Product Description
IBM EC59 PCIe3 2x4 NVMe M.2 Internal Carrier Adapter
The IBM EC59 PCIe3 2x4 NVMe M.2 Internal Carrier Adapter (part number 01DH181) is a low-profile PCIe Gen3 x8 adapter designed for IBM Power Systems servers. This internal carrier card supports two M.2 NVMe SSDs (each using 4 lanes of PCIe Gen3 bandwidth), providing a compact, high-performance NVMe storage solution in a single-slot form factor. It is ideal for boot drives, cache/tiering, small-footprint databases, virtualization images, and performance-critical workloads on AIX, IBM i, Linux, and VIOS environments where additional M.2 NVMe capacity is needed without using full U.2 bays.
Product Description
The IBM EC59 (feature code EC59, part number 01DH181) is a PCIe Gen3 x8 carrier adapter that installs in a standard PCIe slot and supports two M.2 NVMe SSDs (2280 or 22110 form factor, PCIe Gen3 x4 each). It occupies a single PCIe Gen3 x8 slot (low-profile compatible) and routes the host PCIe lanes to two independent M.2 slots, enabling up to 2 × NVMe SSDs per card with full PCIe Gen3 x4 bandwidth per drive (no lane sharing). The adapter includes passive cooling heatsinks for the M.2 SSDs and is hot-plug capable in supported systems. It supports native NVMe attachment in AIX and Linux (no VIOS required in many configurations), software RAID/mirroring via AIX LVM or Linux mdadm, and advanced NVMe features including power-loss protection (SSD-dependent), end-to-end data protection (T10 DIF/DIX), and high IOPS/low-latency access. The EC59 is fully qualified for Power9 and Power10 systems requiring compact internal NVMe expansion, offering a cost-effective way to add high-performance flash storage without external drawers or U.2 bays.
Features
- Supports two M.2 NVMe SSDs (PCIe Gen3 x4 each)
- PCIe Gen3 x8 host interface (low-profile form factor)
- Independent PCIe lane allocation (no bifurcation required)
- Passive heatsinks for M.2 SSD thermal management
- Hot-plug capable in supported Power Systems slots
- Native AIX/Linux NVMe support with 512e/4Kn sector compatibility
- Software RAID/mirroring via host OS (AIX LVM, Linux mdadm)
- Advanced NVMe features (T10 DIF/DIX, power-loss protection via SSD)
- LED indicators for activity and fault (slot-dependent)
- Full IBM qualification for Power9/Power10 internal PCIe slots
Technical Specifications
- Feature Code: EC59
- CCIN: Not assigned (carrier adapter, uses system feature code)
- Part Number: 01DH181
- Interface (Host): PCIe Gen3 x8 (low-profile)
- Interface (Storage): 2 × M.2 NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x4 each)
- Supported SSD Sizes: M.2 2280 and 22110 (double-sided OK)
- Bandwidth: Up to 2 × ~4 GB/s per SSD (PCIe Gen3 x4)
- Form Factor: PCIe low-profile, half-length card
- Cooling: Passive heatsinks on M.2 slots; relies on server airflow
- Power Consumption: ~5–10 W (adapter only; SSD power separate)
- Compatibility: Power9 (primary), Power10 models with PCIe Gen3 slots
Compatibility
The IBM EC59 PCIe3 2x4 NVMe M.2 Internal Carrier Adapter is compatible with:
- Power Systems Models:
- Power9: S914 (9009-41A/41G), S922 (9009-22A/22G), S924 (9009-42A), E950/E980, and related models with PCIe Gen3 low-profile slots
- Power10: S1012/S1014/S1022/S1022s/S1024 (scale-out), E1080 (enterprise), and other Power10 models with backward-compatible PCIe Gen3 slots (reduced bandwidth vs. Gen4)
- Operating Systems: AIX 7.2+ / 7.3+, IBM i 7.4+ / 7.5+ (limited native NVMe support; VIOS recommended), Linux (RHEL/SUSE/Ubuntu), VIOS
- Attachment: PCIe Gen3 x8 low-profile slot on host server
- Supported SSDs: Any enterprise-grade M.2 NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen3 x4, 2280/22110)
- RAID/Support: Native AIX/Linux software RAID/mirroring; VIOS pass-through if needed
- Limitations: Requires PCIe Gen3 x8 low-profile slot; M.2 SSDs not included (must be separately sourced); performance limited in Gen2 slots; not for external NVMe drawer use; IBM i native NVMe support limited on older releases
Verify exact slot requirements, M.2 SSD compatibility, firmware levels, and OS patch levels via IBM Sales Manual or resources for your specific Power Systems model.
Warranty
This product comes with a 60-day warranty covering parts and functionality.
