Broadcom Syncro 9380-8e Solution
Build a cost-effective high availability (HA) server cluster for your enterprise datacenter

Overview:

Broadcom Syncro solutions deliver a simple, cost effective means to achieve continuous application uptime and enterprise-level data protection. Built on MegaRAID technology, the Syncro solution provides high-availability features, consistent with Storage Area Networks (SANs), at a cost and support model consistent with Direct Attached Storage (DAS) environments. Small and medium businesses (SMBs), remote offices and data centers can utilize existing administrative infrastructure while ensuring that critical applications remain up and running.

The Next Generation of High Availability Direct Attached Storage

The Broadcom Syncro 9380-8e uses the Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interconnect to share storage and communicate between server nodes. This enterprise-level storage medium allows each Syncro controller to measure the opposing controller’s heartbeat while maintaining coherency of WRITE-back cache.

The 12Gb/s Broadcom Syncro controllers deliver continuous application availability and shared storage with twice the SAS throughput of the previous generation. Doubling the speed of the SAS bus means more consistent heartbeat monitoring and reduced cache transfer occupancy while moving twice the data from storage in the same amount of time.

Advanced Caching with Zero Data Loss

Broadcom maintains its commitment to data protection through Syncro caching for performance acceleration. In the event of a power failure or server failure, unprotected WRITE-back cache data can be lost from DRAM. Measures must be taken to ensure that data in DRAM is preserved and maintained to avoid application/OS corruption or file loss.

Broadcom CacheVault® technology protects against power outages by directing WRITE-back cache data to non-volatile flash at the instant power is lost. Temporary power, provided by a lowmaintenance supercap energy cell, enables DRAM to off-load the data to flash components. Once power is restored, WRITE-back data is returned to DRAM so applications can return to normal operation.

In the event of a primary server failure, applications are transferred to run on a secondary server node. The secondary server will need access to the Syncro 9380-8e WRITE-back data from the primary server in order to prevent data loss and allow the applications to run continuously. The Syncro cache coherency solution maintains a mirror copy of the primary server’s controller WRITE-back cache data on the secondary server’s controller. The high-speed SAS interconnect provides a direct link for cache data mirroring between Syncro controllers. This optimal solution protects data and maintains application continuity while accelerating WRITE performance.