LSI Logic 9207-4I4E 4-Port Internal + 4-Port External SAS/SATA 6Gb/s PCIe 3.0 Host Bus Adapter — 9207-4I4E

The LSI Logic 9207-4I4E is a SAS/SATA 6Gb/s host bus adapter (HBA) with 4 internal and 4 external ports on a PCIe 3.0 host interface. Based on the LSI SAS2308 controller, it provides flexible internal and external SAS/SATA connectivity for servers requiring both internal drive and external storage array connectivity in a single PCIe HBA.

Key Features

• 4x internal SAS/SATA 6Gb/s ports + 4x external SAS/SATA 6Gb/s ports
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface for high-bandwidth SAS/SATA connectivity
• LSI SAS2308 controller — proven enterprise SAS HBA silicon
• IT mode (initiator) — JBOD pass-through for ZFS, software RAID, and HBA mode
• Supports SAS expanders for large-scale storage expansion
• Low-profile bracket included

Product Specifications

• Part Number: 9207-4I4E
• Manufacturer: LSI Logic (Broadcom)
• OEM Status: Retail
• Model: SAS 9207-4I4E
• Internal Ports: 4x SAS/SATA 6Gb/s (SFF-8087)
• External Ports: 4x SAS/SATA 6Gb/s (SFF-8088)
• Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Controller: LSI SAS2308

Interface Specifications

• Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Internal Connector: 2x SFF-8087 (Mini-SAS)
• External Connector: 2x SFF-8088 (Mini-SAS external)
• Drive Speed: SAS/SATA 6Gb/s

Port Specifications

• Internal Ports: 4x (via 2x SFF-8087)
• External Ports: 4x (via 2x SFF-8088)
• Max Drives: Up to 256 with SAS expander
• RAID: IT mode (JBOD/pass-through) — no hardware RAID

Use Cases

• Internal + external SAS/SATA connectivity for servers with mixed storage requirements
• ZFS and software RAID deployments requiring IT mode HBA pass-through
• Connecting external SAS JBODs and storage arrays to servers
• Large-scale storage expansion via SAS expanders

Compatibility

• PCIe 3.0 x8 slots (backward compatible with PCIe 2.0)
• SAS and SATA drives via SFF-8087 internal and SFF-8088 external connectors
• Windows Server, Linux, and FreeBSD/TrueNAS with LSI IT mode firmware
• SAS expanders for large-scale JBOD expansion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IT mode and why is it important?

IT (Initiator Target) mode configures the HBA as a pure pass-through — presenting each drive individually to the OS without hardware RAID. This is required for ZFS, TrueNAS, and software RAID deployments where the OS manages storage directly.

Can this be flashed to IT mode?

The 9207-4I4E ships in IT mode by default. Verify firmware version before use — LSI IT mode firmware is available from Broadcom's support site if reflashing is needed.

The LSI Logic 9207-4I4E delivers 4-port internal + 4-port external SAS/SATA 6Gb/s connectivity over PCIe 3.0 x8 in IT mode — a versatile HBA for ZFS, software RAID, and external JBOD storage expansion in server deployments.