Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID 940-8e 4GB Flash PCIe Gen4 12Gb Adapter

Experience enterprise-class storage acceleration with the Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID 940-8e. This 12 Gbps SAS RAID-on-Chip (ROC) PCIe 4.0 adapter connects servers to external disk enclosures with unprecedented speed and reliability. Featuring 4 GB of cache, robust RAID options, and a design built for data centers, the RAID 940-8e is engineered to handle virtualization, databases, backups, and large-scale archives. The card leverages a PCIe Gen4 interface to deliver high I/O throughput, while its eight external SAS ports enable scalable storage architectures across multiple enclosures. With Lenovo's proven reliability and management tooling, this adapter helps IT teams simplify storage provisioning, optimize performance, and maintain data integrity under demanding workloads.

• Blazing-fast throughput and efficiency: The 12Gbps SAS interface paired with PCIe Gen4 delivers low-latency data paths from host to external enclosures, supporting demanding workloads and large sequential transfers.
• 4GB flash cache: Accelerates hot data and frequently accessed workloads, reducing latency and freeing CPU cycles to boost overall application performance for virtual machines, databases, and backups.
• Comprehensive RAID capabilities: Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 to balance performance, protection, and capacity for mixed workloads and tiered storage strategies.
• External enclosure scalability: Eight external SAS connections enable expanding storage pools across Lenovo ThinkSystem external enclosures, enabling rapid growth without sacrificing performance or manageability.
• Enterprise-grade management and reliability: Designed for data centers with robust error handling, health monitoring, firmware updates, and seamless integration with Lenovo ThinkSystem management tools such as XClarity and RAID Manager.

Technical Details of Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID 940-8e 4GB Flash PCIe Gen4 12Gb Adapter

• Product type: PCIe Gen4 SAS RAID-on-Chip (ROC) adapter
• Interface: PCIe 4.0 (typically PCIe x8) add-in card for server motherboards
• SAS performance: 12Gb/s SAS connectivity to external disk enclosures
• External ports: 8 external SAS connections for attaching external storage enclosures
• Cache memory: 4 GB of flash cache to accelerate data access and improve I/O responsiveness
• RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 supported
• Management and compatibility: Works with Lenovo ThinkSystem management tools (ThinkSystem RAID Manager, XClarity) for configuration, monitoring, and firmware updates

How to install Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID 940-8e

• Power down the server and ensure proper electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions before handling expansion cards.
• Insert the PCIe Gen4 12Gb ROC card into a compatible PCIe x8 (or larger) slot on the server motherboard, ensuring a secure and flush seating.
• Connect external storage enclosures to the eight SAS ports using appropriate high-speed SAS cables and verify that all enclosures are powered on.
• Power on the server and enter the system BIOS or RAID configuration utility to initialize the card, assign enclosures, and create virtual disks with the desired RAID level.
• Install Lenovo management software (ThinkSystem RAID Manager or XClarity) and perform firmware updates to optimize performance, reliability, and ongoing health monitoring.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What is the Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID 940-8e used for?
• A: It is an enterprise-grade PCIe Gen4 ROC that provides high-speed SAS connectivity to external disk enclosures with robust RAID capabilities for data centers, virtualization, databases, and backups.
• Q: How many external ports does it have?
• A: It provides eight external SAS ports to connect multiple external enclosures, enabling scalable storage pools.
• Q: Which RAID levels are supported?
• A: The card supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, offering a range of performance and protection configurations for different workloads.
• Q: What cache does it include?
• A: It includes 4 GB of flash cache to accelerate hot data and improve read/write performance for demanding applications.
• Q: Is it compatible with Lenovo ThinkSystem management tools?
• A: Yes. It integrates with Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID Manager and XClarity for monitoring, configuration, and firmware updates.