HighPoint SSD7580B 8-Port PCIe Gen 4 NVMe RAID Controller

HighPoint Technologies, Inc. is set to launch a 8-port PCIe Gen 4 NVMe RAID controller to offer hot-swap capability for U.2 or M.2 NVMe SSDs; the SSD7580B.

Hot-Swap capability a true boon for NVMe-based storage solutions, and is useful for servicing NVMe storage solutions and appliances in the field. Hot-swap can reduce or even eliminate the need for downtime. The SSD7580B allows administrators to add remove or replace NVMe SSDs without powering down the host platform, on the fly.

NVMe drives, though considerably more reliable than their platter counterparts, still must be replaced on a regular basis when employed by many datacenter or industrial applications, where storage devices are expected to remain active for extended periods of time, including truly grueling 24/7/365 workflows. NVMe media’s one weakness is the finite write cycle; M.2 SSDs in particular can rapidly reach their TBW limitations in such environments. TBW expiration requires disk replacement, which results in downtime – this is the advantage of hot-swap capability.

Hot-swap vs. hot-plug and hot-replaceable: What’s difference?
In the past, replacing an NVMe SSD meant powering down the entire system. More recent solutions may employ Hot-Plug capability; the ability to recognize drives added for specific tasks- such as rebuilding an array, or support Hot-Replaceable drives; an unused SSD that is already connected to the controller can be used to rebuild an array. However, both of these methods still require a restart in order for the operating system to recognize the hardware changes. However, the SSD7580B’s hot-swap capability works exactly like you expect it to. It allows customers to add or remove drives on the fly, as necessity demands. This includes RAID and single-drive configurations. The controller will notify the system of any changes in real time – no reboot is required. The host system can remain active throughout the procedure.

Versatile cabling options: Hot-swap enabled
The SSD7580B’s Hot-Swap capability works with a variety of industry standard connectors – not just SFF-8639, which is employed directly by U.2 media. The company offer a selection of PCIe Gen4 capable cabling accessories capable of supporting hot-swappable storage configurations, including SFF-8643 connections and SFF-8611 Oculink backplanes. This allows the SSD7580B to support any U.2 or M.2 NVMe SSD.

Cross-sync compatible – Double storage capability
In addition to Hot-Swap support, the SSD7580B is Cross-Sync compatible. This enables customers to configure dual SSD7580B controllers to function as a single RAID device, and support up to 16 U.2/M.2 NVMe SSDs in 1 or more RAID arrays. Such combinations are capable of supporting extreme levels of performance and storage capability – over 200TB of storage @40,000MB/s.

The SSD7580B is scheduled to begin shipping to company’s official distribution and retail partners in February 2022.
The non-Hot-Swap capable SSD7580A is available.

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