RAID controller HPE SmartArray P408i-a SR Gen10 PCIe x8 12 Gbit/s

The HPE SmartArray P408i-a SR Gen10 is a RAID controller designed for Gen10 servers, providing a PCIe x8 interface and support for both Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA) drives. It offers hardware RAID with support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60, plus advanced data mirroring options. The controller includes eight SAS lanes delivered via two internal Mini‑SAS ports and features a 2 GB flash‑backed write cache to enhance write performance and protect cached data.

Advantages

This controller delivers up to 12 Gb/s SAS throughput and is compatible with 6 Gb/s SATA devices, enabling mixed drive environments. The integrated Adaptive RAID on Chip (AROC) offloads RAID processing from the host CPU. The 2 GB flash‑backed cache secures in‑flight write data against power loss, while support for multiple RAID levels and advanced data mirroring provides flexible options for balancing performance and redundancy.

Suitable for

• Enterprise Gen10 servers requiring hardware RAID
• Mixed SAS and SATA storage configurations
• Database and virtualization workloads needing redundancy and performance
• Systems where on‑board cache protection is required

Key specifications

• Interface: PCIe x8
• SAS speed: 12 Gb/s per lane
• SATA support: 6 Gb/s
• SAS lanes / ports: 8 SAS lanes via 2×4 internal Mini‑SAS ports
• Cache: 2 GB flash‑backed write cache
• RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
• Advanced features: Adaptive RAID on Chip (AROC), Advanced Data Mirroring options
• Manufacturer: HPE (HP Enterprise)
• MPN: 871040-004
• EAN: 5715063281970

How to use

Install the controller into a compatible PCIe x8 slot in a Gen10 server following the server vendor’s installation guidelines. Connect internal Mini‑SAS cables from the controller’s two 4‑lane Mini‑SAS ports to the backplane or drive cages. Configure RAID arrays using the server’s ROM/UEFI Smart Array configuration utility or HPE management software, select the desired RAID level and initialize the drives. Verify cache and data protection settings, and install required drivers in the host operating system.

Recommendations

Use the SmartArray P408i-a SR Gen10 in environments that require hardware RAID acceleration and secure write caching. Choose RAID levels based on the balance needed between redundancy and performance, ensure firmware and drivers are up to date, and follow HPE guidance for battery/cache maintenance and drive compatibility.