IBM 00E0658 PCI Express (PCIe) SAS RAID Storage Controller designed specifically for IBM POWER7 and POWER7+

Here is the detailed English technical datasheet and overview for the IBM 00E0658 RAID Storage Controller Card.

IBM 00E0658 Overview

The IBM 00E0658 is a high-performance, enterprise-grade PCI Express (PCIe) SAS RAID Storage Controller designed specifically for IBM POWER7 and POWER7+ processor-based servers (such as the Power 720 and Power 740 Express).

This card acts as the base PCIe controller board in a multi-component array arrangement. When paired with its mandatory cache auxiliary card (such as P/N 00E0665 or 74Y9340), it provides a high-throughput 3GB compressed non-volatile write cache engine. This setup handles heavy I/O operations for internal disk drive slots, making it ideal for high-transaction databases, virtualization, and demanding enterprise applications.

Technical Specifications

Architecture & System Topologies

• Dual-Controller High Availability (HA): In enterprise environments, this controller is frequently deployed in symmetrical pairs within a split-backplane configuration. This design eliminates single points of failure by ensuring both controllers mirror their write cache data and provide redundant dual-paths to the same physical SAS disks.

• Cache Flash Protection: The card depends on an auxiliary board containing a Lithium-Ion Battery Backup Unit (BBU). If the data center suffers a complete power outage, the battery keeps the cache alive so unwritten data can be safely flashed to non-volatile storage, preventing data corruption.

System Compatibility Matrix

The 00E0658 base controller card is custom-engineered for specific legacy scale-out systems:

• IBM Power 720 Express: Machine Type 8202-E4B, 8202-E4C, and 8202-E4D

• IBM Power 740 Express: Machine Type 8205-E6B, 8205-E6C, and 8205-E6D

Supported Operating Systems

• IBM AIX

• IBM i (OS/400 native environments)

• Linux for Power (RHEL / SUSE)

Technical Note for Replacement & Sourcing:

When sourcing this part for hardware replacement, please note that P/N 00E0658 refers to the base logic card only. If your system logs indicate a cache battery failure or a complete cache directory timeout, you may need to replace the companion battery daughter card module (00E0665 / 74Y9340) rather than this base controller board.