PCIe HSM Server Compatibility Requirements
Hardware security modules
The nShield Solo XC and 5s hardware security modules are intended for installation in a server, personal computer, or similar equipment. Multiple modules may be installed if the installation environment is capable of supplying the necessary electrical power and providing adequate cooling for all units.
HSM hardware requirements
For the full list of requirements to handle the card, see the Solo Install Guide and nShield 5s Install Guide respectively.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
Power |
24W |
Cooling |
1.9 m/s airflow |
Connection |
PCI Express (PCIe) Gen 2 x4 slot |
Notes |
Charged Internal Battery |
Minimum server installation requirements
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
Power |
24W per available module |
Connection |
PCI Express (PCIe) Gen 2 x4 slot |
PCIe compatibility
PCIe generations are designed to be backward and forward compatible, so both the nShield 5s and the Solo XC should be compatible with servers and desktops that use the latest PCIe slot generation. However, we suggest confirming PCIe 2.0 support for the specific slot with the server or desktop manufacturer.
Operating system compatibility
Refer to Supported operating systems in the Compatibility section of the Security World Release Documentation for your Security World version to check the compatible operating systems.
Examples of known compatible servers
The following table summarizes server models in which internal (Entrust) teams have successfully deployed and operated nShield HSMs.
These configurations have demonstrated correct operation but do not constitute formal compatibility testing or certification.
The list is provided as a practical guide only; the absence of a y indicates “not tested”. rather than “incompatible”.
| Model | CPU | nShield Solo XC | nShield 5s |
|---|---|---|---|
Dell PowerEdge R440 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4114 CPU @ 2.20GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R440 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4210R CPU @ 2.40GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R450 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4310 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
y |
Dell PowerEdge R550 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4310 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R640 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 5218 CPU @ 2.30GHz |
y |
y |
Dell PowerEdge R640 |
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5218 CPU @ 2.30GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R650 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4310 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R660xs |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4410Y |
y |
y |
Dell PowerEdge R740 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4208 CPU @2.10GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R750 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4310 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R760xs |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4410Y |
y |
|
Dell PowerEdge R7625 |
AMD EPYC 9124 16-Core Processor |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Plus v2 |
AMD EPYC™ 7443P 24-Core Processor |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL360 Gen10 Plus |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4314 CPU @ 2.40GHz |
y |
y |
HP ProLiant DL360 Gen11 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4410Y |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL365 Gen11 |
AMD EPYC™ 9124 16-Core Processor |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL380 Gen10 |
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6130 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
y |
HP ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4310 CPU @ 2.10GHz |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL380 Gen11 |
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4410Y |
y |
|
HP ProLiant DL385 Gen10 |
AMD EPYC™ 7262 @ 3.20GHz |
y |
y |
HP ProLiant DL385 Gen11 |
AMD EPYC™ 9124 16-Core Processor |
y |
List of known incompatible servers (nShield Solo XC)
| Incompatible servers that have reached their end of service life are not included in this table. |
| Model | CPU |
|---|---|
Dell PowerEdge FC640 |
Intel® Xeon® Gen 2 (Typical)* |
HP DL360 Gen 10 |
Intel® Xeon® CPU E5-2650 v4 @ 2.20GHz |
*Where marked typical, a known example of an incompatible processor is not provided.
Known configuration issues for Solo XC
Incorrect low battery reporting
A drained battery should be reported as "B1" in the "hardware status" field of enquiry, however for some firmware and Security World releases the condition may be reported as "unsupported firmware". You can confirm whether the battery is drained by checking the blue status LED on the HSM. It flashes "SOS B1" in Morse code to indicate a low battery error. See Morse code error messages for more information on Morse code error messages.
Example of misleading message:
Module #n:
enquiry reply flags Failed
enquiry reply level Zero
hardware status unsupported firmwarePossible Resolution:
Replace the battery on-board the HSM. See Battery replacement for battery replacement details.
Battery drain
A battery drain issue has been observed on some released versions of the Solo XC firmware. For further details on this issue, see the separate Solo XC Battery Drain document.
Affected version of firmware:
nShield Solo XC 12.72.0, 12.80.2
The issue was fixed in:
nShield Solo XC 12.72.1, 12.80.5