BUILD Looking for A JBOD with Back Plane

[AltecBX]

As some of you know I build my FreeNAS server almost 2 years ago. This is my current hardware.

• Motherboard - SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SRH-CLN4F-O ATX Server Motherboard LGA 201
• Processor - Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 Six-Core Processor 3.5GHz 0GT/s 15MB LGA 2011-v3 CPU, Retail
• Memory - Crucial 646GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-2133) CL15 DR x4 ECC Registered DIMM 288-Pin
• Chassis - 3U Supermicro 16 bays Storage Server Chassis SC836E26-R1200 SAS2-836EL2 6Gbs
• Rack - Tripp Lite 12U SmartRack WallMount Enclosure Rack Cabinet SRW12US33-800115632

I'm running out of space of the FreeNAS server and need to expand to use existing hard drives I have laying around to build another Vdev. I've been looking on eBay for used 16 or 24 bay but most of them don't come with an SAS2 expander. I originally bought my 16 bay chassis for $420 used on eBay. I come to find out that 1 port didn't work, so I have 15 functional bays.

My question to you guys are:
1. Point me to a 16 or 24 bay chassis I can be used as a JBOD. I need it to be inexpensive as I went over my budget buying 8TB drives.
2. The new JBOD can just connect with an SAS cable from my current 838EL2 to the new chassis? (The same way currently the cable connects from my MB to the 838EL2?)

 

[Arwen]

What you really need is a JBOD chassis with SAS Expander. Thus, you would not need to have 16 or 24
SAS lanes from the host to the JBOD chassis. Further, there are 2 options with SAS Expanders;

1. Disk back plane has a built in SAS Expander chip, with fewer host SAS connections than there are disks.
2. SAS Expander chip on a card, (some cards use PCIe form factor for power).

The second would go in the JBOD chassis that has a dumb disk back plane, (meaning it did not have it's own
SAS Expander). Then you would have as many disk connections as you do disks to that SAS Expander card.
Last, at least 4 SAS lanes from the host to the JBOD chassis.

 

[AltecBX]

You kind of lost me!
I know I would need a chassis to hold 16 - 24 hard drives. (This is a must so I can stick in more hard drives in the future.)
The chassis needs to have an SAS2 Expander to connect to the hard drives and connect back to my original 838EL2 through 1 cable. (Sort of like a daisy chain)

I'm I missing something. Also, can you link me to a product that I need? It can use from eBay or any other website. Looking for something inexpensive.

Thank You

 

[Arwen]

Okay, if your JBOD chassis' disk back plane does not include a SAS 2, (or 3), expander,
you can add one to the JBOD chassis if there is room and power. Here is an example;

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-RAID-E...qid=1489348007&sr=8-3&keywords=SAS+2+expander

Note the 4 pin MOLEX power connector on the top of the card. It's also possible that the
PCIe type connector can be used for power as well. But the PCIe connector is NOT used
for data. That's the SAS connectors. This is not a RAID card, but a SAS Expander.

Futher, that example only has 24 SAS ports, (in 6 x 4 lane SAS connectors). Thus, 20
would go the disk slots and 4 to the host.

This example has 36 SAS ports, (in 9 x 4 lane SAS connectors). And, due to it's design, it's
expected to be used for upto 28 disks and upto 8 SAS lanes to the host. (Or 2 separate hosts.)

https://www.amazon.com/Sas-EXPANDER...rd_wg=cRVk2&psc=1&refRID=5JDTKXYS0C9HG5EA2110

Just make sure you stay away from SAS 1, (that's version one of the SAS standard). They
do not support disks larger than 2TB. Lots of used equipment might have such in them. As
long as they advertise correctly, you should be able to avoid them.

Last, I can't help you with finding a product or cheap product. When I have used SAS
expanders, they were in work related production servers. Thus, cost was not an issue,
vendor support was more important.