HPE SmartArray P816i-a SR Gen10 controller RAID PCI Express x8 12 Gbit/s

The HPE SmartArray P816i-a SR Gen10 is an Adaptive RAID on Chip (AROC) controller designed for HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers. It provides a PCI Express x8 interface and supports both SAS and SATA drives with a 12 Gbit/s data rate. The controller exposes 16 SAS lanes through four internal Mini‑SAS x4 ports and includes 4 GB of flash‑backed write cache for improved write integrity and data protection.

Advantages

The controller supports multiple RAID levels (including 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10), enabling flexible storage configurations for performance and redundancy. Its 12 Gb/s SAS interface and internal Mini‑SAS ports allow high bandwidth connectivity to backplanes and drive enclosures, while the 4 GB flash‑backed cache preserves write data in case of power loss. Native support for SAS and SATA drives simplifies mixed-drive deployments in HPE ProLiant DL360 and DL380 Gen10 systems.

Suitable for

• Enterprise server storage consolidation in HPE ProLiant DL360/DL380 Gen10
• High-throughput transactional workloads requiring RAID performance
• Configurations needing redundancy and data protection (RAID 1/5/6/10)
• Mixed SAS and SATA drive environments

Key specifications

• Interface: PCI Express x8
• Drive support: SAS and SATA
• Data rate: 12 Gb/s (SAS), 6 Gb/s (SATA)
• Internal ports: 4 × Mini‑SAS x4 (16 SAS lanes)
• Cache: 4 GB flash‑backed write cache
• RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 (and additional SmartArray supported levels)
• Compatible servers: HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10, DL380 Gen10
• Manufacturer part number (MPN): 836261-001
• EAN: 5706998315977

How to use

Install the controller into an available PCI Express x8 slot on a supported HPE ProLiant Gen10 server following HPE installation guides. Connect the server backplane or drive enclosures to the controller using compatible Mini‑SAS cables attached to the four internal Mini‑SAS x4 ports. Configure physical drives and create RAID arrays using the HPE Smart Storage Administrator (SSA) or server BIOS/UEFI storage configuration utility. Ensure firmware and drivers are updated to the versions recommended by HPE for Gen10 platforms.

Recommendations

Use certified HPE drive backplanes and approved Mini‑SAS cabling to ensure signal integrity. Maintain current firmware and driver updates from HPE, and configure appropriate RAID levels and cache policies based on workload requirements. Regularly monitor drive health and perform backups according to your data protection strategy.