Datasheet

The 3ware 9550SX SATA II RAID controller delivers unmatched performance, robust fault-tolerance,
and multi-terabyte capacities. Combined with an advanced RAID management feature set
that includes web-based, command-based, and API software components, the 9550SX, available
in 4, 8, 12, and 16-port configurations, is the most compelling solution available.
Highlights
• 200% faster than the industry-
leading 3ware 9500S RAID controller
• Over 380 MB/s RAID 5 writes and
over 800 MB/s RAID 5 reads
• StorSwitch
™
7th generation non-
blocking switch fabric for maximum
controller throughput
• StreamFusion
™
optimizes RAID 5 disk
accesses to maximize application
performance under multiple heavy
stream loads
• StorSave
™
BBU with write journaling
optimizes data protection and
performance
• Supports advanced SATA 2.5 specifi-
cation features including 3 Gbps,
NCQ, Port Multiplier and Port Selector
•
Multi-lane
™
c
ombines four SATA ports
int
o a single lock
ed connection to
impr
ove I/O subsystem reliability
• A complete family of 4,8,12,and
16-port c
ontrollers
SATA II RAID Controllers
APPLICATIONS FOR 3WARE CONTROLLERS
S
er
v
ers
S
ecurit
y/
Sur
v
eillance
Video
E
diting
Super
C
omputing
NAS
Video
On-D
emand
Disk-t
o-Disk
B
ackup
High Performance RAID
Solution of Choice
The 3ware 9550SX PCI-X to Serial ATA II RAID
controller delivers over 800 MB/sec RAID 5 r
eads
and exceeds 380 MB/sec RAID 5 writes, making it
200% faster than the industry leading 3ware
9500S RAID controller. 7th generation StorSwitch
™
non-blocking switch fabric technology and
sophisticated SATA II features including 3 Gbps
transfer speed, Native Command Queuing, and
Port Multiplier support drive this unmatched
performance.
AMCC’s exclusive StreamFusion
™
caching algorithms
assure the most efficient use of available band-
width when transferring multiple simultaneous
data streams to an array. The on-board PowerPC
pr
ocessor manages RAID controller functions,
which allo
ws the host syst
em CPU t
o manage
system applications.
T
he 9550SX’
s advanced RAID f
eatur
es and power-
ful performance architecture make it the ideal
controller for mid-range database applications,
print and file server applications, and vertical
applications including NAS storage, web servers,
cluster servers, supercomputing, near-line backup
and ar
chival
, secur
it
y syst
ems
, and audio and
video streaming applications.
Enterprise-class Reliability
and Scalability
StorSave
™
, AMCC’s data reliability platform, delivers
a comprehensive suite of advanced data prot
ec-
tion and data recovery features, combined with
a Battery Backup Unit.
The BBU, complete with
write journaling, provides added data protection
in the event of a power outage. Reliability is
further strengthened with features like out of
band (OOB) staggered spin up, SMART disk drive
monitoring and reporting, hot spare/hot swap,
automatic r
ebuild, and dynamic sector repair.
Enterprise RAID features such as on-line capacity
expansion allows flexible scalability of the RAID
array, while RAID level migration allows the
reorganization of arrays when data protection
requirements change. Other scalability features
include 64-bit LBA suppor
t f
or addr
essing ar
ra
ys
greater the 2 TB and support for multiple cards
within a system for large storage requirements.
T
he 3war
e 9550SX contr
oller suppor
ts RAID levels
0, 1, 10, 5, 50, Single Disk, and JBOD.
In
t
egr
a
t
ed Cabling Flexibility
AMCC’s award winning Multi-lane
™
SATA cabling
system significantly reduces the number of cables
needed to connect controllers, backplanes,
and
standar
d SA
T
A dr
iv
es
. Multi-lane combines
four SATA ports into a single locked connection.
A 16-port controller requires only four cables
with M
ulti-lane
. A reduced cable count facilitates
systems scalability and improved airflow.
3ware
®
9550SX
High-Performance PCI-X to Serial ATAII RAID Controller
Hard
Drive
Hard
Drive
H
ard
Drive
Hard
Drive
Up to
1
.5 Gb/sec
per port
3ware SATA Hardware
RAID Controller
Advanced
StorSwitch
Architecture