512MB FBWC with dynamic SmartArray B120i

[Walter Konrad]

Hi all,

we have a few ML310e Gen8 768729-421, 724160-045, 712328-421 out with customers that have an embedded B120i dynamic SmartArray controller set up as RAID 1.

I'm not going to change teh RAID 1 setup but I'm curious what benefit we might have when adding a 512MB FBWC to the B120i in terms of speed. Alle ML310e are with Windows Server 2012 R2.

Is 676473-B21 what I need to buy?

Thanks,

Walter

[Jimmy Vance]

The B120i doesn't support a cache module, from the Quickspec

HP Dynamic Smart Array B120i Controller
NOTE: Supports 3.0Gb/s SATA
NOTE: Supports RAID 0/1/10 only. No FBWC support. For FBWC, a standup Smart Array Controller card must be configured.

[Walter Konrad]

Well, that's not really true or at least was not in the old Quickspecs.

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/getpdf.aspx/4AA0-7484ENW.pdf?ver=1.0

[Jimmy Vance]

That is a data sheet about the controllers, not a Quickspec. The Quickspec list all the features/options for each server model. While the B120i has the ability to support a cache module, the ML310e Gen8 does not support that feature. 

https://www.hpe.com/h20195/v2/GetPDF.aspx/c04128120.pdf top of page 4