Bought new disks, any simple way to migrate the pool?

[Octopuss]

So even though this is something I don't want to do, how exactly would I use a multimeter to test all this? Is is possible to describe the process step by step to someone who knows less than nothing about electricity and has never held one of these in hands?

I don't know how relevant this manual is to your controller, based on my search for Avago SAS3224, but there is an interesting feature mentioned on page 15 called "Dimmer Switch Features". https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/t...4385-00_RevF_12Gbs_MegaRAID_SAS_SW_UserGd.pdf

It suggests there is a Dimmer mode (Dimmer Switch I) which spins down unconfigured disks. It can be disabled. Page 84 makes mention of this. Maybe try that first?

Oh I completely forgot these cards have a BIOS you can enter before the machine itself boots.
I guess I'll see what's in there at least out of generic curiosity.

 

[Etorix]

If you have access to a multimeter, can you check to see if pin 3 of the SATA power connector has any connection to any of the pins of either the Molex or the mini SAS HD connector?

4-pin Molex does not provide 3.3 V at all, only 5 V and 12 V. So that cannot be the issue.

 

[Octopuss]

A little offtopic, but under what circumstances can I enter the card's BIOS?
I tried both HBAs and neither gave me any prompt to enter anything during boot. The new card actually blanked the screen for good one minute before letting me boot into the OS.

edit: nevermind, got it, apparently impossible from UEFI boot mode.

 

[Octopuss]

I don't know how relevant this manual is to your controller, based on my search for Avago SAS3224, but there is an interesting feature mentioned on page 15 called "Dimmer Switch Features". https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/t...4385-00_RevF_12Gbs_MegaRAID_SAS_SW_UserGd.pdf

It suggests there is a Dimmer mode (Dimmer Switch I) which spins down unconfigured disks. It can be disabled. Page 84 makes mention of this. Maybe try that first?

After some experimenting, I think this only applies to RAID cards and not HBAs. I could only find the "Ctrl+C menu".

And also I discovered something.
When I plug an old notebook 2,5" HDD, it spins up. It's not detected by TrueNAS (not showing in the storage->disks tab), but it spins.
WTF is going on then?

 

[Octopuss]

If you don't want to purchase a multimeter that costs about as much as your last cable did, you can always buy two separate cables - one that has only the mini SAS HD breakouts and another that has only the SATA to Molex power connector.

I've been trying to find such cables without any luck. What is the name of the data only SAS connector? Nothing like that is listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Attached_SCSI#Connectors
Same with power connectors.
I need to connect a SAS HDD with the backup to copy back to the new pool (when I get it to work), and the HDDs I currenly have have U.2 (or 8482 or 8339, I don't know) connector, which obviously doesn't work with SATA cables.

 

[artstar]

4-pin Molex does not provide 3.3 V at all, only 5 V and 12 V. So that cannot be the issue.

That's what I would also expect but it doesn't mean that a cheap third party manufacturer can't make a silly mistake such as tying the 5V power feed to pin 3. The other possibility is that it is taking a 3.3V signal from the mini SAS HD connector. Shouldn't be the case, of course, but I assume nothing and expect the weirdest scenarios. Dude, I even once had a C13 IEC power lead that had its earth and neutral wires crossed internally, which was the reason why a UPS was constantly tripping the RCD of a circuit breaker in the switchboard.

Hence, the importance of using a multimeter to confirm what's up with that cable. If the cable really does turn out to be OK, then it narrows the problem down to the HBA but we won't know for sure without some of this fundamental testing.

 

[artstar]

So even though this is something I don't want to do, how exactly would I use a multimeter to test all this? Is is possible to describe the process step by step to someone who knows less than nothing about electricity and has never held one of these in hands?


Oh I completely forgot these cards have a BIOS you can enter before the machine itself boots.
I guess I'll see what's in there at least out of generic curiosity.

Bummer that there's nothing about the card that gives us a BIOS settings screen.

The safest way to test with a multimeter is to work with the cable itself, totally disconnected from everything. With the multimeter set to continuity testing, contact one test probe from the meter with pin 3 of the power connector (as illustrated in that WD document) and then with the other test probe, touch every contact on the mini SAS HD connector. If any of them gives you a beep and/or indication of 0 ohms on your meter, then that's your culprit.

 

[Octopuss]

However, as the cable works with his older HBA

NO! I clearly wrote there were two different cables! The old one that works has SFF-8087 connector, and the new one that doesn't, which I had to buy, because the new HBA has SFF-8643.

I have ordered two other cables I will test later this week.

 

[artstar]

NO! I clearly wrote there were two different cables! The old one that works has SFF-8087 connector, and the new one that doesn't, which I had to buy, because the new HBA has SFF-8643.

I have ordered two other cables I will test later this week.

OK dude, no need to yell. We're trying to help here, even if I did misunderstand that one little detail.

 

[jgreco]

Have you seriously not read the post directly above yours? WTF man? You literally replied to me saying I plugged the card into my own PC and tried connecting the disks!

[mod hat on] @Octopuss , I understand you're frustrated, but please try to remember that everyone else here does not have the benefit of having your equipment in front of you, and reading through this thread, it is clear that there is plenty of room for speculation and confusion. It's important for you not to get frustrated but also not to frustrate other participants who are trying to help.

 

[Ericloewe]

A little offtopic, but under what circumstances can I enter the card's BIOS?
I tried both HBAs and neither gave me any prompt to enter anything during boot. The new card actually blanked the screen for good one minute before letting me boot into the OS.

edit: nevermind, got it, apparently impossible from UEFI boot mode.

BIOS expansion ROMs are not supported in UEFI (apart from CSM), but there's an equivalent for UEFI. Instead of having to run an application separate from the setup menu, UEFI extension ROMs add menus to the setup menu. The exact location will depend on the system firmware, of course.

 

[Octopuss]

[mod hat on] @Octopuss , I understand you're frustrated, but please try to remember that everyone else here does not have the benefit of having your equipment in front of you, and reading through this thread, it is clear that there is plenty of room for speculation and confusion. It's important for you not to get frustrated but also not to frustrate other participants who are trying to help.

I was being perfectly civil, keep your hat in your pocket.
I went in fairly decent detail and spent a fair amount of time describing the problem and the circumstances, so posting something completely random without reading even the very last post in a thread you're replying to (which in itself is pretty rude by the internet standards I still believe are valid) is pretty disrespectful, and I had every right to snap at the guy (and I held back quite a bit too).
Now cut it please.

I ordered a new branded (if it's any guarantee of anything) cable and also the "data only" one. Fortunately I have plenty of power cables and adapters here so with these, I will have a better. idea. Also ordered a multimeter because the crappiest ones cost something like €15.
I hope I will figure it out, because selling the HBA would be a pain in the arse, and getting a new one (which wouldn't even be guaranteed to work) even bigger.

BIOS expansion ROMs are not supported in UEFI (apart from CSM), but there's an equivalent for UEFI. Instead of having to run an application separate from the setup menu, UEFI extension ROMs add menus to the setup menu. The exact location will depend on the system firmware, of course.

Guess there are BIOS settings I missed that would somehow enable this, but when in UEFI mode, I saw no additional tabs in either the server's or my PC's BIOSes :(

 

[jgreco]

I was being perfectly civil, keep your hat in your pocket.
I went in fairly decent detail and spent a fair amount of time describing the problem and the circumstances, so posting something completely random without reading even the very last post in a thread you're replying to (which in itself is pretty rude by the internet standards I still believe are valid) is pretty disrespectful, and I had every right to snap at the guy (and I held back quite a bit too).
Now cut it please.

[mod hat on] We received a complaint about the tone of your post. I deemed it more due to frustration on your part, but it was also clear from the complaint that you were frustrating other community members. I posted the most tepid of admonishments with the intention of trying to remind everyone of the frustrations involved, but I am fine with handing out warning points instead if you prefer. @NugentS made a reasonable suggestion to try it on bare metal, even if maybe you didn't understand the reasoning for the suggestion. You claim on one hand that you were "being perfectly civil", but on the other hand "had every right to snap at the guy." These claims would seem to be in conflict. Everyone's trying to be helpful, let's just try to appreciate that different people see other angles to the problem and have other ideas about it.

 

[Octopuss]

And what part of "I installed the card in my PC and tried connecting disks there" is not trying it bare metal, pray?
His suggestion was useless, because I already tried that, which he would know if he read my post.
Now butthurt snowflake reporting is nothing new, but the irony is huge in this one.

That's all I have to add to this nonsense.

 

[jgreco]

Fine. Warning points issued.

 

[Ericloewe]

My apologies to everyone participating in good faith, but since this has gone off the rails, I'm closing the thread.