HighPoint: SSD7103 Next-Gen NVMe RAID PCIe Controllers for M.2 SSD, Up to 14GB/s

HighPoint Technologies, Inc. has launched the first of its next-gen NVMe RAID controllers, the SSD7103.

Built on the SSD7102, the second gen SSD7103 is an independent NVMe RAID controller designed for use with any Intel-based, NVMe capable workstation, server or desktop PC. The integrated EFI boot capability, combined with the company’s RAID technology, make the SSD7103 a system acceleration solution; it can boost storage performance while minimizing boot time for both Linux and Windows platforms. When installed into a dedicated PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, the SSD7103 is capable of supporting up to 4 MLC, TLC or QLC M.2 SSD’s in one or more RAID configurations, and deliver transfer speeds up to 14,000MB/s.

Satisfies any budget, performance or capacity requirement
The SSD7103 is capable of supporting any mainstream MLC, TLC and QLC M.2 SSD in marketplace. Customers are free to mix and match up to 4 drives to meet each application’s budget, performance or capacity requirement. SSD’s hosted by the SSD7103 can be configured to operate independently as either storage or boot volumes, or combined into one or more RAID arrays.

The SSD7103 is a cost-effective NVMe performance upgrade for media workstation and server platforms. Instead of a costly, time consuming motherboard upgrade, customers can integrate a compact PCIe device into their existing infrastructure. It enables any system with a current Intel-based motherboard to support bootable NVMe RAID configurations.

Bootable NVMe RAID solution
The SSD7103 is a fast and versatile NVMe-based booting solution. The 4 M.2 channels can support individual boot drives or multiple bootable RAID arrays. Customers can tune the NVMe configuration for maximum performance, security or a combination of both.

Rapid-boot: RAID-0 will both minimize boot-time and maximize transfer performance. Customers can configure up to 2 RAID-0 arrays, composed of 2 M.2 SSD’s, or a single large RAID-0 array using all 4 M.2 slots.
Secure-boot: RAID-1, also known as mirroring, is for applications that require additional layers of data security for their boot volumes. Customers can configure up to 2 RAID-1 arrays, comprised of 2 M.2 SSD’s, and set each to operate as a separate boot volume.

Security and speed boot: Customers can configure bootable RAID-1/0 arrays. A RAID-1/0 configuration is comprised of 2 RAID-1 arrays, striped. The RAID-1 functionality ensures a duplicate copy of data is available in case of failure, while the stripe (RAID-0) relationship boosts performance. RAID-1/0 requires 4 M.2 SSD’s

Multi-boot: Each M.2 SSD can be used independently, if RAID is not desired or required. Customers are free to install a different OS to each volume.

Streamlined RAID storage management
The SSD7103 includes the NVMe Manager suite, which include a RAID management interface with TRIM support, SMART monitoring, and total Terabyte Written (TBW) tracking. TRIM support promotes the longevity and endurance of NVMe storage by enabling each SSD to handle garbage collection more efficiently, which helps eliminate write speed degradation. SMART monitoring allows to check a variety of physical attributes of each NVMe SSD, including temperature readings, voltage and TBW. The interface updates attribute data in real time, and can be configured to notify by email, in the event of an error condition or threshold warning. Customers can also check the lane assignment of the SSD7103 controller, in order to monitor available PCIe bandwidth and maximize the performance potential of your NVMe storage.

Price and availability:
The SSD7103 will be available in early June of 2019, from the company and reseller and distribution partners.