Solid-state drive configuration rules

Find information about configuration details of the solid-state drives (SSDs) before you install them in the system, enclosure, or an expansion unit.

Solid-state drives (SSDs), also known as flash drives, follow similar rules as regular hard disk drives (HDDs). For example, SSDs physically resemble, install in the same manner, and in most of the same slots as HDDs. However, some restrictions and configuration rules are specific to the SSD.

After you review the configuration rules, you can install the drive as you would any other disk drive.
Attention: Before you install an SSD in your system, ensure that both the SSD and the adapters have all the prerequisite updates. To check for the prerequisites, go to the IBM® Prerequisite website.
The following tables help you to determine the operating system, adapter, machine type model, and disk drive configuration rules that apply to your system or disk drive enclosure.
Restriction: Solid-state drives must be part of a RAID array or system mirroring in the system or logical partition that is controlled by IBM i.
Choose the system or enclosure you want to view the configuration rules for:
Solid-state drive rules for the 5148-21L, 5148-22L, 8247-21L, 8247-22L, 8284-21A, or 8284-22A
Table 1. Solid-state drive rules for the 5148-21L, 5148-22L, 8247-21L, 8247-22L, 8284-21A, or 8284-22A system
System Adapter Mixing rules
8247-21L or 8247-22L PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal adapter 6 Gb (FC EL3V; CCIN 57D7)
  • FC EL3V can be used to split the disk backplane into two sets of 6 disks.
  • HDDs can be configured as just a bunch of disks (JBOD) or in RAID 0, 5, 6, and 10.
  • SSDs must be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, or 10.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed within each side of a split disk backplane, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
8284-21A or 8284-22A PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal adapter 6 Gb (FC EJ0V; CCIN 57D7)
  • FC EJ0V can be used to split the disk backplane into two sets of 6 disks.
  • HDDs can be configured as JBOD or in RAID 0, 5, 6, and 10.
  • SSDs must be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, or 10.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed within each side of a split disk backplane, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
Solid-state drive rules for the 8247-42L, 8286-41A, or 8286-42A
Table 2. Solid-state drive rules for the 8247-42L, 8286-41A, or 8286-42A system
System, enclosure, or expansion unit Adapter Mixing rules
8247-42L, 8286-41A, or 8286-42A PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal adapter 6 Gb (FC EJ0N; CCIN 57D7)
  • FC EJ0N can be used to configure up to 12 disks on a single controller.
  • Disks can be configured as just a bunch of disks (JBOD) or in RAID 0, 5, 6, and 10, depending on the OS support.
  • SSDs must be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, or 10.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed in the disk drive backplane, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
8286-41A or 8286-42A PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal adapter 6 Gb (FC EJ0S; Dual CCIN 57D7)
  • FC EJ0S can be used to split the disk backplane into two sets of 6 disks that use two controllers.
  • HDDs can be configured as JBOD or in RAID 0, 5, 6, and 10 depending on the OS support.
  • SSDs must be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, or 10.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed within each side of a split disk backplane, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
PCIe3 x8 cache SAS RAID internal adapter 6 Gb expanded function (FC EJ0P; Dual CCIN 57D8)
  • FC EJ0P can be used to configure up to 26 disks in the 8286-42A and up to 18 disks in the 8286-41A, with dual SAS paths that use expanded function controllers and disk drive backplane.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, 10, 5T2, 6T2, and 10T2 depending on the OS support. (JBOD is not supported.)
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed within the expanded function disk drive backplane.
  • Feature code EJ0P also allows two external SAS ports and the attachment of an external 5887 disk drive enclosure.

Solid-state drive rules for the 8408-44E or 8408-E8E

Table 3. Solid-state drive rules for the 8408-44E or 8408-E8E system
System Controller Mixing rules
8408-44E or 8408-E8E PCIe3 x8 cache SAS RAID internal controller 6 Gb (FC EPVN; Dual CCIN 2CCA)
  • Dual SAS RAID controllers
  • Dual write cache RAID
  • 8x SFF 2.5 in. plus 4x 1.8 in. SDD
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed in the SFF 2.5 in. bays, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be configured in RAID 0, 10, 5, 6, 5T2, 6T2, 10T2, depending on the OS support. (JBOD is not supported.)
PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal controller 6 Gb (FC EPVP; Dual CCIN 2CD2)
  • Dual SAS RAID controllers
  • No write cache RAID
  • 8x SFF 2.5 in. plus 4x 1.8 in. SDD
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed in the SFF 2.5 in. bays, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
  • SSDs and HDDs can be configured in RAID 0, 10, 5, 6, 5T2, 6T2, 10T2, depending on the OS support. (JBOD is not supported.)
PCIe3 x8 SAS RAID internal controller 6 Gb (FC EPVQ); Two single controllers (CCIN 2CCD)
  • Two single SAS RAID controllers
  • Each controller owns 4x SFF 2.5 in. plus 2x 1.8 in. SDD
  • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed within each side of a split disk backplane in the SFF 2.5 in. bays, but cannot be mixed in the same RAID array.
  • HDDs can be configured as just a bunch of disks (JBOD) or in RAID 0, 10, 5, 6, 10T2, depending on the OS support.
  • SSDs must be configured in RAID 0, 5, 6, 10, or 10T2.
Solid-state drive rules for the 5887 disk drive enclosure
Table 4. Solid-state drive rules for the 5887 disk drive enclosure
Disk drive enclosure Mixing rules
5887 disk drive enclosure (EXP24S SFF Gen2-bay Drawer)
  • A maximum of 24 drives are supported in this enclosure.
  • The EXP24S can be configured as one set of 24 bays (mode 1), two sets of 12 bays (mode 2), or four sets of 6 bays (mode 4).
  • The EXP24S serial-attached SCSI (SAS) ports are attached to SAS controllers, which can be a SAS Peripheral Component Interconnect-X (PCI-X) adapter, PCI Express (PCIe) adapter, PCI Express Gen2 (PCIE2), PCI Express Gen3 (PCIe3) adapter or a pair of adapters.
  • The EXP24S can also be attached to a pair of internal SAS controllers (FC EJ0U) in a system with an external SAS port.
  • The mixing of the SSDs and HDDs is as follows:
    • SSDs and HDDs cannot be mixed when configured in mode 1.
    • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed when configured in mode 2: one disk partition can be SSDs and the other disk partition can be HDDs, but you cannot mix within a disk partition.
    • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed when configured in mode 4 depending on the adapter support. Each disk partition can be either SSDs or HDDs, but cannot mix within a disk partition.
Solid-state drive rules for the ESLS storage enclosure
Table 5. Solid-state drive rules for the ESLS storage enclosure
Storage enclosure Mixing rules
ESLS storage enclosure (IBM EXP24SX SAS Storage Enclosure)
  • A maximum of 24 drives are supported in this enclosure.
  • The EXP24SX can be configured as one set of 24 bays (mode 1), two sets of 12 bays (mode 2), or four sets of 6 bays (mode 4).
  • The EXP24SX serial-attached SCSI (SAS) ports are attached to SAS controllers, which can be a SAS Peripheral Component Interconnect-X (PCI-X) adapter, PCI Express (PCIe) adapter, PCI Express Gen2 (PCIE2), PCI Express Gen3 (PCIe3) adapter or a pair of adapters.
  • The EXP24S can also be attached to a pair of internal SAS controllers (FC EJ0U) in a system with an external SAS port.
  • The mixing of the SSDs and HDDs is as follows:
    • SSDs and HDDs cannot be mixed when configured in mode 1.
    • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed when configured in mode 2: one disk partition can be SSDs and the other disk partition can be HDDs, but you cannot mix within a disk partition.
    • SSDs and HDDs can be mixed when configured in mode 4 depending on the adapter support. Each disk partition can be either SSDs or HDDs, but cannot mix within a disk partition.
Parent topic: Related procedures for installing, removing, and replacing disk drives or solid-state drives
Parent topic: Related procedures for installing, removing, and replacing disk drives or solid-state drives
Parent topic: Related procedures for installing, removing, and replacing disk drives or solid-state drives


Last updated: Fri, July 26, 2019