If you are building a VMware host, you must use a standard hardware RAID card (like the P408i) or rely on ESXi’s native software RAID (VMFS). The S100i is a Windows-centric or Linux-centric device.
: Part of HPE's Smart Array family, this controller likely includes features such as: hpe smart array s100i sr gen10
The HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 is a software-based RAID controller embedded directly on the system board of select HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers (e.g., ML30, ML110, DL20, DL120). Unlike hardware RAID controllers (e.g., P408i-a, E208i-p), the S100i offloads RAID processing to the host server’s CPU and uses system memory for cache. If you are building a VMware host, you
The is an embedded, entry-level storage solution designed to provide essential data protection and performance for HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers and Synergy Gen10 compute modules. As an "S-class" controller, it is a software-defined (driver-based) RAID solution that leverages the server's CPU to manage storage operations rather than using dedicated hardware. Key Features and Specifications Unlike hardware RAID controllers (e
The HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 is not your typical RAID controller. While it sits physically in a PCIe slot and looks like a hardware RAID card, it functions fundamentally differently than its bigger brothers (like the P-series). It represents HPE’s strategic shift toward "Software-Defined" storage architectures within the ProLiant server line.