Name: IBM 00E0658 PCI Express (PCIe) SAS RAID Storage Controller designed specifically for IBM POWER7 and POWER7+ - SunSpike
SKU: 00E0658

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

Parameter	Specification
IBM Part Number (P/N)	00E0658
Associated Base Card FRU	74Y6870
IBM Feature Code (FC)	56B2 / EU0B (Represents the full controller + cache battery assembly kit)
Bus Interface Type	PCI Express Gen2 x8
Interface Ports	Dual-x4 SAS internal ports (routed via internal server backplane wiring)
Data Transfer Rates	6 Gbps / 3 Gbps SAS and SATA signaling lanes
RAID Capabilities	Hardware RAID 0, 5, 6, and 10
Cache Capacity Support	3 GB of compressed write cache (requires attachment of the companion cache riser card)

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.