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Power 8 iSeries
Drives for iSeries Power8
The IBM Power8 Disk Drives (IBM i) category features enterprise-grade SAS HDDs (10K/15K RPM) and SAS SSDs (mainstream and enterprise endurance classes) qualified for IBM i workloads on Power8 servers. Power8 systems (e.g., S814, S812, S824, E870, E880) support internal SFF-3 bays (typically 8–18) with SAS drives via integrated RAID controllers or backplanes (#EJ0P 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 IBM i compatibility (7.1+). NVMe was not supported on Power8 (introduced in Power9); all internal and direct-attached storage uses SAS.
Product Description
IBM Power8 Disk Drives for IBM i provide reliable, high-availability storage optimized for the iSeries/OS/400 environment 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 read-intensive and enterprise mixed-use) offer dramatically higher IOPS and lower latency for high-concurrency, virtualization, and performance-critical IBM i applications. Drives use IBM feature codes (#59xx series for HDDs, #ESxx series for SSDs) and support IBM i native sector formats (4K/4160-byte alignment) for direct attachment without VIOS in many configurations. 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 IBM i mirroring, RAID (via integrated controllers or VIOS), and high-availability clustering. Power8 focuses entirely on SAS storage (no internal NVMe support).
Features
- SAS HDDs: 10K/15K RPM for high-throughput random I/O, capacities 139 GB–1.7 TB, RAID 0/1/5/6/10 support.
- SAS SSDs: Mainstream (read-intensive) and enterprise (mixed-use) variants, high endurance (1–10 DWPD), capacities 387 GB–3.84 TB+, 4K sector support for IBM i.
- Form factors: 2.5-inch SFF-3 (primary internal), 3.5-inch LFF via external drawers.
- Hot-plug SFF-3 carriers with blind-swap capability.
- Encryption options (select SSDs), T10 DIF/DIX end-to-end protection.
- Expansion: EXP24S (#5887) adds 24 SFF SAS bays.
- No internal NVMe support on Power8; SAS-only for direct-attached storage.
Available IBM Disk Drives and SSDs
| Model/CCIN | Capacity | RPM/Type | Interface | Part Number | CCIN | Carrier/Form Factor | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM ESMR | 3.72 TB | SSD (Mainstream) | SAS 4K | 00LY558 | 5B2C | SFF-3 | High-capacity mainstream SAS 4K SFF-3 SSD optimized for IBM Power Systems running IBM i, delivering efficient enterprise storage performance. |
| IBM ES8W | 1.55 TB | SSD (eMLC4) | SAS 6 Gbps | 00LY335 | 5B15 | SFF-3 | 1.55TB SFF-3 SSD with eMLC4 technology, formatted with 4K/4224-byte sectors for high-performance storage in Power 8 8286 models running IBM i. |
| IBM ES0X | 775 GB | SSD | SAS Gen3 | 00LY162 | 59EB | SFF-3 | 775GB SFF-3 4K SSD formatted with 4224-byte sectors, providing high-performance solid-state storage for IBM Power8 systems running IBM i. |
| IBM ES0H | 775 GB | SSD (eMLC) | SAS 6 Gbps | 00E8709 | 59C2 | SFF-2 | 775GB SFF-2 SAS SSD with eMLC technology, formatted with 528-byte sectors for reliable, fast storage in compatible Power 8 bays. |
| IBM 1738 | 856 GB | 10K | SAS | 74Y9285 | 19B4 | SFF-2 | 856GB SFF 10K RPM SAS disk drive in Gen2 carrier, supported in SFF SAS bays like #5887 EXP24S Gen2, formatted for 528-byte sectors. |
| IBM ES0D | 387 GB | SSD (eMLC) | SAS 6 Gbps | 00E8673 | 58B9 | SFF-2 | 387GB SFF-2 SAS SSD with eMLC, Gen-2 carrier, formatted with 528-byte sectors for enhanced performance in IBM i environments. |
| IBM ES8P | 387 GB | SSD (eMLC4) | SAS | 00LY333 | 5B13 | SFF-3 | 387 SFF-3 SSD with eMLC4 technology, formatted with 4K/4224-byte sectors for high-performance storage in Power 8 8286 models running IBM i. |
| IBM ESNN | 571 GB | 15K | SAS 12 Gbps | 01LU576 | 5B45 | SFF-3 | 571GB SFF-3 15K RPM SAS disk with 256MB DRAM cache, formatted with 4224-byte sectors (4K block) for high-speed cached storage in IBM i. |
| IBM ESNQ | 571 GB | 15K | SAS | 01LU584 | 5B47 | SFF-2 | 571GB SFF-2 15K RPM SAS disk with 4K block cache, supported in SFF-2 SAS bays for Power 8 / iSeries systems. |
| IBM 1962 | 571 GB | 10K | SAS | 74Y4899 | 19B3 | SFF-2 | 571GB SFF 10K RPM SAS disk in Gen1 carrier, formatted for 528-byte sectors, supported in SFF SAS bays like #5887 EXP24S Gen2. |
| IBM 1956 | 283 GB | 10K | SAS | 74Y9273 | 19B7 | SFF-2 | 283GB SFF 10K RPM SAS disk in Gen1 carrier, formatted for 528-byte sectors, suitable for balanced performance in Power 8 environments. |
| IBM 1947 | 139 GB | 15K | SAS 6 Gbps | 74Y6479 | 19B0 | SFF-2 | 139GB SFF-2 15K RPM SAS disk, formatted capacity for IBM i on Power Systems, ideal for backup and additional storage needs. |
HDD vs SSD for Power8 iSeries – Which Should You Choose?
| Feature | SAS HDD (10K/15K) | SAS SSD (Enterprise) | Best For Power8 iSeries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Good random I/O | Excellent IOPS & low latency | High-concurrency IBM i apps |
| Capacity | Up to 856 GB | Up to 3.72 TB+ | Modern storage needs |
| Endurance | Standard | 1–10 DWPD | Heavy database workloads |
| Power & Heat | Higher | Lower | Dense server environments |
| Price per GB | Lower | Higher | Performance-critical apps |
Compatibility
IBM Power8 Disk Drives for IBM i are qualified for:
- Power8 Models: S814 (8286-41A), S812/S824 (8284-21A), E870/E880 (9119-MME/MHE), and related scale-out/enterprise servers.
- Operating Systems: IBM i 7.1+ (native SAS support), VIOS, AIX 7.1+, Linux (RHEL/SUSE).
- Attachment: SAS via integrated backplanes (#EJ0N/EJ0P/EJ0S series); external EXP24S drawers (#5887).
- Adapters/Controllers: Integrated SAS RAID (with/without cache); no NVMe support internally.
- Legacy SAS: Fully supported; all internal storage is SAS-based.
Verify exact feature codes, CCINs, firmware levels, and backplane options via IBM Sales Manual or resources for your Power8 model and IBM i release.
Warranty
This product comes with a 60-day warranty covering parts and functionality.