Product Description
IBM EJ1C Backplane 12 SFF-3 Bays/6Gb PCIe3 RAID
The IBM EJ1C Backplane 12 SFF-3 Bays/6Gb PCIe3 RAID (CCIN 57D7, part number 01LK399) is a high-performance internal SAS/SATA backplane assembly with integrated PCIe Gen3 RAID controller, designed for IBM Power Systems servers. This backplane provides 12 small form factor (SFF-3) drive bays with 6 Gb/s SAS connectivity, hardware RAID 0/1/5/6/10 support, and is optimized for protected, high-IOPS internal storage configurations in AIX, IBM i, Linux, and VIOS environments on Power8 and select Power9 systems.
Product Description
The IBM EJ1C (feature code EJ1C, CCIN 57D7, part number 01LK399) is an internal 12-bay SFF-3 SAS backplane with an integrated PCIe Gen3 RAID controller. It installs directly into compatible Power Systems chassis (typically Power8 8286-41A/42A/22A series and select Power9 models) and supports up to 12 × 2.5-inch SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs in hot-plug SFF-3 carriers. The integrated controller delivers hardware RAID 0/1/5/6/10 with advanced data protection (T10 DIF/DIX, end-to-end CRC) and is backward compatible with 3 Gb/s SAS/SATA devices. The EJ1C is ideal for high-performance, protected boot, database, ERP, virtualization, and general-purpose storage workloads requiring maximum internal drive density without external drawers. It connects to the system midplane and is fully qualified for reliable operation in Power8 and compatible Power9 servers, offering a robust, integrated RAID solution for enterprise storage on AIX, IBM i (iSeries/AS/400), Linux, and VIOS platforms.
Features
- 12 × 2.5-inch SFF-3 hot-plug SAS/SATA drive bays
- Integrated PCIe Gen3 RAID controller with 6 Gb/s SAS support
- RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 (hardware RAID)
- Backward compatible with 3 Gb/s SAS/SATA devices
- Advanced data protection: T10 DIF/DIX, end-to-end CRC
- Hot-plug drive support with blind-swap carriers
- LED indicators for drive activity, fault, and backplane status
- Direct midplane connection (no additional cabling required in supported chassis)
- Full IBM qualification for AIX, IBM i, Linux, VIOS
Technical Specifications
- Feature Code: EJ1C
- CCIN: 57D7
- Part Number: 01LK399
- Drive Bays: 12 × 2.5-inch SFF-3 (SAS/SATA)
- Interface: 6 Gb/s SAS (integrated controller)
- RAID Levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
- Maximum Drives: 12 internal SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs
- Form Factor: Internal backplane assembly (chassis-specific)
- Power Consumption: ~10–20 W (controller + backplane, drives separate)
- Compatibility: Power8 (primary), select Power9 models
Compatibility
The IBM EJ1C Backplane 12 SFF-3 Bays/6Gb PCIe3 RAID is compatible with:
- Power Systems Models:
- Power8: S814 (8286-41A), S822/S824 (8284-22A), and other Power8 models with compatible chassis and midplane support
- Power9: Select models with backward-compatible backplane support (S914, S922, S924; verify with IBM for exact model fit)
- Power10: Limited or no support (Power10 uses newer backplanes and NVMe-focused designs; not typically compatible)
- Operating Systems: AIX 7.1+ / 7.2+ / 7.3+, IBM i 7.1+ / 7.2+ / 7.3+ / 7.4+ / 7.5+, Linux (RHEL/SUSE/Ubuntu), VIOS
- Drive Support: SAS/SATA HDDs & SSDs (6 Gb/s and 3 Gb/s)
- RAID Management: Integrated hardware RAID via AIX/IBM i tools or VIOS
- Limitations: 6 Gb/s SAS speed (not 12 Gb/s); requires compatible chassis/midplane; not for external drawer connection (use separate HBAs); older Power8-era technology (superseded by 12 Gb/s backplanes in Power9/Power10); limited or no support in Power10
Verify exact chassis/midplane 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.
