Transitioning from RSA SecurID A450 to A450R2: Frequently Asked Questions 

1. General Overview

What is the A450R2 appliance?

The A450R2 is the next hardware revision of the RSA SecurID Appliance A450. It replaces the current A450 as the standard large-form-factor appliance while maintaining the same platform architecture, deployment model, and compliance posture.

Why is RSA introducing the A450R2?

The A450R2 was introduced to address hardware component availability and supply chain continuity requirements. The update enables RSA to continue delivering a fully supported, FIPS-compliant appliance without disruption.

Is the A450R2 a new platform?

No. The A450R2 is not a new platform. Both the A450 and A450R2 are built on the same Dell PowerEdge R660xs server platform and share the same appliance architecture and hardware class.

2. Hardware And Performance Changes

What hardware changes were made in the A450R2?

While maintaining compliance and encryption requirements, the revision introduces updates to the CPU and storage components to improve processing capacity and increase storage availability:

Why did the storage change from SSD to HDD?

The transition from SSD to HDD was driven by component availability and compliance requirements.

Key reasons include:

• FIPS-certified SSDs are no longer available for this platform
• A FIPS-certified HDD preserves compliance requirements
• The change ensures continued hardware availability and supply continuity
• This is a component substitution only and does not change product functionality.

Does the HDD impact appliance performance?

No significant performance impact was observed during qualification testing.

Testing confirmed that:

• No discernible performance differences were observed for supported use cases
• The appliance supports the same workloads and deployment sizes
• CPU processing capability improved due to the increased core count

From a customer perspective, the appliance behaves the same as the A450 in real-world deployments.

3. Compatibility and Operations

What aspects of the appliance remain unchanged?

The following elements remain the same between A450 and A450R2:

• Dell PowerEdge R660xs platform
• 32GB memory configuration
• Appliance architecture and design
• Software stack and deployment model
• FIPS compliance and security model
• Regulatory status and certifications
• Supported deployment use cases
• Existing A450 regulatory and compliance documentation continues to apply to the A450R2.

Will customers need to change deployment or operational procedures?

No. Customers can continue using the appliance as they do today. The update is designed to be transparent from a customer standpoint. There are no changes to:

• Installation procedures or operational workflows
• Deployment models or supported use cases
• Scaling expectations

4. Security and Compliance

Does the A450R2 remain FIPS compliant?

Yes. The A450R2 remains fully FIPS compliant. The appliance continues to provide:

• FIPS-certified storage
• Encrypted storage capabilities
• The same security architecture and compliance posture as the A450

Are there any changes to regulatory certifications or documentation?

No. The regulatory status of the appliance remains unchanged, and the existing A450 compliance and regulatory documentation continue to apply to the A450R2. In summary:

• Appliance remains FIPS-compliant
• Storage remains FIPS-certified
• Encryption capabilities are unchanged and preserved
• Regulatory status is unchanged and existing documentation continues to apply

Is the security model changing with the A450R2?

No. The security model remains unchanged. The appliance continues to provide:

• FIPS-compliant operation
• Encrypted storage
• The same security and compliance posture as the A450

5. Lifecycle and Summary

How long will the A450 remain available?

The A450 will continue to be available while current inventory lasts. The A450R2 will become the standard replacement platform as existing inventory is depleted.

What is the key takeaway for customers?

The A450R2 is a continuity-focused hardware refresh that:

• Maintains the same platform, architecture, and deployment experience
• Preserves compliance, encryption, and regulatory alignment
• Updates CPU and storage components to ensure supply continuity
• Delivers equivalent real-world performance with no observable customer impact