Intel
®
Server System R1000WF Product Family System Integration and Service Guide
39
2.8.5
NVMe* Drive Population Rules for Intel® VROC
In order to support NVMe RAID and NVMe Management features, an optional Intel® VROC Key must be
installed on to the server board. With the Intel VROC key installed, specific drive population rules exist and
must be followed for proper support of the NVMe management features.
The backplane can support PCIe data signals from the Server Board PCIe OCuLink connectors and/or
optional add-in 4-port PCIe Retimer card. When cabling the PCIe interfaces from two different PCIe interface
sources to the backplane, the cables from each source must be connected in defined drive sets of four
(0,1,2,3) & (4,5,6,7) as shown in the following diagrams.
Note: The use of one or more OCuLink connectors on the server board to the backplane is considered a
single source.
Figure 62. Backplane Cabling from Two PCIe Sources
When cabling the backplane from two different PCIe sources, no other drive set combinations beyond those
defined above are supported.
Drive population rules will differ depending on the source of the PCIe interface to the backplane. In addition,
specific drive population limits exist when populating a backplane with both NVMe and SAS drive types.
The following sections define the drive population rules associated with each of the available PCIe sources to
the backplane.
NOTE: When connecting the backplane to two different PCIe sources, the defined population rules for each
PCIe source are applied to the drive set connected to it
PCIe Source #1 – Onboard PCIe OCuLink
PCIe Source #2 – PCIe Switch Add-in Card
PCIe Source #1 – Onboard
PCIe cable connectors
PCIe Source #2 – PCIe Switch Add-in
Card cable connectors
