3ware® 9590SE Serial ATA II RAID Controller

Q1. What is the 3ware 9590SE?

A1. The new 3ware 9590SE is a high performance PCI Express to SATA II RAID controller that delivers unmatched performance, robust fault-tolerance, and multi-terabyte capacities.

Q2. How is the 3ware 9590SE different from the 3ware 9550SX Series controllers?

A2. The 9590SE provides PCI Express x4 connectivity, while the 9550SX is a PCI-X controller. Both the 9590SE and 9550SX are SATA 3Gbps (SATA II) controllers. The 16-port models deliver over 800 MB/sec RAID 5 reads and exceed 380 MB/sec RAID 5 writes, making them 200% faster than the industry-leading 3ware 9000 Series controllers.

Q3. What is PCI Express?

A3. PCI Express is a new serial I/O technology compatible with the current PCI software environment that offers low-cost, scalable performance for the next generation of computing and communications platforms. It promises performance scalability for the next decade.

Q4. Do you have any unique RAID features?

A4. Yes, StorSwitch™ switch fabric maximizes controller throughput, StorSave optimizes data protection and performance, StreamFusion maximizes application performance under multiple loads, and award-winning Multi-lane combines four SATA ports into a single locked connection to improve I/O subsystem reliability.

Q5. What is the price of the 9590SE controllers?

A5. The 3ware 9590SE and 9550SX controllers are feature packed and are the fastest SATA hardware RAID controllers available. The two controllers carry the same competitive MSRP and offer remarkable value to the user.

Q6. Does the 9590SE support Native Command Queuing?

A6. Yes. The 9590SE supports SATA II features including 3Gb/s transfer speed and Native Command Queuing (NCQ).

Q7. Is the 3ware 9590SE backward compatible with SATA 1.5Gb/s (SATA I)?

A7. Yes, all SATA I features are supported.

Q8. Is the 3ware 9590SE backward compatible with the 3ware 9500S and 9550SX controllers?

A8. Yes. Arrays can be migrated from the 9500S or the 9550SX to the 9590SE and vice-versa.

Q9. What port configurations are available?

A9. The 9590SE is available in 8, 12, and 16-port configurations.

Q10. Does the 3ware 9590SE have a low profile form factor?

A10. No. The 9590SE controllers are half length/full height controllers.

Q11. What RAID levels are supported?

A11. RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, Single Disk, & JBOD

Q12. What operating systems are supported?

A12. Microsoft® Windows® 2003/XP/2000, Red Hat Linux, SuSE Linux, Fedora Linux, 2.4 Linux kernel, 2.6 Linux kernel, FreeBSD, 32/64-bit support. For complete O/S listing, go to: www.3ware.com/support/OS-support

Q13. What features do you support?

A13. RAID features and enhancements supported by the 9590SE include:

7th-generation StorSwitch™ non-blocking switched architecture

On-board I/O RISC processor and RAID offload provides true hardware RAID

SCSI device driver model to take advantage of the benefits of SCSI using inexpensive Serial ATA drives

Bootable array support for greater fault tolerance

Variable stripe size for performance tuning by application

64-bit LBA support

ATA pass-through mode support

256 MB DDR2 400 memory with ECC protection

32 pooled DMA channels

Complete configuration management suite

3ware BIOS Manager 2 (3BM2) – easy to use BIOS configuration tool

3ware Disk Manager 2 (3DM®2) – browser-based management tool

Features include: secure access via ssh or https, create unit, delete unit, remove unit, import unit, migrate unit, verify unit rebuild unit

Command Line Interface (CLI) – scriptable configuration tool

SNMP support

SMTP support for email/pager notification

ATA/6 and Out of band (OOB) staggered drive spin-up support

Auto carving allows logical units larger than 2 TB to be divided into multiple units for legacy operating systems that are limited to a maximum of 2 TB per logical unit

StorSave platform for advanced performance tuning with the BBU

Multiple logical unit sizes and RAID levels on one card

Multiple card support within a system for large storage requirements

Hot-swap and hot-spare support for data availability

Dynamic sector repair for robust data protection

S.M.A.R.T. disk drive monitoring for reliability

Emergency Flash Recovery protects against failed firmware upgrade

Drive activity LED support

Online Capacity Expansion and RAID Level Migration

Battery Backup Unit (BBU) support

Enhanced data protection with write journaling for non-redundant arrays and accidental drive removal

Drive insertion and removal notification

Array/Drive Status and drive identification LED support

Chassis Control Unit for enclosure management via I2C

Q14. Whose RAID processor do you use?

A14. AMCC develops its own RAID processors based on its StorSwitch™ non-blocking switch fabric architecture. These proprietary RAID processors perform all RAID (XOR) calculations for true hardware RAID.

Q15. Where can I buy the 3ware 9590SE?

A15. All AMCC 3ware hardware RAID controllers are available worldwide to VARs, OEMs, and system builders through the company’s network of distribution partners. Please visit ‘Where to Buy’ on www.3ware.com for a complete list of global distributors.

Q16. Can I boot from the 9590SE?

A16. Yes, driver disks are available for all supported operating systems at http://www.3ware.com/support/OS-support.asp

Q17. Is the 3ware 9590SE WHQL certified?

A17. Certification is in progress. A WHQL certified driver will be available on the 3ware support page when certification is complete. Please see www.3ware.com/support

Q18. Is the 9590SE management software backward compatible with all other current 3ware controllers?

A18. Yes, back to and including the 7000 Series controllers.

Q19. Can I use a Command Line Interface (CLI) to manage the 9590SE?

A19. Yes. AMCC 3ware RAID controllers come with an advanced RAID management feature set that includes web-based, command-based, and API software components.

Q20. How do I know what kind of cables to order (discrete Vs. Multi-lane)?

A20. Only Multi-lane cables can be used with the 9590SE. AMCC’s award-winning Multi-lane cabling system combines four SATA ports into a single locked connection. Multi-lane cables dramatically increase system reliability by radically reducing cable count.
Multi-lane breakout cables (forward) can also be used. Breakout cables have a single x4 Multi-lane connection on the controller end and four discrete connections for drives on the other.

9590SE Configuration	Connector Type(s)
9590SE-8ML	Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)
9590SE-12ML	Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)
9590SE-16ML	Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)

* Forward = Multi-lane connectors on the controller and discrete connectors on the backplane

Q21. Does the 9590SE come with cables?

A21. The 3ware 9590SE kits include .5m Multi-lane breakout cables.

Q22. What does the ‘ML’ signify in the 9590SE part numbers?

A22. An ‘ML’ at the end of a 3ware 9590SE part number means that the controller uses a Multi-lane cable/connector system that is based on the SFF-8087 specification.

Q23. What comes in the 9590SE Kit?

A23. 9590SE kits include: Serial ATA II RAID controller and cables, a CD including driver, 3ware Disk Manager 2 (3DM®2, Command Line Interface (CLI), User Guide, and printed installation documentation.

Q24. What hard drives and motherboards does the 9590SE work with?

A24. For a complete compatibility list, please visit http://www.3ware.com/products/compatibility_sata.asp

Q25. What is the difference between hardware and software RAID?

A25. Software RAID schemes use the system’s processor, exploit host memory, compromise reliability and potentially rob the system of as mush as 60% of its CPU cycles just to process RAID calculations. All AMCC 3ware RAID controllers incorporate onboard processors to deliver true hardware RAID.

Q26. Where can I go for service and support?

A26. AMCC offers a 3-year warranty. For support, please visit www.3ware.com/support, or call Technical Support at 1-800-840-6055, Inside Sales at 1-877-88-3ware, or contact your local Sales Rep.

Q27. What applications does the 9590SE serve?

A27. Advanced RAID features and powerful performance architecture make the 3ware 9590SE ideal for: servers, security and surveillance, gaming, video editing, super computing, NAS, video on-demand, workstations, and disk-to-disk backup.

3ware® 9590SE Serial ATA II RAID Controller

Q1. What is the 3ware 9590SE?

A1. The new 3ware 9590SE is a high performance PCI Express to SATA II RAID controller that delivers unmatched performance, robust fault-tolerance, and multi-terabyte capacities.

Q2. How is the 3ware 9590SE different from the 3ware 9550SX Series controllers?

Q3. What is PCI Express?

A3. PCI Express is a new serial I/O technology compatible with the current PCI software environment that offers low-cost, scalable performance for the next generation of computing and communications platforms. It promises performance scalability for the next decade.

Q4. Do you have any unique RAID features?

Q5. What is the price of the 9590SE controllers?

A5. The 3ware 9590SE and 9550SX controllers are feature packed and are the fastest SATA hardware RAID controllers available. The two controllers carry the same competitive MSRP and offer remarkable value to the user.

Q6. Does the 9590SE support Native Command Queuing?

A6. Yes. The 9590SE supports SATA II features including 3Gb/s transfer speed and Native Command Queuing (NCQ).

Q7. Is the 3ware 9590SE backward compatible with SATA 1.5Gb/s (SATA I)?

A7. Yes, all SATA I features are supported.

Q8. Is the 3ware 9590SE backward compatible with the 3ware 9500S and 9550SX controllers?

A8. Yes. Arrays can be migrated from the 9500S or the 9550SX to the 9590SE and vice-versa.

Q9. What port configurations are available?

A9. The 9590SE is available in 8, 12, and 16-port configurations.

Q10. Does the 3ware 9590SE have a low profile form factor?

A10. No. The 9590SE controllers are half length/full height controllers.

Q11. What RAID levels are supported?

A11. RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, Single Disk, & JBOD

Q12. What operating systems are supported?

A12. Microsoft® Windows® 2003/XP/2000, Red Hat Linux, SuSE Linux, Fedora Linux, 2.4 Linux kernel, 2.6 Linux kernel, FreeBSD, 32/64-bit support. For complete O/S listing, go to: www.3ware.com/support/OS-support

Q13. What features do you support?

Q14. Whose RAID processor do you use?

A14. AMCC develops its own RAID processors based on its StorSwitch™ non-blocking switch fabric architecture. These proprietary RAID processors perform all RAID (XOR) calculations for true hardware RAID.

Q15. Where can I buy the 3ware 9590SE?

A15. All AMCC 3ware hardware RAID controllers are available worldwide to VARs, OEMs, and system builders through the company’s network of distribution partners. Please visit ‘Where to Buy’ on www.3ware.com for a complete list of global distributors.

Q16. Can I boot from the 9590SE?

A16. Yes, driver disks are available for all supported operating systems at http://www.3ware.com/support/OS-support.asp

Q17. Is the 3ware 9590SE WHQL certified?

A17. Certification is in progress. A WHQL certified driver will be available on the 3ware support page when certification is complete. Please see www.3ware.com/support

Q18. Is the 9590SE management software backward compatible with all other current 3ware controllers?

A18. Yes, back to and including the 7000 Series controllers.

Q19. Can I use a Command Line Interface (CLI) to manage the 9590SE?

A19. Yes. AMCC 3ware RAID controllers come with an advanced RAID management feature set that includes web-based, command-based, and API software components.

Q20. How do I know what kind of cables to order (discrete Vs. Multi-lane)?

9590SE Configuration

Connector Type(s)

9590SE-8ML

Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)

9590SE-12ML

Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)

9590SE-16ML

Multi-laneMulti-lane breakout cable (forward*)

* Forward = Multi-lane connectors on the controller and discrete connectors on the backplane

Q21. Does the 9590SE come with cables?

A21. The 3ware 9590SE kits include .5m Multi-lane breakout cables.

Q22. What does the ‘ML’ signify in the 9590SE part numbers?

A22. An ‘ML’ at the end of a 3ware 9590SE part number means that the controller uses a Multi-lane cable/connector system that is based on the SFF-8087 specification.

Q23. What comes in the 9590SE Kit?

A23. 9590SE kits include: Serial ATA II RAID controller and cables, a CD including driver, 3ware Disk Manager 2 (3DM®2, Command Line Interface (CLI), User Guide, and printed installation documentation.

Q24. What hard drives and motherboards does the 9590SE work with?

A24. For a complete compatibility list, please visit http://www.3ware.com/products/compatibility_sata.asp

Q25. What is the difference between hardware and software RAID?

A25. Software RAID schemes use the system’s processor, exploit host memory, compromise reliability and potentially rob the system of as mush as 60% of its CPU cycles just to process RAID calculations. All AMCC 3ware RAID controllers incorporate onboard processors to deliver true hardware RAID.

Q26. Where can I go for service and support?

A26. AMCC offers a 3-year warranty. For support, please visit www.3ware.com/support, or call Technical Support at 1-800-840-6055, Inside Sales at 1-877-88-3ware, or contact your local Sales Rep.

Q27. What applications does the 9590SE serve?

A27. Advanced RAID features and powerful performance architecture make the 3ware 9590SE ideal for: servers, security and surveillance, gaming, video editing, super computing, NAS, video on-demand, workstations, and disk-to-disk backup.