Help with RAID Controller

[ffightus]

We just purchased and installed an Intel RS3WC08 Raid controller. We are using 8tb SAS drives with Mini SAS HD to 29pin SFF-8482 with SAS 1pin Power Port 12gb/s fan out cable to attach the drives to the controller. When booting up and going into the RAID controllers bios we are unable to see the drives being detected. Also, when checking to see if the drives are even being powered we are unable to hear or feel them spin up. We are attaching the power cable from the power supply to the back of the Mini SAS adapter cables as normal. We have tested a standard sata drive using the same power cable from the PSU and it spins up fine. Please help. Thank you so much. –Frank

 

[Chris Moore]

We just purchased and installed an Intel RS3WC08 Raid controller.

Why? In what? Using what brand and model of drive? Using what operating system?
Please review the forum rules: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/updated-forum-rules-8-3-16.45124/

 

[Chris Moore]

The most likely cause of the problem is a feature that is in new HGST (and possibly other) drives that causes the drive to turn itself off when it is supplied with 3.3 volt power. This has been a problem for other forum members, but I can't tell if this is the problem for you (or a related issue) because you didn't provide me with enough information to make an educated guess. This is kind of a wild stab in the dark.

 

[ffightus]

Why: To make a storage array
In what:
A new file server:
Motherboard: WS C422 Pro/SE,
64Gb RAM
OS Drive: Crucial MX500 M.2.2 2280 1tb
Video cards: Dual MSI GeForce GTX 1080 TI 11gb GDDR5 - SLIed together
CPU: Xeon W‑2135 3.7 ‑ 4.5GHz Turbo, LGA 2066, 140W
Model drives are: Seagate EXOS 7E8 512 SAS 12Gb/s ST800NM0075
Operating system is: Ubuntu

I figured most of that information was not relevant as the drives are not spinning up and the issue is all pre operating system, however the Raid card Bios is working but not seeing the drives. My apologies.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[Chris Moore]

Video cards: Dual MSI GeForce GTX 1080 TI 11gb GDDR5 - SLIed together

That is not a storage server.

Operating system is: Ubuntu

This is the FreeNAS forum.

Raid card Bios is working but not seeing the drives.

FreeNAS doesn't use hardware RAID, so we don't usually deal with RAID cards.
I don't think the SAS controller has anything to do with the drives not spinning up.

Exactly what cable are you using (and chassis) the way the drives are receiving power / how they are connected is critically important.

 

[ffightus]

if the issue is that feature "that is in new HGST (and possibly other) drives that causes the drive to turn itself off when it is supplied with 3.3 volt power." is there a known fix? I read your post in https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/sas-cabling-and-power.62373/#post-445076

Seems we are having the same issue. We plugged a sata drive into the adapter cables and they spin up

 

[Chris Moore]

You can post photos if you need to. For example:

 

[Chris Moore]

if the issue is that feature "that is in new HGST (and possibly other) drives that causes the drive to turn itself off when it is supplied with 3.3 volt power." is there a known fix? I read your post in https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/sas-cabling-and-power.62373/#post-445076

Seems we are having the same issue. We plugged a sata drive into the adapter cables and they spin up

Here is your answer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3-uOl4ruc

 

[ffightus]

We are using these cables
CableDeconn SFF-8643 Internal Mini SAS HD to (4) 29pin SFF-8482 connectors with SAS 15pin Power Port 12GB/S Cable (1M) (H0204)
Sorry for posting in the wrong forum and thank you for your help.

 

[ffightus]

Thank you !

 

[Chris Moore]

That is what I was thinking. Those cables use a SATA power input. You just need to us a method of disconnecting the 3.3 volt lead from the drive. It is a recent change to the specification, but this will probably be more prevalent going forward with new drives adopting the new specification.

 

[Chris Moore]

PS. If you had used this type, you wouldn't have the problem:

The drive only needs the 5 volt and 12 volt leads to function and when 3.3 volt is present it tells the drive to shutdown.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-SAS-S...ata-Server-Cable-with-IDE-Power-/192506554023

 

[ffightus]

Ahh Thanks again. I wonder why the implemented this feature to shutdown when 3.3 volts is detected.

 

[Chris Moore]

Ahh Thanks again. I wonder why the implemented this feature to shutdown when 3.3 volts is detected.

My understanding is that it was created for servers in a data-center. If the correct control infrastructure is implemented in the server, a drive can be reset without needing to physically go to the server and remove and reinstall the drive. There are some situations in a server environment where re-seating the drive was the corrective action, or a first step in testing if a drive was failed. The Exos drives you have are generally considered server class drives, so they probably implemented the feature. Regular desktop class drives may never include it.