Remove SAS Expansion Adapter?

[ITGuy1024]

Currently I have a Dell H310 going to a IBM ServeRAID expansion card. I think I did it this way based on some recommendations on here years ago.
From the expansion card I have four 4 port breakout cables going to 16 hot swap bays.

Could I just remove the expansion card and use two 8 port sas breakout cables right into the H310?

Is there any benefit to keeping my SAS expansion card?

My current setup has been rock solid for years. No real reason to change things but I'm going to be redoing my vdevs so if I wanted to change something now would be the time.

TIA

 

[Davvo]

Is there any benefit to keeping my SAS expansion card?

It should be extending the maximum distance between the HBA and the drives. Does this ring a bell?

 

[ITGuy1024]

It should be extending the maximum distance between the HBA and the drives. Does this ring a bell?

No can you elaborate?

 

[Davvo]

No can you elaborate?

With SAS (and SATA) you have a set cable leght before the signal degrades; using SAS expanders should increase this distance, allowing for greater lenghts between the (usually) external drives and the HBA.

Also, your HBA can serve up to four drives per port (which is likely the reason you were suggested an expander).

 

[ITGuy1024]

Ah got ya. Cable length never really crossed my mind the drives are all internal.

I think the H310 can support up to 32 drives which is what I was wondering about removing the expansion card. Although maybe that's only possible with the right backplane. More than 4 ports on a breakout cable isn't very common it seems.

 

[danb35]

More than 4 ports on a breakout cable isn't very common it seems.

That's because a single SAS connector has four lanes. To get more ports than that, you'd need to use a SAS expander--which you are, and that's probably why you are.