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N2115 SAS/SATA HBA for IBM System x Hardware User’s Guide
March 2013
N2115 SAS/SATA HBA for IBM System x Hardware User’s Guide
Overview
N2115 SAS/SATA HBA for IBM System x Hardware User’s Guide
1
Overview
The N2115 SAS/SATA HBA for IBM® System x® is a host bus adapter (HBA) that provides high-performance internal
storage connectivity for servers and workstations. The HBA provides eight lanes of 6Gb/s SAS storage connectivity
and is matched with eight lanes of PCIe 3.0 8Gb/s host connectivity. The low-profile design of the SAS HBA includes a
full-height bracket and low-profile mounting bracket that creates a universal fit for any server. The HBA is based on the
Fusion-MPT™ architected LSI SAS 2308 controller that integrates the latest enhancements in PCIe 3.0 technology and
6Gb/s SAS technology.
The HBA has integrated Flash memory for the firmware and BIOS.
2
HBA Features
This section lists the HBA features.
Implements one LSI SAS 2308 eight-port 6Gb/s to PCIe 3.0 controller
Supports eight-lanes, full-duplex PCIe 3.0 performance
Supports eight internal 6Gb/s SATA+SAS ports
Supports SAS link rates of 1.5Gb/s, 3.0Gb/s, and 6.0Gb/s
Provides two x4 internal mini-SAS connectors (SFF-8087) with sidebands
Supports up to 1024 SATA or SAS end devices
Offered with a full-height bracket and low-profile vented bracket
Provides one heartbeat LED
Uses sideband signals in multilane connectors to support serial general purpose input/output (SGPIO)
3
Functional Descriptions
3.1
PCI Express Host Interface
PCIe is a high-speed standard local bus for point-to-point interfacing of I/O components to the processor and the
memory subsystems in a server. The LSI SAS 2308 controller chip contains the PCIe functionality for the HBA. The LSI
SAS 2308 controller chip connects directly to the PCIe bus and generates timing and protocol in compliance with the
PCIe specifications.
The HBA supports eight-lane PCIe performance up to 64Gb/s single direction and 128Gb/s dual direction.
