Connecting Norco RPC-4224 backplanes to X10SRH-cF?

[Kevin Horton]

I'm assembling a server based on a Supermicro X10SRH-cF in a Norco RPC-4224 chassis. I need some assistance deciphering the best way to connect the motherboard to the six backplanes on the Norco chassis.

The six chassis backplanes have SFF-8087 Mini SAS connectors. The C612 chipset on the board has 10 SATA ports and the LSI 3008 on the board feeds two connectors that I suspect might be SFF-8643. See photo below.

Questions:

1. Are these two motherboard connectors SFF-8643? Otherwise, what are they?

2. Is there an available combination of cables and/or adapters to connect 4 to 6 of the SFF-8047 on the backplanes to the LSI 3008 on the X10SRH-cF? I can use SFF-8087 reverse breakout cables to connect two of the backplanes to eight of the SATA ports on this board I've Googled, but I can't find such a thing as a SFF-8643 to SFF-8087 breakout cable. I'm guessing that these things don't exist.

3. Do I need a SAS expander + an SFF-8643 to SFF-8087? If so, what should I look to purchase?

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[Ericloewe]

1. Are these two motherboard connectors SFF-8643?

Yeah, I think so.

2. Is there an available combination of cables and/or adapters to connect 4 to 6 of the SFF-8047 on the backplanes to the LSI 3008 on the X10SRH-cF? I can use SFF-8087 reverse breakout cables to connect two of the backplanes to eight of the SATA ports on this board I've Googled, but I can't find such a thing as a SFF-8643 to SFF-8087 breakout cable.

I'm guessing that these things don't exist.

That's because both of them carry four SAS lanes. It's simply a new, smaller (?) connector.

Do I need a SAS expander + an SFF-8643 to SFF-8087?

Well, a set of SFF-8087 cables, too.

If so, what should I look to purchase?

The Intels are popular.

 

[Dice]

What's @Stux solution?

 

[Kevin Horton]

Yeah, I think so.


That's because both of them carry four SAS lanes. It's simply a new, smaller (?) connector.

Well, a set of SFF-8087 cables, too.

The Intels are popular.

Thanks @Ericloewe for confirming my suspicions.

There seem to a number of different Intel SAS Expander cards. Are there any models to stay away from?

What's @Stux solution?

@Stux has a different motherboard, without the LSI 3008. He has two HBAs to handle the drives not directly supported by his board.

 

[Ericloewe]

There seem to a number of different Intel SAS Expander cards. Are there any models to stay away from?

Not really

 

[Stux]

So you have 18 lanes/ports essentially.

You either need another HBA or an expander.

An expander seems sensible since you have all that sas3 bandwidth

 

[Kevin Horton]

I only need 16 storage drives in the near term (a storage pool and a local backup pool, both 8 disk RAIDZ2) + one hot spare drive + a boot SSD. It'll likely be two or three years before I would need to add another 8 disk vdev. So, I'll likely purchase two SFF-8643 to SFF-8087 cables to handle two of the backplanes. I'll defer a SAS expander purchase until I need it, expecting prices to come down.

Now if only the RAM would arrive so I could start burn-in testing.

 

[Stux]

And two reverse breakout sff-8087 cables for the onboard Sata ports to two of Norco backplanes