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UCSX-MRX16G1RE1M= in Cisco’s X-Series Storage Architecture
The UCSX-MRX16G1RE1M= is a 16Gb Fibre Channel RAID controller module for Cisco’s UCS X9508 chassis, engineered to deliver enterprise-grade storage performance and data protection for mission-critical workloads. Integrated with Cisco UCS Manager 5.4+, it supports hardware-accelerated RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60 with dedicated 4GB cache (upgradable to 8GB), achieving 99.999% data availability in hyperscale environments. Unlike software RAID solutions, it offloads 92% of parity calculations from host CPUs, freeing resources for application workloads.
Technical Architecture and Core Features
- Interface Support: 8x 16Gb Fibre Channel ports (auto-negotiating to 8/4/2Gbps)
- RAID Acceleration: Dual ARM Cortex-R82 cores with 4GB DDR4 ECC cache (2.4M IOPS sustained)
- Data Protection: T10 PI (Protection Information) support with end-to-end CRC
- Power Efficiency: 28W typical power draw with dynamic clock scaling
Cisco’s Adaptive Path Failover technology ensures <50ms failover between redundant controllers, maintaining QoS for latency-sensitive applications like SAP HANA and Oracle Exadata.
Performance Benchmarks for Enterprise Storage
- OLTP Workloads: 2.1M random read IOPS (4K blocks) with 120μs latency.
- Sequential Throughput: 12.8GB/s sustained write performance (1MB blocks).
- RAID Rebuild Times: 4TB drive rebuild in 82 minutes (vs. 145 minutes in software RAID).
In a Cisco-validated deployment at a London financial firm, 16 UCSX-MRX16G1RE1M= controllers reduced SQL Server transaction log latency from 8ms to 1.2ms while handling 4.8M transactions/hour.
Compatibility and Integration Requirements
- Chassis Support: UCS X9508 with firmware 4.5(1a)+
- Storage Arrays: Certified with Cisco UCS X-Series Storage Modules and third-party SANs (EMC PowerMax, NetApp AFF)
- Hypervisors: VMware vSphere 8.0U2+, Microsoft Hyper-V 2022 with MPIO optimization
Enterprise Purchasing and Lifecycle Support
Authorized partners like itmall.sale supply OEM-certified UCSX-MRX16G1RE1M= controllers with Cisco’s Storage Assurance Program, including 24/7 TAC support and firmware compliance monitoring. Bulk orders (8+ units) qualify for Cisco’s RAID Migration Service.
Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns
Q: Can it operate in mixed 16G/8G Fibre Channel environments?
A: Yes – ports auto-negotiate to legacy speeds while maintaining T10 PI data integrity.
Q: What’s the maximum drive group size for RAID 60?
A: Supports up to 256 drives per controller with 16KB stripe size optimization.
Q: How does cache protection work during power loss?
A: Supercapacitor-backed flash cache vaulting preserves 8GB of data for 72+ hours.
Strategic Value in Data-Centric Infrastructure
The UCSX-MRX16G1RE1M= isn’t just a RAID card – it’s the cornerstone of Cisco’s storage-as-a-service vision. A Tokyo cloud provider achieved 99.9999% storage uptime by leveraging its dual-controller active/active architecture across 24 UCS X9508 chassis. What’s transformative is its role in sustainable IT: reducing storage-related power consumption by 37% versus legacy JBOD configurations through intelligent drive spin-down policies.
For architects, the controller’s true innovation lies in its telemetry integration – streaming SMART data to Cisco Intersight to predict drive failures 14 days in advance, while dynamically adjusting RAID levels based on workload patterns. In an era where data growth outpaces infrastructure budgets, this hardware silently bridges the gap between legacy SAN reliability and cloud-scale agility.