The Intel PCI Express-to-Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controller, referred to as the Intel 12 Gbps SAS controller, provides high-performance external storage connectivity for servers and workstations. The Intel 12 Gbps SAS controller provides eight lanes of 12 Gbps SAS connectivity and is matched with eight lanes of PCIe 3.0 8 Gbps performance. The low-profile design of the SAS controller includes a full-height bracket and low-profile mounting bracket that create a universal fit for any server. The Intel 12 Gbps SAS controller is based on the Fusion-MPT-architected LSI" SAS 3008 controller that integrates the enhancements in PCIe 3.0 technology and 12 Gbps SAS technology. The Intel 12 Gbps SAS controller has onboard flash memory for the firmware, and BIOS and NVSRAM for RAID support.