Question

Difficulty: MediumStorage Devices and Interfaces

A technician is inventorying server and workstation components during a hardware refresh. Match each storage interface or connector type on the left with its correct technical characteristic on the right.

  • M.2 M-Key ConnectorUtilizes physical keying at pins 59–66 to support up to four PCIe lanes for high-throughput NVMe SSDs.
  • SATA III InterfaceOperates via the AHCI protocol with a maximum theoretical data throughput limit of 6 Gbps.
  • U.2 (SFF-8639) InterfaceProvides a 2.5-inch form factor connector routed directly to four PCIe lanes for enterprise NVMe drives.
  • M.2 B-Key ConnectorUtilizes physical keying at pins 12��19, restricting PCIe support to a maximum of two lanes.

Answer

M.2 M-Key Connector matches physical keying at pins 59–66 supporting up to four PCIe lanes for NVMe SSDs; SATA III Interface matches operation via AHCI protocol with a 6 Gbps maximum limit; U.2 (SFF-8639) Interface matches 2.5-inch form factor connector routed to four PCIe lanes for enterprise NVMe drives; M.2 B-Key Connector matches physical keying at pins 12–19 restricting PCIe support to two lanes.
Each storage interface correctly pairs with its physical layout, bus limit, or protocol standard. M.2 M-key supports four PCIe lanes for NVMe; SATA III limits throughput to 6 Gbps using AHCI; U.2 provides a 2.5-inch form factor connector with four PCIe lanes for enterprise NVMe; M.2 B-key restricts PCIe connections to two lanes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical keying location and lane capabilities of M.2 M-key connectors.
M-key connectors use pins 59–66 for physical keying and support up to 4 PCIe lanes (PCIe x4) for NVMe drives.
M-key design maximizes PCIe bandwidth for high-performance M.2 NVMe storage.
2
Analyze standard SATA III interface constraints and communication protocols.
SATA III is limited to 6 Gbps bus throughput and uses the legacy AHCI protocol.
Physical SATA revisions cap maximum serial transfer throughput regardless of attached flash memory capabilities.
3
Examine enterprise hot-swappable NVMe drive connections.
U.2 connects 2.5-inch enterprise drives over 4 PCIe lanes via the SFF-8639 connector.
Enterprise storage systems require 2.5-inch drive bay compatibility with full NVMe PCIe performance.
4
Distinguish M.2 B-key physical keying and lane limits from M-key specifications.
B-key connectors place the notch at pins 12–19 and limit PCIe transfer to a maximum of 2 lanes (PCIe x2).
B-key pin allocations restrict lane routing compared to four-lane M-key slots.

Key Concept

Storage Devices and Interfaces
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