Users Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSD User’s Guide
- NVMe PCIe SSD overview
- Supported operating systems
- Troubleshooting
- NVMe PCIe SSD carrier LED indicators
- Ungraceful system shutdown or power loss
- General errors
- NVMe drive properties intermittently not available in iDRAC
- NVMe PCIe SSD is not listed in the operating system
- I/O device error on write to NVMe PCIe SSD
- NVMe PCIe SSD performance measurement not optimal
- System becomes unresponsive when NVMe PCIe U.2 2.5-inch SSD is surprise removed
- System becomes unresponsive or fails when NVMe PCIe SSD is inserted
- Related documentation
- Getting help
see the OpenManage Server documentation (go to www.dell.com/openmanagemanuals and click OpenManage Administrator
or iDRAC User's Guide available at www.dell.com/idracmanuals ).
To ensure that you have correct hardware setup for your NVMe SSD device, see the device owner's manual at www.dell.com/
manuals.
NVMe PCIe SSD AIC
Install the NVMe PCIe SSD AIC form factor into the appropriate system board slot. See your server documentation for more
information.
NOTE: Hot-plug operations are not supported on NVMe PCIe SSD AIC.
NVMe PCIe SSD features
NVMe PCIe SSDs offer features including drive serviceability, device health, SMART, remaining rated write, device write status,
and boot capabilities.
Device health
Dell Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs include several features such as SMART, remaining rated write endurance, and device write
status, that allow you to monitor device health.
Use these features to help maintain the health of your Dell Express Flash SSD.
Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART)
Dell management tools such as Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller and Dell OpenManage Server Administrator use
SMART to provide alert content.
Remaining rated write endurance
The NVMe PCIe SSD is warrantied to a maximum amount of data written to the device in total bytes written. The NVMe PCIe
SSD self monitors for these limits, and software management applications notify you when you reach these limits.
NOTE:
If you continue to write to the device after it reaches the threshold of total bytes written, the amount of time
the NVMe PCIe SSD retains data while powered off decreases below device specifications. For more information, see the
technical specification sheet for your SSD.
Device write status
If the device exhausts the available spare sectors, the NVMe PCIe SSD enters Write Protect (Read-Only) mode. In Write
Protect mode, you can only perform read operations to the device. The NVMe PCIe SSD self monitors for these limits, and
software management applications notify you when you reach these limits.
Boot from an NVMe PCIe U.2 SSD
Dell supports installation of operating systems to, and booting from, NVMe PCIe U.2 SSDs on select PowerEdge platforms that
have been configured for UEFI BIOS boot mode. To determine whether or not an NVMe PCIe U.2 SSD may be used as a boot
device on your system, see the system-specific documentation at www.dell.com/manuals.
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NVMe PCIe SSD overview