. Once the request has been made, the host side will determine whether the drive is in a safe state. If approved, the host side will then notify the user that it is safe to remove the drive. The notification step is necessary for ensuring both data integrity and the smooth removal of the SSD. If one were to skip this step, its possible that the drive they removed could have been in the middle of read/write operations, meaning it wasn’t safe to eject. This can lead to serious issues such as data loss or total corruption of the drive. In order to facilitate the smooth removal of drives and avoid data loss, HighPoint has integrated an unplug feature. This easy-to-use feature can be found using the HighPoint NVMe RAID Management Software, chiefly the WebGUI (Web-Based Graphical User Interface) or the CLI (Command Line Interface). When it comes time to remove the drive, all the user need do is simply use this feature to notify the host of the intent to eject the drive. The user should then see a notification informing them that the drive is now removable.

Keep NVMe Devices Running Strong with HighPoint’s Comprehensive Storage Health Monitoring, Management and Analysis suite HighPoint’s comprehensive Storage Health Monitoring, Management and Analysis suite provides a variety of pro-active storage health and security features and real-time monitoring toolsets that enable administrators to keep close tabs all hosted NVMe media and make sure temperature, electrical characteristics and S.M.A.R.T. (self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology) attributes are inline with the manufactures recommended specifications . An intelligent, pro-active alert system, comprised of on-device LED indicators, an audible alarm and software-based event trackers and logging services can be configured to keep Administrators apprised of any environmental changes whether on site or in the field. Left to its own devices, HighPoint PCIe Gen5 and Gen4 NVMe RAID AICs and Adapters will intelligently monitor each hosted SSD and RAID configuration to ensure everything is running smoothly. However, customers that want full manual control, or need to tune a storage configuration for a particular application or computing environment can install HighPoint’s NVMe Management Suite, which includes an arsenal of pro-active monitoring tools and features our Intelligent Throttling Alert System, and Active Sensor Tracking and Logging Services. Active Sensor Tracking & Logging Services HighPoint’s WebGUI now incorporates a real-time NVMe Sensor logging system which tracks and records the temperature, fan-speed and electrical characteristics of the adapter and each hosted SSD over time, and presents the data via a series of simple plotted curves and line charts. These records can be exported as needed, and can help administrators narrow the scope of troubleshooting tasks by identifying potential faults and at-risk storage media, and implement preventative measures to maximize the lifespan of the RAID array and maintain optimal performance. Intelligent Throttling Alert System with Customizable Temperature Thresholds SHI (storage health inspector) is a key feature of HighPoint NVMe solutions. The solution is integrated into the WebGUI and CLI (command line utility) interfaces and enables administrators to monitor the temperature of each NVMe device in real time. Viewing the details for each SSD enables threshold configuration; temperatures can be adjusted to correspond with the manufacturer’s official specifications, and instructed to notify one or more administrators whenever a critical threshold is crossed. The interface features full manual fan control for those that need to fine tune a configuration solution for a specific platform. Administrators can select from 5 settings including, an option to fully disable the fans; ideal for workflows that require a silent work environment. Integrated LED Indication and Audible Alerts Each Rocket Series Gen5 NVMe AIC and Adapter is equipped with a series of LED indicators that track the status and operating condition of hosted NVMe media and/or RAID configurations, the solution’s PCIe connectivity status, behavior/status of the PCIe IC. The hardware sensors and indicators are designed to work in conjunction with a range of services and features associated with Highpoint’s Storage Health Monitoring, Management and Analysis suite. LED indicators are built into the ventilated PCIe bracket, and use simple color-coding (Green =  Good, Yellow = Warning, Red = Error/Failure) and flash-patterns to signal a variety of status and operational data. The audible alarm (aka “Warning “beeper” is mounted directly to the AIC/Adapter PCB. It is capable of notifying administrators when temperature thresholds are breached, RPM of cooling apparatus drops below recommended levels, or a device/RAID array has encountered an error or entered a failure state. Though enabled by default, the alarm can be disabled using the WebGUI or CLI for applications that require a silent working environment. Multi-Tiered Notification Systems HighPoint’s NVMe Management Suite continually operates in the background to keep tabs on NVMe storage assets. If anything should go awry, the Intelligent Throttling Alert System can notify administrators via an audible alarm, warning messages, an event log and Email notification system. These features can be configured independently to meet the requirements of platform and application. Audible Error Alarm  – the alarm will sound whenever a temperature threshold is exceeded, fan-speed drops to0 low, or any S.M.A.R.T. attribute triggers an error or warning. The alarm can be enabled or disabled at will using the WebGUI or CLI interfaces. Event Log  – The WebGUI and CLI will automatically log any administrator action, warning and alert issued by SHI or the host controller. The log can be easily exported as a text document for troubleshooting purposes. Email Notification  – Customers can instruct the WebGUI and CLI to compose and send Email Notification to one or more Administrators whenever a temperature threshold is crossed, and if any Alert or Warning is issued by SHI or the Host Controller.   In summary In conclusion, HighPoint’s Storage Health Monitoring, Management and Analysis Suite is a robust, comprehensive toolset designed to optimize the performance, reliability and endurance of NVMe RAID storage for industrial, server and datacenter applications. The solution utilizes an array of hardware sensors to monitor and record the environmental conditions and operating status of hosted NVMe devices in real-time, and relay this data to the administrator via a series of simple LED indicators, audible alarms, and intuitive graphical interfaces. The suite can be custom-tailored to compliment service and maintenance workflows (both on-site and remote) for a wide range of hardware & software environments, via configurable temperature thresholds, manual fan speed settings, and programmable alert services such as event logging and email notification.

In our previous blog we compared NVMe to SATA drives and explored the variety of advantages that NVMes drives can provide. However, it must be noted, these advantages come at a price: Specifically, NVMe media generates a significant larger amount heat than a standard SAS/SATA drive. Consequently, if one isn’t careful, they might end up with an NVMe drive that is overheating. So, in order to effectively use an NVMe, the user will need to be sure to manage their drive effectively and take necessary precautions to prevent this from happening. What causes the NVMe to generate such heat? Before delving into the consequences of what happens when an NVMe starts overheating, one should first understand the reason why NVMes generate so much more heat than their SATA counterparts. NVMes come in many different shapes and sizes, with one of the most popular being the M.2 form factor. Often times being described as looking like a stick of gum, these are small, compact drives, whose limited space for heat dissipation, can lead to increased temperatures if not properly managed. In addition, these thin drives are densely packed with a variety of essential components like NAND chips which generates its own amount of heat. However, most importantly the NVMe’s high-speed transfer bandwidth. This increased activity leads to higher power consumption and heat generation. What are known NVMe overheating effects? One of the first signs that an NVMe drive is getting too warm is that it’s performance will start to degrade.  In order to prevent this, NVMe drives will perform an action known as thermal throttling. This automatic process is activated first by the drive reaching a certain temperature threshold, once reached, the drive will purposely reduce its overall performance which helps reduce the total amount of heat generated by the drive. While the performance loss may be an annoyance to some, it should be noted that thermal throttling is an important safety feature built into the drives in order to protect the onboard components and overall integrity of the drive. NVMe drives are built to operate within a specific temperature range and when operating at or above the upper threshold, it’s possible to permanently damage the NVMe drive. Preventing NVMe Thermal Throttling Simply put, in order to avoid thermal throttling, one must make sure to keep their drives operating in within its acceptable threshold. There are two main factors to look at in regards to NVMe thermal management. The first is the overall system environment, generally, the more space and airflow a system has, the lower the overall ambient temperature will be. This in turn should help the NVMe stay in an acceptable temperature range. The second factor to consider is the drive itself. While many NVMes offer their own standalone heatsink component, these only are able to be used for single, specific NVMes and are designed only to be when the NVMe is directly connected to the motherboard. To handle this, HighPoint has been continually researching and developing newer, more efficient cooling solutions to tackle the issue of thermal throttling. Our latest generation of cooling solutions are designed to protect any and all installed NVMe drives and keep them cool under full load. Learn more about HighPoint’s Intelligent Cooling Solution and how it addresses thermal throttling, here .

Intro As technology evolves, the need for high speed, high-capacity storage is only becoming more prevalent. While SATA based drives use to be the main go-to data storage solutions, nowadays they have largely been supplanted and replaced by newer NVMe drives.  In this article, we’ll take a closer look at NVMe and why it’s become the gold-standard and future for most storage solutions. AHCI Protocol vs. NVMe: SATA Limitations for SSDs While both are flash memory-based storage devices, the actual interface between NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) and SATA solid state drives (SSD) differ significantly. SATA SSDs rely on the AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) protocol. This protocol operates as an interface between the SATA controller and the storage devices connected to it. Originally, AHCI was designed for hard drives and later adapted to SSDs when they first were introduced. While this worked well for early model SSDs, as they continued to become more advanced, the limitations of AHCI became more and more apparent. For example, ACHI only has a single command queue and is limited in its overall queue depth. This restricts the SSD’s ability in handling multiple commands simultaneously. As a consequence, this can lead to increased latency during SSD operations. Another issue is the SATA interface itself. The current version of the interface is SATA 3 which has a bandwidth cap of 6Gbs. Like the AHCI protocol, this speed cap was fine for traditional hard drives as due to their spinning platters, they were physically incapable of maxing out the bandwidth provided to them. However, with the advent of SSDs and their lack of moving parts, it quickly became apparent that this interface was now acting as a bottleneck and preventing maximum performance. Benefits of NVMe SSDs This all changed with the introduction of NVMe. Unlike the SATA interface, NVMe can communicate directly with the system CPU via the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Interface). Overall, this reduces total latency and overhead. In turn, this results in much higher performance than SATA is capable of, with it being able to provide bandwidth in the thousands of MBs opposed to the hundreds that SATA can support. Additionally, as the PCIe interface continues to update, this increases the total data transfer rate it’s able to support. PCIe Interface and SSD Performance Version Transfer Performance x1 Total Transfer Performance x16 PCIe 1.0 250 MB/s 4 GB/s PCIe 2.0 500 MB/s 8 GB/s PCIe 3.0 ~1 GB/s ~16 GB/s PCIe 4.0 ~2 GB/s ~32 GB/s PCIe 5.0 ~4 GB/s ~64 GB/s NVMe Command Queue Advantages Another added advantage of NVMe is the increase in command queue and the number of commands that can be sent per queue. As previously mentioned, SATA is limited to a single command queue. NVMe on the other hand can support up to 64K queues and is able to send 64K commands per queue. Due to their massive increase in performance, NVMes has become the go-to storage solution for a variety of different applications. This can range from data center usage which requires high-capacity, sustained and continuous performance to projects that are system intensive and require ultra-fast speeds. NVMe is particularly well suited for AI and ML Workloads. These demanding applications require high-speed, high-density storage solutions. During their initial phases, most AI algorithms will need to process massive datasets of both structured and unstructured data. By using NVMe, one is able to provide storage that is able provide the fast access speeds which reduces the total time required for this stage. Future of Storage: NVMe SSDs Why choose NVMe over SATA? By now, the answer should be obvious. With NVMes ability to provide high-speed, low-latency storage, and reduce total overhead it’s obvious which storage option should be chosen for projects looking for the most fastest solution possible.

RocketAIC Drives are the perfect storage solutions for 1U Rackmount and Compact Desktop Dell/HP Server Platforms RocketAIC drives are the perfect storage expansion and upgrade solution for 1U rackmount and tower server platforms, such as HP’s ProLiant DL300 and ML100 series servers. These small-footprint server platforms are equipped with powerful AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors and upwards of 6TB of memory. Cost effective, compact and versatile, such platforms and can be tailored to accommodate a broad range of applications and working environments. Some of the more specialized platforms forgo internal drive bays in favor of additional PCIe expansion slots. This approach enables a compact 1U server chassis to support as many as four full-length GPUs via riser cards. In combination with dual CPU’s, such a platform would make for an enticing, cost-effective SMB solution for AI-driven applications, ML and industrial workflows, IOT devices, and AV solutions. Of course, such platforms are prime candidates for high-density NVMe based storage solutions. Our Ultra-Dense series of expansion drives, such as RocketAIC 7540HW, are especially space efficient, as the storage media is directly housed within the PCIe AIC itself, and no additional cabling, cooling or power-related hardware is required. HighPoint’s manufactures a range of RocketAIC series of PCIe expansion storage drives ideally suited for these compact hardware environments. Which RocketAIC drive is right for my system? In most cases, our PCIe Gen4 RocketAIC 7505x, or PCIe Gen3 RocketAIC 7105HW and RocketAIC 6204AW drives are the best choice for compact desktop and 1U rackmount servers. They are available with up to 8TB of storage, are capable of hosting bootable configurations, and can be easily installed into any PCIe slot or riser capable of supporting a single Full-Height/Full-Length device. *RocketAIC 7505HW Shown Ultra-Compact Solutions Platforms that require a low-profile solution can opt for our PCIe Gen4 RocketAIC 7502HW or PCIe Gen3 RocketAIC 6202AW drives. Both models deliver up to 4TB of bootable storage in an ultra-compact Half-Height/Half-Length PCIe add-in-card. *RocketAIC 6202AW Shown High-Density Solutions Advanced platforms, such as the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen11 GPU CTO server are capable of supporting our full-sized RocketAIC 7540HW and RocketAIC 7140AW drives. Despite the platforms 1U form factor, it is able to support multiple Full-Height/Full-Length PCIe devices by providing additional riser slots in place of the internal 2.5” drive bays. In fact, this particular platform can support any current RocketAIC drive, outside of our Dual-Width RA7749Ex models. *RocketAIC 7540HW Shown Turnkey, ready to install Storage drives for wide range of factory-built Dell & HP platforms We’ve published a series of installation and compatibility guides designed to streamline the PCIe drive integration process and get you up and running as quickly and painlessly as possible. The guides analyze the PCIe expansion capability of each compatible platform, and provide a list of supported RocketAIC drives and the recommended PCIe slot configurations. These guides are routinely updated, and will be continually expanded to include new computing platforms and RocketAIC drives. Compatible Systems that require a Riser Card: Dell: PowerEdge R650, PowerEdge R6525, PowerEdge 660, PowerEdge 730, PowerEdge 750, PowerEdge 760, PowerEdge 7515, PowerEdge 7525, PowerEdge 7615, PowerEdge R620, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R720, PowerEdge R720XD, PowerEdge R730XD, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge 740XD, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R940 HP: Proliant DL325 Gen10 Plus, Proliant DL325 Gen 10 Plus v2, Proliant DL325 Gen11, Proliant DL365 Gen 10 Plus server, Proliant DL365 Gen11, Proliant DL360 Gen 10 Plus, Proliant DL360 Gen 11, DL580/DL585/345/560 series Learn More RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms Bootable RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms Dell Compatibility List HP Compatibility List

Installing a third-party PCIe expansion device into factory-built Dell and HP computing platform is not as straightforward as it may seem. Naturally, the platforms were designed to accommodate Dell and HP’s own accessories and upgrade solutions. Many of these rely on custom-fitted Riser cards and pre-configured option-packages that can only be purchased in groups. Attempting to decipher the codes and part number associated with Riser card and PCIe expansion accessories manufactured for Dell and HP platforms can bring the most veteran of IT specialists to tears. Depending on the model and generation of the target platform, accessories may not even be shared amongst members of the same product line. Determining which riser works with which server or workstation, and what kind of PCIe device they are capable of hosting can be a frustrating, time-consuming affair. In many cases, customers are likely to just go with a pre-packaged configuration (platform, plus selected risers) to avoid the headache. However, opting for the factory-made upgrade kit may seriously impair the system’s ability to support a third-party device; such as a PCIe/NVMe storage expansion solution, many which are of critical importance to workflows these systems are typically marketed towards. Thankfully, HighPoint has simplified this tedious process for do-it-yourselfers, IT administrators and solution providers. We have published a series of compatibility and integration guides for our RocketAIC series PCIe expansion drives. Guides will be made available for all compatible Dell and HP platforms, and are routinely updated and reviewed to ensure they accurately represent the target system. The guides examine the CPU and PCIe configurations of each platform, and break down the PCIe slot arrangement into simple, easy to digest tables and diagrams, and provide a list of supported RocketAIC drives and the recommended PCIe slot. For example, HPE’s ML110 G11 platform is a compact, cost-effective desktop tower server with PCIe Gen5 host connectivity and the ability to support dual 4th Generation Xeon Scalable processors. By default, the system provides two PCIe slots, and includes a Riser accessory capable of supporting a single Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width PCIe device, and a single Full-Height/Half-Length/Single-Width device. However, customers can order additional Riser accessories for this platform when it is equipped with dual CPUs. Each riser will enable an additional PCIe expansion slot. We recommend equipping these with the GPU riser option, as it will enable the platform to support up to four Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width AICs. Learn More RocketAIC for Dell & HP Systems Bootable RocketAIC for Dell & HP Systems RocketAIC Compatibility List

Choosing the right PCIe Expansion Storage Drive for your PC Platform and Application Determining which PCIe expansion drive is right for your application starts with identifying the ins and outs of your system; what kind of PCIe expansion ports does the system provide? Does it require the use of riser cards or backplane accessories? Which OS or OS’s do you require support for? What are the capacity requirements and performance target? If you are working with a factory-built Dell or HP computing system, we’ve got you covered. HighPoint has published a series of Compatibility and Integration reports for Dell and HP’s most popular Server and Workstation platforms. Using a system from another manufacturer, or a custom-built platform? No worries. HighPoint RocketAIC drives, like our SSD series NVMe AIC adapters, are fully compliant with all industry standard x86 Intel/AMD computing platforms. RocketAIC drives can be easily installed into nearly modern system or motherboard with a free PCIe 3.0/4.0/5.0 x16 slot. The following guidelines can help you narrow down your selection: Form Factor & Slot Type: The type of PCIe card supported by your platform’s PCIe slots or Riser card is arguably the most important factor. This ultimately determines what kind of PCIe expansion drive you can integrate into your workflow. You must identify the following: Mechanical Lanes: This refers to the number of lanes, represent as “x#”, the slot can physically support. 1. x1 – the smallest slot type. Few modern PCIe devices utilize this type of slot, and it is becoming less common. 2. x4 – This type of slot is utilized by many types of general-use add-in-cards, such as USB adapter cards, single-drive M.2 NVMe solution, and entry-level networking adapters. 3. x8 – Arguably the most common slot type. Many network devices, SAS/SATA controller cards, media capture cards, entry-level GPUs, and compact form-factor AIC drives utilize this slot length. HighPoint RocketAIC 6200 and 7200 series dries require a slot capable of supporting x8 mechanical lanes. 4. x16 – The largest slot type. x16 slots are required by most GPUs, and most RocketAIC drives. Note 1: Some PCIe slots may be “notched” or “slotted” to accept larger PCI devices. For example, a notched x4 slot can accept x8 or x16 PCIe devices. Note 2: A slot can only provide a number of electrical lanes less than or equal to it mechanical lanes. For example, a PCIe x4 mechanical slot can provide either x1 or x4 electrical lanes, but never x8 or x16 electrical lanes. On the other hand, an x16 mechanical slot may provide any number of electrical lanes (x1, x4, x8 or x16). Read on for more information. Electrical Lanes: AKA bandwidth. This refers the PCIe host bandwidth provided by the slot. Be warned; as mentioned previously, a slot’s electrical rating may not correspond with its mechanical requirements. Please note, the MB/s and GB/s cited below are theoretical maximums. PCIe devices will be unable to deliver this number in a real-world scenario. In general, your best x16 Gen3 device is able to deliver 14GB/s (14,000MB/s) of transfer performance, while an ideal x16 Gen4 device can deliver 27-28GB/s (27-28,000MB/s) of transfer performance. 1. x1 – The most basic level of bandwidth. This type of slot can provide approximately 1GB/s for PCIe Gen3 and 2GB/s for Gen4. As such, x1 electrical slots are not recommended for RocketAIC drives, as they will severely bottleneck performance. 2. x4 – This rating provides up to 4GB/s for PCIe Gen3, and 8GB/s for Gen4. Better than x1, but still only suitable for single NVMe SSD. 3. x8- This rating provides up to 8GB/s for PCIe Gen3, and 16GB/s for Gen4. In most cases, this ideal for our compact bootable drives (RocketAIC 7502x, 6202x, 6202x, 720x), and our cost-effective RocketAIC 7204x series drives. 4. x16 – This is the ideal electrical rating. This provides maximum bandwidth; up to 16GB/s for PCIe Gen3, and 32GB/s for PCIe Gen4. Capacity Requirements: Identify the storage capacity requirement of your application. RocketAIC drives are available in a wide range of storage capacities, from our bootable 2TB RocketAIC 7502x/7202/6202x drives to our Enterprise-grade RocketAIC 7749x series solutions, which provide an astounding 61TB of storage capacity! Performance Requirement: While all NVMe storage is fast, you will want to select a solution that take full advantage of your chosen platform. Identifying your platform’s PCIe host connectivity is a must. Setting a specific performance target, in either MB/s or GB/s, can help refine your selection. Our Gen4 AIC drives (RocketAIC 7749x, 7540x, 7505x and 7502x) can deliver up to 28,000MB/s of performance when installed into a PCIe 4.0/5.0 slot with x16 lanes of host bandwidth. Our Gen 3 drives (RocketAIC 7140Ax, 7105x, and 62xx) can deliver up to 14,000MB/s when installed into a PCIe 3.0/4.0/5.0 slot with x16 lanes of host bandwidth. Workflow & Endurance Considerations If your application is focused on a particular task or workflow for a PC-based server or workstation, such as video/audio editing platform, we would recommend considering our Ultra-Speed series of drives. These drives are equipped with Samsung’s class-leading 990 PRO series M.2 NVMe SSDs, and are available with up to 16TB of storage capacity. Customers that are looking for high-density storage solution capable of sustaining an around-the-clock working schedule should consider our Ultra-Dense RocketAIC 7749EW series drives, which are equipped with Solidigm’s Datacenter Class D7-P5520 Series E1.S SSDs. Learn More RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms Bootable RocketAICs for Dell & HP Platforms Dell Compatibility List HP Compatibility List

RocketAIC PCIe 4.0 x16 NVMe Drives Deliver the Best Performance & Price Upgrade for Dell Precision 7960 Workstations! HighPoint’s RocketAIC NVMe drives are capable of delivering maximum sustained data transfer throughput in an ultra-compact, PCIe Gen4 add-in-card (AIC) that can be easily integrated into industry-standard “tower” workstation environments. The RA7505HW and RA7540HW series are available with up to eight pre-configured 2TB Samsung 990PRO M.2 SSDs, and engineered to deliver a guaranteed x16 lanes of upstream bandwidth, and x4 lanes of downstream bandwidth to each device port (and SSD); this translates into 28GB/s (28,000MB/s) of real-world transfer performance. To justify our headline, we compared our RocketAIC drives to Dell’s own line of NVMe drive accessories; both series are designed for use with Dell’s Precision 7960 Tower Workstation platform. Dell offers a range of NVMe storage upgrades for this 7690 workstations, titled “Ultra-Speed”. They are available with 2 to 4 NVMe SSDs pre-installed into a PCIe AIC, and are denoted as “Ultra-Speed Drive Duo M.2 NVMe SSDs“ and Ultra-Speed Drive Quad M.2 NVMe SSDs”, respectively. Ultra-Speed drives are available in capacities from as little as 512GB, all the way up to 16TB. This may seem like ideal upgrades at first glance, a closer look raises some concerns – notably the wasted bandwidth (only handful of models have enough SSDs to utilize x16 lanes), and high-cost of entry. On the other side of the coin, customers been integrating HighPoint NVMe solutions into Dell workstations since we first launched our SSD7xxx series NVMe RAID controllers back in 2017. In fact, customers have already verified that the Precision 7690 is indeed compatible with our new RocketAIC series NVME drives. HighPoint is no stranger to this marketplace; we have had years of experience developing, manufacturing and deploying high-quality storage solutions for high-speed workstation platforms. In addition, we are on the verge of announcing several new models for this product family, some of which will be available with up to 122TB of built-in storage! So how do these two series fare in real-world scenarios? Does the HighPoint RocketAIC series live up our “Best Performance & Price” mantra? Read on. RocketAIC vs. Ultra-Speed Quad While the “Duo” models represent Dell’s most cost-effective options, they do not align well with the capabilities of RocketAIC NVMe drives; they limit SSD count to 2 max, and bus bandwidth to x8. It makes a bit more sense to compare the Ultra-Speed Quad series to our RocketAIC product lines. Both provide x16 lanes of PCIe gen4 bandwidth, and include up to 4 pre-configured NVMe SSDs. However, the similarities pretty much end here. To summarize, the entry-level Quad models offer little over their Duo counterparts. Both are limited to 1 or 2 SSDs, which naturally bottlenecks performance to 14GB/s max; only 8 lanes of the available x16 can bever be used). The mid-range models are better spec wise, but still can’t match the RA7505HW’s performance, as they limited to 3 drives and 20GB/s. And in any case, all are considerably more expensive than the HighPoint solutions. For this reason, it we felt it was best to compare the top-line Quad models with our RocketAIC drives. These are equipped with 4 SSDs, which in theory, enables them to match the SSD7505HW’s performance level. They also are available in larger capacities (16TB – twice that of the SSD7505HW). However, you will spend big $$ for these specs: And this completely overlooks the fact that the RocketAIC 7540HW series is available. These 16TB NVMe drives are equipped with eight Samsung 990PRO SSDs, and priced only $6 more than Dell’s 8TB Quad drive! In Conclusion Aside from a desire to keep everything under the Dell “banner”, it’s hard to justify selecting an Ultra-Speed Quad drive over a RocketAIC Drive. In every case, opting for one of the RocketAIC drives is the best choice. They offer significant advantages in both speed and capacity, and are considerably more affordable. And importantly, RocketAIC performance numbers are guaranteed, and all drives are covered by HighPoint’s 3-Year limited warranty. Learn More RocketAIC NVMe Drives

Although RocketAIC drives are ready to use right out of the box, HighPoint has provided a range of optional tools and features that enable customers to tailor the drive to best suit their application and host environment. This article provides a summary of several of these key features, and provides links for more information and in-depth guides. Quick & Intuitive Management Suite RocketAIC Drives can be managed and monitored using HighPoint’s WebGUI and CLI software utilities: The WebGUI is available for all OS platforms; Linux, macOS and Windows The CLI is available for PC-based hardware platforms (Linux and Windows OS) The WebGUI (Web-Based Graphical Management Interface) is an intuitive graphical user interface designed to work with all modern Web Browsers. Most of its features, especially those related to RAID creation, have default settings that let you breeze through everything with a few simple clicks. However, the WebGUI also provides advanced features that customers may find useful. CLI (Command Line Interface): The HighPoint CLI (Command Line Interface) is ideal for seasoned administrators and platforms that do not utilize graphical operating systems. For many Linux veterans, it is the tool of choice, as it runs from a terminal window, is universal for any distribution, and does not require a graphical OS. Special Feature: HighPoint’s Storage Health Inspector Solution (SHI) SHI provides wealth of information about NVMe storage via SMART (self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology). SHI is accessible via the WebGUI software, using the dedicated “SHI” tab. Customers can instantly, check the temperature, endurance rating, and operational status of each RocketAIC SSD. SHI was designed to work in tandem with the WebGUI/CLI’s Event Log and SMTP Email Alert Notification system, which will record and broadcast any warnings or errors reported by SHI. Redundant Arrays – Advanced Features RocketAIC Drives are shipped preconfigured as Stripe Arrays. However, customers are free to reconfigure the SSDs into Mirrored (RAID 1) or Security & Speed (RAID 10) arrays. These type of arrays are known as “redundant” arrays – they provide a layer of security and allow the data to remain accessible in cases were one or more SSDs stops responding or fails. The WebGUI and CLI management utilities provide several advanced options for redundant arrays, that enable customers to control how the AIC drive reacts in the case of a broken/critical array (due to one or more SSDs having failed or stopped responding). Auto-Rebuild: When a physical disk fails, the RocketAIC drive will take the unit offline. Once the SSD is replaced, the controller will automatically rebuild the array. Rebuild Priority: Customers can specify how the host system will allocate resources to the RocketAIC drive in order to complete a rebuild procedure. A total of 5 levels are provided; Lowest, Low, Medium, High, Highest). Medium is the default setting. Auto resume incomplete rebuilding after power on or reboot system: This option will prompt the RocketAIC to resume building array if the system restarts during a rebuild procedure (f0r example, due to an OS/Software related update). Global Spare Pool: Customers that elect to configure a new redundant array have the option of assigning unused SSDs to act as a spare disk, by assigning them to the Spare Pool. The Spare Pool is a selection of physical disks (SSDs in the case of a RocketAIC drive) that will be used to rebuild an array in the event of a SSD failure, or in the event an SSD suddenly drops offline. Spares will come into play if a redundant array enters a Critical state. The WebGUI and CLI’s Add/Remove Spare command is used to assign an SSD to act as a Spare Disk. Spare Disks can be used to manually or automatically rebuild Redundant RAID arrays (Mirrored, Security & Speed Arrays) in the case of an SSD failure. If the Auto-Rebuild feature is enabled (discussed previously), the RocketAIC drive will check the spare pool for an available Spare Disk to initiate the rebuild process. RocketAIC Drives can support one or More Disk Arrays! Customers can elect to configure one or arrays using the NVMe SSDs hosted by their RocketAIC drive. For example, the RocketAIC 7505H’s default stripe array is comprised of all four Samsung 990 PRO SSDs. These can be reconfigured into two smaller Stripe arrays, two Mirrored arrays, or a Stripe array alongside a Mirrored array. Each array will be recognized as a separate physical disk by the operating system, and can be partitioned and formatted as desired. Online Array Roaming RocketAIC drives support HighPoint’s Online Array Roaming capability. This feature can be a useful for trouble shooting and field service, and ensures your data remains intact and accessible even if the drive’s electronic board is damaged. SSDs hosted by a RocketAIC drive can be moved to another RocketAIC drive of the same class (RA7505H to another RA7505x or RA7540x), without having to start from scratch or recover an array! For more information about HighPoint Online Array Roaming, contact a HighPoint Sales/Support representative. Enable Audible Alarm All RocketAIC drives feature a built-in audible alarm system that will emit warnings in the case of an array failure or dropped/unresponsive SSD. The alarm can also be used to notify administrators of any temperature related issues (such an SSD’s operating temperature exceeding the threshold specified by SHI), or any problems with the RocketAIC’s cooling fans (say for example, a fan’s speed suddenly drops below the recommended RPM). The alarm is enabled by default, but can be disabled using the WebGUI or CLI management software. Please note, when the alarm is disabled, administrators will need to regularly check the WebGUI/CLI’s Event Log or configure Email notification to receive warnings or notifications about any issue related to the RocketAIC drive or hosted SSDs. Learn More Learn More About HighPoint’s NVMe RAID & Storage Technology RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms Bootable RocketAICs for Dell & HP Platforms RocketAIC for Mac Pro Workstations

Unlike other solutions that require a binary driver for bootable applications, HighPoint’s LACS (Linux Auto Compilation Solution) was designed to streamline and automate the entire Linux setup and installation process. Provided the host platform has an internet connection, the administrator need only execute a single command line to activate the installation process. Once initialized, LACS will connect to the Backend Server, download all necessary files; installation scripts and the device driver that matches the target distribution, and execute the required commands in the background. In addition, HighPoint’s Open-Source NVMe driver package has been incorporated directly into the LACS workflow. Administrators no longer have to install additional software manually after the OS is up and running. The Open-Source package allows LACS to verify and update the active device driver to correspond with any fixes or patches that are available for the host OS. How it Works LACs enables even the most novice Linux Administrator to seamlessly integrate HighPoint NVMe RAID solutions into mainstream Linux distributions. LACS was designed to ensure that storage hosted by HighPoint product or solution remains fully operational whenever a new kernel is installed or when the distribution is updated or patched. Installation could not be simpler – administrators need only execute a single command line; everything else is handled by LACS. The system automatically checks our secure, dedicated online database for updates whenever the Linux platform is booted, and will automatically recompile driver support as needed to ensure NVMe storage media is readily accessible. The system has been continually refined over the years to further streamline and automate the update process while incorporating new product lines and storage technology. Robust Self-Monitoring, Update & Troubleshooting System If LACS determines that the host Linux OS is not compatible with the active driver and available updates, the service will immediately instruct the LACS network to request a new Binary driver. This process enables Highpoint’s dedicated LACS engineering team to expedite the development process and ensure the RAID AIC is in sync with the customer’s computing environment. Any errors encountered during installation, monitoring or update processes are immediately logged by LACS, and can be easily retrieved for examination by our Support Department. This automated process was designed to streamline troubleshooting and information gathering when submitting support inquiry be reducing the back-and-forth between the customer and service provider, and ensures all necessary data is on hand for immediate analysis. Supported Distributions · Centos · Debian · Fedora · RHEL · ROCKY Linux · Ubuntu

NVMe storage and connectivity solutions are frequently deployed to satisfy the stringent performance and reliability requirements of industrial, media and AI applications designed to process large volumes of sensitive data. Securing this data from prying eyes, while protecting the privacy of end user and corporate customers alike is of critical importance. A such, disk encryption technology is quickly become an essential component of storage solutions designed to address these workflows. HighPoint’s SafeStorage solution was developed to work in conjunction with state-of-the-art SED technology that has been widely adopted by mainstream NVMe devices and is based on the OPAL SSC TCG specifications. It is designed to protect data assets when physical drives are misplaced or stolen by preventing unauthorized access to stored data. First introduced with our PCIe Gen4 SSD7580C 8-Channel U.2/U.3 NVMe RAID HBA, SafeStorage can be applied to both single-disk and RAID configurations at the disk level, and administered via our universal management and monitoring suites. And unlike software-based services which rely on CPU resources, SafeStorage initiates encryption at the drive level to minimize the performance impact on the host platform. Unified & Streamlined RAID & Storage Encryption Solution HighPoint SafeStorage is a unified NVMe Storage Encryption Solution developed to accommodate both large-scale RAID arrays and individually configured SSDs, and can be scaled across multiple HighPoint PCIe AICs connected to the host platform. RAID volumes are encrypted at the time of creation and will automatically activate each disk member’s self-encryption capabilities. SafeStorage’s SED features are enabled at the hardware level, and require no unique driver or standalone software application; everything is managed directly by HighPoint’s universal RAID Management and Monitoring suite. The interface will automatically recognize SafeStorage compatible controllers and provide a new toolset known collectively as Disk & Enclosure Security. The toolset handles all SED related features and settings including setting up disk encryption, managing encryption keys and managing security policies. This streamlined lightweight approach to SED technology reduces complexity and minimizes the risk of software conflicts. Securely Lockdown Crucial Data from Unauthorized Access When Disk Security is enabled, your data is automatically locked down whenever the disk media is removed from the HighPoint storage or connectivity device. The SED technology will assign unique identifiers, known as “Keys”, in the form of Passwords, to both the HighPoint device (PCIe AIC) and each hosted SSD. Keys are automatically generated when the Disk Security feature is activated and can be configured/modified by the administrator as required. This system ensures your data cannot be accessed unless the keys match. Keys/Passwords are securely stored by the NVMe device and can be managed using HighPoint’s WebGUI and CLI management suites. Unless an Administrator changes a Key, disks/arrays can be accessed normally. However, Lockdown mode is enabled as soon as the disk is removed. Such disks cannot be simply moved to a separate HighPoint/Non-HighPoint Adapter or Enclosure for access. The “thief” would need to link the disk/array to the new HighPoint device and would need to enter the original Keys in order to do so. Cryptographic Erasure Changing or deleting encryption keys for SED capable disks will render all encrypted data indecipherable and thus, unrecoverable. SafeStorage allows administrators to delete and regenerate Keys (aka Passwords) as needed to ensure your encrypted data is always under lock and key. A few simple commands enable authorized administrators to immediately prep storage for resale, retirement or reuse. The Cryptographic Erase command replaces the encryption Key inside each drive; this makes it impossible to ever decrypt data stored on these devices. When executed, data is rendered inaccessible and considered cryptographically erased. The drives can then be reset to an unowned state, and reused once a new encryption key is generated. In addition, upon disabling the Disk Security feature, SafeStorage will automatically initiate the cryptographic erase command. The process is automated and takes only seconds to complete. Disk Security can be easily disabled at any time, using HighPoint’s WebGUI and CLI utilities. Summary SafeStorage’s innovative combination of TCG/OPAL compliant technology, scalable hardware-level encryption and a lightweight centralized management interface streamlines enables administrators to streamline the encryption process without degrading system performance or complicating workloads. Learn More SSD7580C 8-Channel U.2/U.3 NVMe RAID HBA HighPoint’s RAID Management and Monitoring