Product Description
IBM EJ1T Storage Backplane – 2 Front PCIe Gen4 Capable NVMe U.2 Drive Slots
The IBM EJ1T is a compact internal storage backplane assembly for IBM Power Systems servers, featuring two front-accessible, hot-plug PCIe Gen4-capable NVMe U.2 drive slots. This backplane enables direct-attached, high-performance NVMe storage in a front-serviceable design, ideal for boot drives, high-IOPS caching, small databases, virtualization, and performance-critical workloads on Power10 and compatible Power Systems running AIX, IBM i, Linux, and VIOS.
Product Description
The IBM EJ1T (feature code EJ1T) is an internal storage backplane that installs in supported Power Systems chassis (primarily Power10 scale-out models such as S1022/S1024 and select enterprise configurations). It provides two front-facing U.2 (2.5-inch, 15 mm z-height) NVMe drive bays with native PCIe Gen4 x4 connectivity per slot, delivering up to ~16 GB/s theoretical bandwidth per drive (Gen4 x4) and sub-100 μs latency. The backplane connects directly to the system midplane and supports hot-plug enterprise NVMe SSDs (e.g., #ES5A, #ES5C, #ES5E, #ES5G, #ECT9 series) without requiring additional adapters or external drawers. It is optimized for Power10's PCIe Gen4 NVMe architecture, supporting native IBM i load source/mirroring (on supported models), AIX/Linux software RAID, and advanced NVMe features including power-loss protection (SSD-dependent), T10 DIF/DIX, and high endurance. The EJ1T is fully qualified for efficient, high-serviceability NVMe storage in Power10 servers, making it perfect for flash-first configurations where only a few high-performance drives are needed on AIX, IBM i (iSeries/AS/400), Linux, and VIOS platforms.
Features
- 2 × front-accessible, hot-plug PCIe Gen4 NVMe U.2 drive slots
- PCIe Gen4 x4 native connectivity per slot (up to ~16 GB/s per drive)
- Supports enterprise and mainstream NVMe SSDs (800 GB – 15.3 TB+)
- Hot-plug and blind-swap capable for zero-downtime maintenance
- Front-serviceable design for easy access without chassis removal
- Advanced NVMe data protection (T10 DIF/DIX, end-to-end integrity)
- LED indicators for drive activity, fault, and slot status
- Direct midplane connection (no additional cabling or adapters required)
- Full IBM qualification for AIX, IBM i, Linux, VIOS
Technical Specifications
- Feature Code: EJ1T
- CCIN: Not assigned (backplane, uses system feature code)
- Part Number: Varies by revision (typically 02YCxxx series or related)
- Drive Bays: 2 × U.2 (2.5-inch, 15 mm z-height, PCIe Gen4 NVMe)
- Interface: PCIe Gen4 x4 per slot (native NVMe)
- Supported Drives: PCIe Gen4 NVMe U.2 SSDs (800 GB – 15.3 TB+, enterprise & mainstream)
- Bandwidth: Up to ~16 GB/s per slot (PCIe Gen4 x4 theoretical)
- Form Factor: Internal backplane assembly (chassis-specific, front-accessible)
- Power Consumption: ~8–15 W (backplane only; drives separate)
- Compatibility: Power10 (primary), limited select Power9 models
Compatibility
The IBM EJ1T Storage Backplane with 2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe U.2 Slots is compatible with:
- Power Systems Models:
- Power10: S1022/S1022s/S1024 (scale-out), E1080 (enterprise), and other Power10 models with EJ1T-compatible chassis and front U.2 bay support (G-model configs)
- Power9: Limited support in select G-model servers with U.2-capable backplanes (S922/S924/E950/E980 G-variants; verify with IBM)
- Operating Systems: AIX 7.2 TL5+ / 7.3+, IBM i 7.4 TR1+ / 7.5+ (native NVMe support), Linux (RHEL/SUSE/Ubuntu), VIOS
- Drive Support: PCIe Gen4 NVMe U.2 SSDs (800 GB – 15.3 TB+, enterprise & mainstream)
- RAID/Support: Native AIX/Linux software RAID/mirroring; VIOS pass-through if needed
- Limitations: Requires chassis/backplane support for EJ1T (not all Power10 models include this backplane); limited or no support in Power9/Power8; performance limited in Gen3 slots (if backward compatible); not for external NVMe drawer use (use EJ2A/EJ24 for drawer connectivity)
Verify exact chassis/backplane 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.
