The new Mac Pro can add 32TB of storage with this hard-drive-filled MPX Module
Summary
Promise, known for its Pegasus external RAID arrays and rack mount hard drive solutions, says it worked with Apple to announce versions that you can insert directly into the PCIe slots in the new Mac Pro. The product page says the new Pegasus R4i in particular counts as a bona fide MPX Module, one that adds up to 32TB of storage in a prebuilt RAID 5 array, meaning your data can survive in case one of its four hard drives happens to fail. (Presumably, the redundancy of RAID 5 means we’re talking about 24TB of actual usable storage, since it comes with four 8TB, 7200RPM magnetic drives.) Since Promise apparently worked with Apple, it’s still not quite clear whether the new MPX Modules (which use both traditional PCIe and a second “all-new” PCIe connector that provides more power and data over a special Thunderbolt 3 backbone that Apple built into the new Mac Pro) are something just anyone can build for, or if you need approval and support, and possibly need to pay Apple some licensing fees like you do if you’re building for the Lightning connector on an iPhone. Apple hasn’t yet replied to our request for comment about how the MPX Module idea will work more broadly.