Cisco 5300 960 GB Solid State Drive — 2.5" Internal SATA (SATA/600)

The Cisco 5300 960 GB Solid State Drive is engineered to elevate your data storage experience, delivering a compelling blend of speed, reliability, and efficiency for demanding server environments. This internal 2.5" SSD leverages SATA/600 technology to provide rapid access times, enabling faster boot, accelerated application performance, and responsive data workflows in data centers, virtualization clusters, and enterprise-class deployments. Built for continuous operation, the Cisco 5300 is designed to meet the rigorous demands of enterprise servers, offering robust endurance, data integrity, and consistent performance under heavy I/O workloads. With a generous 960 GB capacity, it provides ample space for operating systems, databases, virtualization images, and high-demand caches, all in a compact form factor that fits standard 2.5" drive bays and server backplanes. In short, this drive is a reliable backbone for modern IT infrastructure, delivering the speed you need without sacrificing uptime or efficiency.

• Performance and reliability for data-intensive workloads: The Cisco 5300 960 GB SSD is built to handle virtualization, database access, and multi-user applications with low latency and high IOPS capabilities. Its solid-state design eliminates mechanical bottlenecks, delivering consistent, predictable performance across sustained workloads, so applications boot faster, respond quicker, and scale more efficiently. In busy data centers, this translates to shorter query times, faster backups, and smoother user experiences even during peak periods.
• Enterprise-grade endurance and data protection: Engineered for server-grade reliability, this SSD employs advanced wear-leveling, error correction, and data integrity features to maximize endurance and minimize the risk of data loss. The drive is built to withstand demanding environments, maintaining steady performance over time while protecting critical information from common SSD degradation scenarios. For IT teams, this means longer intervals between drive replacements and reduced maintenance windows.
• 2.5-inch form factor with broad compatibility: The compact 2.5" internal design makes the Cisco 5300 SSD easily drop-in compatible with a wide range of servers, storage controllers, blade enclosures, and enterprise backplanes that support standard SATA interfaces. Its SATA/600 interface provides solid bandwidth for data-intensive tasks while preserving compatibility with existing infrastructure, enabling seamless upgrades from HDDs or older SSDs without requiring major hardware changes.
• Power efficiency and thermal management: Solid-state technology consumes less power and generates less heat than traditional hard drives, contributing to lower operational costs and cooler data-center environments. This efficiency supports higher density deployments and less aggressive cooling requirements, helping to reduce total cost of ownership while maintaining peak performance during long-running workloads.
• Versatile deployment and use-case flexibility: Ideal for operating system drives, application accelerators, and high-demand data caches, the Cisco 5300 960 GB SSD adapts to a variety of workloads—from virtualization hosts and database servers to web-scale applications. Its dependable performance profile makes it suitable for boot drives, tiered storage configurations, or role-specific acceleration, enabling IT teams to optimize their storage architectures without compromising reliability.

Technical Details of Cisco 5300 960 GB Solid State Drive

• Product: Cisco 5300 960 GB Solid State Drive
• Capacity: 960 GB
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch internal
• Interface: SATA/600 (SATA III)
• Drive Type: Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Use Case: Enterprise servers and data-center storage
• Primary Benefit: Fast access times, consistent I/O, and reliable operation under heavy workloads

How to Install Cisco 5300 960 GB Solid State Drive

Installing the Cisco 5300 960 GB SSD is a straightforward process that fits typical server maintenance procedures. Before you begin, ensure you have the appropriate toolset and that you observe all safety and ESD precautions. Follow these steps to install the drive in a standard 2.5" SATA-ready server chassis:

1) Power down the server and disconnect from the power source. Ground yourself to prevent static discharge and protect sensitive components. Remove the server cover or access panel according to your hardware vendor’s guidelines, and locate an available 2.5" drive bay or a hot-swap sled compatible with your server model.

2) If you are using a hot-swap sled, detach the existing drive by releasing the latch or locking mechanism, then slide the Cisco 5300 SSD into the drive bay until it seats firmly. If you are using a fixed tray, secure the SSD with the provided screws to the tray, then mount the tray into the bay until it is fully seated.

3) Connect the SATA data cable to the motherboard or RAID controller and the drive, ensuring a clean, secure connection. Attach the power cable to the drive, verifying that the connector is fully seated. For servers with hot-plug capabilities, ensure the enclosure recognizes the drive slot correctly.

4) If you are using a RAID controller, you may need to configure a new logical drive or assign the SSD to an existing storage pool. Boot the server and enter the system BIOS/UEFI or RAID configuration utility as instructed by your server vendor. Confirm that the new 960 GB SSD appears as an available drive with the correct capacity and health status.

5) After the initial POST and controller recognition, boot into your operating system or boot environment. If the SSD will host the OS, proceed with the operating system installation or migration, ensuring proper drivers and firmware are in place. For data-role configurations, format the drive with an appropriate file system and assign the correct pool or volume path according to your storage scheme. Finally, monitor SMART data and drive health through your preferred management tools to maintain ongoing reliability.

6) If you are migrating from a legacy HDD, consider enabling data-tiering or caching strategies to maximize performance. The Cisco 5300 SSD can serve as an excellent OS drive, cache tier, or dedicated high-speed storage tier within a broader storage architecture.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: Is the Cisco 5300 960 GB SSD compatible with standard SATA ports?
  A: Yes. It uses a SATA/600 interface and a 2.5-inch form factor that fits most enterprise servers and backplanes supporting SATA drives. Ensure your server’s SATA controller supports 6 Gbps interfaces for optimal performance.
• Q: What workloads are best suited for this drive?
  A: This SSD is well-suited for operating system installations, virtualization hosts, database front-end applications, and data caches that require high I/O responsiveness. It is designed for demanding server workloads where low latency and reliable, sustained performance are critical.
• Q: How can I monitor drive health and endurance?
  A: Use your server’s management interface or a compatible SMART monitoring tool to track health status, endurance indicators, read/write error rates, and temperature. Regular health checks help you plan proactive replacements and prevent unexpected downtime.
• Q: Do warranty terms apply to this Cisco SSD?
  A: Warranty terms vary by vendor and regional policies. For precise warranty coverage and support options, refer to the Cisco product listing or the reseller (Synnex) terms under your purchase agreement.
• Q: Can this drive be used in a hybrid storage configuration?
  A: Yes. The 960 GB SSD can function as a high-speed tier within a hybrid storage strategy, accelerating hot data and operating system access while other drives provide capacity. Proper placement in the storage topology, controller support, and caching policies will maximize benefits.