PCIe SSD IO Accelerator at DL380 G8 with at least Windows Server 2016 compatibility

[CharlieK_EU]

Hello everybody.

I try to upgrade my client's server DL380p G8. Server is in 25SFF edition has also P420 1GB FBWC with 4 1.2TB HDDs SFF 10K Rpm connected (configured as RAID-10). It has Windows 2016 Server installed with Hyper-V role. One of VMs is SQL server which currently is working very unefficiently. So I try to add much more IOPS and more MBps transfer to disk subsystem.

Actually I spent a lot of time to search for PCI Express disks at least effectively 785GB storage space (I found HP ioDrive2 785GB). But I cannot find info if this one or another PCIe Workload IO Accelerator is supporting WS2016. Gen3 of Iodrives (currently WD / Sandisk brand) are Windows 2016 compatible. But I cannot see such HPE rebranded storage solutions (supporting VSL 4.2.5 and later) for Gen8 servers. 

And the problem is HPE support site is not working at the moment (site error 500 for last 24hrs + message site is under technical works   ). And is not returning results if I enter Quickspecs compatible PCIe models. 

So.... any help from people familiar with PCIe solutions properly working with DL380p Gen8 and in the same time at least Windows Server 2016 ?

Apppreciate for any answers or hints  

[TVVJ]

Hello,

You may refer to section "Additional Options > HP I/O Accelerator Options" on page 45 of the HPE ProLiant DL380p Gen8 Server's QuickSpecs for information about supported I/O accelerator option.

Regards,

[CharlieK_EU]

I found this section of I/O accelerators. But when I try to check compatibility of any of that accelerators there is always stated Windows 2012 maximum 2012 R2 version as aprox. supported Windows version.

What about Windows 2016 Server support in this case using such SSD PCIe HHHL cards ?

[Sham82]

Hello  Charlie,

As per below Document : https://techlibrary.hpe.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/windows.aspx

Operating system Support on the DL380p Gen8 server are:
WS2012
WS2012 R2
WS2016

However For - HPE 785GB Multi Level Cell G2 PCIe ioDrive2 for ProLiant Server
https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/softwaredetails?language=en_US&softwareId=MTX_097a017fcf2449829788d2fc2a&tab=Compatibility

Below Operating System(s) are supported.
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x64
Microsoft Windows Server 2012
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

Regards.
HPE

[CharlieK_EU]

So in fact - PCIe SSD HHHL format cards - are working, because I installed 2x Samsung PCIe PM1735 1.6TB HHHL SSD cards (Samsung PN: MZPLJ1T6HBJR-00007  but there is also HP PN: P26934-K21 HPE 1.6TB NVMe Gen4 x8 High Performance Mixed Use AIC HHHL PM1735 SSD which seems to be identical) into it and works like a charm !  

But HPE 785GB Multi Level Cell G2 PCIe ioDrive2 for ProLiant Server - it is not obvious it will work. Don't want to risk my money to check it out.