Need assistance in identifying my SAS card

[Kyrin]

Hey all,
I'm in the process of swapping out a Dell R720 running our main TrueNAS system here with a Dell Compellent SC8000 where I'll have TrueNAS installed on an internal USB drive for boot instead of the hardware RAID boot pool it's using in the current system... I need to identify the actual SAS HBA card I'm using in the system so I can source a replacement and get that installed to send the system to get swapped, but as I don't have physical access I can't just shut down the system to open it up and check, and it doesn't show up in the iDRAC.

In the shell I've got:

Code:

root@TrueNAS[~]# lspci|grep SAS
03:00.0 RAID bus controller: Broadcom / LSI MegaRAID SAS-3 3108 [Invader] (rev 02)
06:00.0 Serial Attached SCSI controller: Adaptec Smart Storage PQI SAS (rev 01)

Which seems to suggest that it's an LSI card, naturally my next command in the shell was sas2flash, etc...

Code:

root@TrueNAS[~]# sas2flash -listall
LSI Corporation SAS2 Flash Utility
Version 20.00.00.00 (2014.09.18)
Copyright (c) 2008-2014 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved

        No LSI SAS adapters found! Limited Command Set Available!
        ERROR: Command Not allowed without an adapter!
        ERROR: Couldn't Create Command -listall
        Exiting Program.
root@TrueNAS[~]# sas3flash -listall
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 16.00.00.00 (2017.05.02)
Copyright 2008-2017 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved.

        No Avago SAS adapters found! Limited Command Set Available!
        ERROR: Command Not allowed without an adapter!
        ERROR: Couldn't Create Command -listall
        Exiting Program.
root@TrueNAS[~]# sas2ircu LIST      
LSI Corporation SAS2 IR Configuration Utility.
Version 20.00.00.00 (2014.09.18) 
Copyright (c) 2008-2014 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved. 

SAS2IRCU: MPTLib2 Error 1
root@TrueNAS[~]# sas3ircu LIST
Avago Technologies SAS3 IR Configuration Utility.
Version 16.00.00.00 (2017.04.26) 
Copyright (c) 2009-2017 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved. 

SAS3IRCU: MPTLib2 Error 1

So, now I'm stumped and hoping for some insights.

Cheers!

 

[somethingweird]

maybe it sas3flash? (just guessing)

 

[Kyrin]

maybe it sas3flash? (just guessing)

I ran both sas2 and sas3 flash and ircu applications, they both had the same results... if it weren't for my NAS having 7 disk enclosures with pools built from those all being connected by SFF-8644 cables I would doubt that I had a SAS card in the system myself...

 

[jgreco]

The LSI controller is a 3108 based RAID controller of some sort. Not usable. This could be a variety of different things, MegaRAID 9361-8i or similar.

The Adaptec Smart Storage is also severely not recommended.

If you haven't seen the article over in Resources, please visit

www.truenas.com/community/resources/whats-all-the-noise-about-hbas-and-why-cant-i-use-a-raid-controller.139/

 

[Kyrin]

The LSI controller is a 3108 based RAID controller of some sort. Not usable. This could be a variety of different things, MegaRAID 9361-8i or similar.

The Adaptec Smart Storage is also severely not recommended.

If you haven't seen the article over in Resources, please visit

www.truenas.com/community/resources/whats-all-the-noise-about-hbas-and-why-cant-i-use-a-raid-controller.139/

So, really, rather than replacing what I have with the same (despite it magically appearing to be working through luck I'm sure more than planning), I should get an actually supported HBA card (like an LSI SAS9300-8e) and save myself future hassles...

 

[HoneyBadger]

Your card is likely visible under storcli list - if it is, it's still using the IR (Integrated RAID) firmware, and likely a non-optimal driver like mrsas vs the mpt3sas expected. lspci -vv will confirm that.

I should get an actually supported HBA card (like an LSI SAS9300-8e) and save myself future hassles..

"This is the way" for the most robust and well-tested solution. The 9300-8e would be the gold standard for your generation.

 

[Kyrin]

Your card is likely visible under storcli list - if it is, it's still using the IR (Integrated RAID) firmware, and likely a non-optimal driver like mrsas vs the mpt3sas expected. lspci -vv will confirm that.



"This is the way" for the most robust and well-tested solution. The 9300-8e would be the gold standard for your generation.

Wonders cease to amaze... not listed there either:

Code:

root@TrueNAS[~]# storcli show
CLI Version = 007.1504.0000.0000 June 22, 2020
Operating system = Linux 5.15.107+truenas
Status Code = 0
Status = Success
Description = None

Number of Controllers = 0
Host Name = TrueNAS
Operating System  = Linux 5.15.107+truenas

but yeah, 9300-8e ordered and on the way... Is it reasonable to assume that as my drives are all being presented directly to my NAS that the pool migration should(TM) be fairly seamless? I'll have a settings export from the existing system that I'll import to the new host and I'm hoping for this to be "plug and play" for my on-site resource when they receive the new host.

 

[jgreco]

9300-8e is a card with external SAS ports. Do you need external or internal (9300-8i)?

 

[Kyrin]

9300-8e is a card with external SAS ports. Do you need external or internal (9300-8i)?

External, I've got 7 enclosures to reconnect via SFF-8644 chains.

 

[Ericloewe]

Wonders cease to amaze... not listed there either:

Code:

root@TrueNAS[~]# storcli show
CLI Version = 007.1504.0000.0000 June 22, 2020
Operating system = Linux 5.15.107+truenas
Status Code = 0
Status = Success
Description = None

Number of Controllers = 0
Host Name = TrueNAS
Operating System  = Linux 5.15.107+truenas

but yeah, 9300-8e ordered and on the way... Is it reasonable to assume that as my drives are all being presented directly to my NAS that the pool migration should(TM) be fairly seamless? I'll have a settings export from the existing system that I'll import to the new host and I'm hoping for this to be "plug and play" for my on-site resource when they receive the new host.

Well, I guess that leaves sas3ircu... Not that it's super relevant, since it's an SAS3108.

 

[Kyrin]

Well, I guess that leaves sas3ircu... Not that it's super relevant, since it's an SAS3108.

I did all four in my first post, sas2flash, sas3flash, sas2ircu, sas3ircu... Thankfully I found I had a 9300-8e laying around, so I've got the new system built and won't have to wait for the card to arrive in the New Year, it can just replace the one I had in storage, maybe I'll be able to get the system ready for swap this weekend.

 

[Kyrin]

Everything is migrated now and I've got the old host back, should anyone be interested, the card in it is an HPE E208e-p SR Gen10, and given the manual states "This controller operates in Mixed Mode which combines RAID and HBA operations simultaneously." I assume I'm lucky this was working as an HBA reliably at all!