Microsemi 2291000-R SmartRAID 3154-8i 12Gbps RAID controller

Eight-port low-profile RAID controller

The Microsemi SmartRAID 3154-8i is an eight-port SAS/SATA RAID adapter in a low-profile MD2 form factor. It connects through a PCI-Express 3.0 x8 slot and delivers up to 12 Gbps per port through two internal SFF-8643 mini-SAS HD connectors. On-board 4 GB DDR4 cache at 2100 MHz is protected by a tethered ASCM-35F capacitor module that flushes data to flash on power loss. Mixed Mode allows RAID and HBA devices to operate simultaneously on the same adapter.

Server builders needing eight internal lanes

This card suits administrators adding up to eight SAS or SATA drives to a server or workstation chassis that accepts a low-profile PCIe 3.0 card. It is not suited for systems that require external drive connectivity or more than eight internal ports. Environments without a compatible low-profile slot should select a different form factor.

4 GB DDR4 cache with flash backup

The defining specification is the 4 GB DDR4 cache paired with the ASCM-35F capacitor module, which guarantees cache persistence during unexpected power loss. This combination determines whether the controller meets the data-protection requirements of the target workload.