Contact a legacy hardware partner or authorized HPE reseller. Sometimes they maintain "New Old Stock" (NOS) or electronic software delivery (ESD) entitlement certificates.
HP Smart Array P420i controller, typically embedded in HP ProLiant Gen8 servers, has undergone significant licensing changes since its release.
The P420i is an integrated 6Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) RAID controller. It features a PCIe 3.0 interface and supports up to DDR3-1333 cache modules. Out of the box, it provides standard RAID levels (such as RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, and 50) and handles basic data storage needs efficiently.
Advanced Data Mirroring creates three copies of data across drives, offering extreme fault tolerance for critical operating systems. 2. HPE SmartCache (SSD Caching) hp smart array p420i license key new
Select your controller from the left menu. Click on Controller Information .
Ensure your P420i firmware is updated to the latest available version via the HPE Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) to ensure compatibility with modern SSD configurations. Step-by-Step: How to Install a New License Key
will not work on another. Always ensure that any second-hand keys you acquire are verified to match your controller’s unique ID. Best Practices for the HP Smart Array P420i If you are configuring a new array or updating an existing Contact a legacy hardware partner or authorized HPE reseller
Activating this license upgrades your controller with the following features:
The HP Smart Array Advanced Pack (SAAP) was historically required to activate enhanced features on P-series controllers. These features included:
is a legendary enterprise-grade RAID controller embedded directly into the system board of many HPE ProLiant Gen8 servers (such as the DL360p, DL380p, and ML350p). Known for its rock-solid reliability and robust hardware RAID capabilities, it has been a staple of data centers and homelabs alike. The P420i is an integrated 6Gb/s Serial Attached
The HP Smart Array P420i is a high-performance, enterprise-class RAID controller designed for HP ProLiant servers. It offers advanced features such as high-speed caching, high-performance SAS connectivity, and support for large storage configurations. To unlock the full potential of the P420i, a valid license key is required. In this report, we will discuss the HP Smart Array P420i license key, its features, and the process of obtaining a new license key.
Solution: Some operations, like RAID migration or array expansion, require all drives in the array to be fully initialized and healthy. Check the Smart Storage Administrator to ensure no drives are reporting predictive failure warnings.
Out of the box, the base P420i controller supports standard storage setups, but it requires a hardware cache upgrade (FBWC) and a software license key to unlock its full potential. Why Do You Need an HP Smart Array License Key?
If you have purchased a new license entitlement (such as for ), follow these steps to activate it:
📌 Note: To use RAID 6 or other advanced cache features, your controller still must be equipped with a hardware Flash Backed Write Cache (FBWC) module and a working battery/capacitor. 🔑 Are There Any Features That Still Need a Key?