Datasheet

ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x 5
Single controller multipathing (failover) I/O load balancing

The ServeRAID's firmware detects and uses multiple paths from the controllers to the SAS drives that
are in enclosures. With redundant paths to the same port of a device, if one path fails, another path
can be used to communicate between the controller and the drive. Using multiple paths with load
balancing, instead of a single path, can increase reliability through redundancy.
WebBIOS configuration utility for pre-boot array configuration and management

WebBIOS is a utility built into the ServeRAID controller that allows you to configure drive groups and
logical drives before installing or booting the operating system.
MegaRAID Storage Manager management software

MegaRAID Storage Manager is an easy-to-use advanced RAID management application used across
the entire family of ServeRAID M controllers. It allows you to configure, monitor, and maintain drive
groups, virtual drives, and advanced features with an intuitive GUI, reducing administrative efforts
and simplifying troubleshooting.
The following features are not included in the base shipment and require respective upgrade to be
purchased:
Support for RAID levels 6 and 60 with M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade (81Y4546)

MegaRAID SafeStore support for self-encrypting drive (SED) services

MegaRAID SafeStore encryption services offer instant secure erase and local key management for
self-encrypting drives. This technology represents a significant step forward in securing data on a disk
drive from any unauthorized access or modification resulting from theft, loss, or repurposing of drives.
Instant secure erase permanently removes data when repurposing or decommissioning SEDs.
SafeStore local key management provides the necessary management and protection of SEDs using
a simple pass phrase, security key identifier, and security key file that can be set and applied to all
SEDs assigned to a ServeRAID adapter. This removes the complexity of managing each SED’s
unique encryption key, and essentially relieves the administrator of most of the daily tasks of securing
data. The SafeStore is a part of any RAID 5 upgrade available: 81Y4484, 81Y4487, 81Y4559, or
47C8670.
MegaRAID flash cache protection

MegaRAID flash cache protection uses NAND flash memory powered by a supercapacitor to protect
data stored in the controller cache. This module eliminates the need for a lithium-ion battery
commonly used to protect DRAM cache memory on PCI RAID controllers. To avoid the possibility of
data loss or corruption during a power or server failure, flash cache protection technology transfers
the contents of the DRAM cache to NAND flash using power from the flash power module. After the
power is restored to the RAID controller, flash protection technology transfers the contents of the
NAND flash back to the DRAM, which will eventually be flushed to disk.
MegaRAID FastPath SSD performance acceleration

MegaRAID FastPath software provides high-performance I/O acceleration for SSD-based virtual
drives by exploiting an extremely low latency I/O path to increase the maximum IOPS capability of the
controller. This feature boosts performance of applications with highly random data storage access
patterns like transactional databases. The feature is activated by enabling M5100 Series
Performance Accelerator (90Y4273).