The IBM Power8 Disk Drives (AIX) category includes enterprise-grade SAS HDDs (10K/15K RPM) and SAS SSDs (mainstream read-intensive and enterprise mixed-use classes) qualified for AIX workloads on Power8 servers. Power8 systems (e.g., S814, S822, S824, E870, E880) support internal SFF-3 bays (typically 8–18) with SAS drives via integrated RAID controllers or backplanes (#EJ0N series), plus external EXP24S/EXP24SX drawers for additional SAS capacity. Capacities range from 300 GB (HDD) to 3.84 TB+ (SSD), with hot-swap SFF-3 carriers, full RAID support (0/1/5/6/10), and native AIX compatibility (7.1+). NVMe was not supported internally on Power8 (introduced in Power9); all direct-attached storage uses SAS.
IBM Power8 Disk Drives for AIX provide reliable, high-availability internal and expandable storage optimized for AIX environments on Power8 servers. SAS HDDs (2.5-inch SFF-3, 12 Gb/s or 6 Gb/s) deliver proven 10K/15K RPM performance for transactional, database, ERP, and mixed I/O workloads, while SAS SSDs (mainstream and enterprise variants) offer dramatically higher IOPS and lower latency for virtualization, analytics, high-concurrency applications, and AIX-based enterprise workloads. Drives use IBM feature codes (#59xx series for HDDs, #ESxx series for SSDs) with sector formats supporting AIX native attachment (512e/4Kn). Power8 supports internal SFF-3 bays via backplanes (#EJ0N/EJ0P/EJ0S series) and external EXP24S drawers (#5887) for SAS expansion. All drives are IBM-qualified for endurance, power-loss protection (on SSDs), firmware alignment, and seamless integration with AIX mirroring, journaling, RAID (via integrated controllers or VIOS), and PowerVM virtualization. Power8 relies entirely on SAS storage (no internal NVMe support; NVMe introduced in Power9).
Specifications vary by feature code and Power8 model (S814/S822/S824, E870/E880). Common types:
| Type | Form Factor | Interface | Capacities (Typical) | RPM / Endurance | Notes / AIX Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS HDD | 2.5" SFF-3 | 12 Gb SAS | 300 GB – 1.8 TB | 10K / 15K | High-performance transactional |
| SAS HDD | 3.5" LFF | 12 Gb SAS | 4 TB – 10 TB+ | 7.2K | Capacity-focused (external drawers) |
| SAS SSD | 2.5" SFF-3 | 12 Gb SAS | 387 GB – 3.84 TB+ | 1–10 DWPD | Mainstream/enterprise, AIX native |
IBM Power8 Disk Drives for AIX are qualified for:
Verify exact feature codes, CCINs, firmware levels, and backplane options via IBM Sales Manual or resources for your Power8 model and AIX version.
This product comes with a 60-day warranty covering parts and functionality.