New M.2 128G SSD not visible in TrueNas Scale

[Bahama Tom]

I am setting up my newly acquired TERRAMASTER F2-423 2 Bay (I am testing the TERRAMASTER devices if it could be a viable option for a project I am working on, to later obtain their 5bay and 9bay solution and run TrueNas Scale on them). It has 2 M.2 slots available where as in the first slot I have installed a Patriot P300 M.2 PCIe Gen 3x4 128 GB SSD (the boot drive), and in the second slot a Generic FORESEE M.2 SATA 128 GB SSD (which works fine when connected to my windows machine and I had it laying around). In the drive bays I have 2x 2TB Seagate drives (just for testing purposes and had them also laying around).

Here is my issue ... TrueNAS-SCALE-22.02.3 is unable to detect the second M.2 SSD (see screenshot below).

If I remove the current boot drive listed above and insert the Foresee 128G M.2 SSD into the slot the current boot drive was in and perform a fresh install of TrueNas Scale that drive is not visible either.

What puzzles me is the drive works fine in my windows machine. I have even reset to factory default and it still does not show up in TrueNas Scale. Is this a known issue with some M.2 SSDs? Also is there a way to get this SSD to be recognized by TrueNas?

I have ordered a new drive (the same as the boot drive), but would really like to know what would be the root cause of the drive not being recognized.

Thanks much,
Tom

 

[Arwen]

That is the problem with the All-In-One-Supposedly-Perfect-Standard of M.2. The M.2 standard built upon the simpler standard of Mini-PCIe slot, but tried to be everything to everyone.

Both slots appear to be NVMe PCIe only. Attempting to put a SATA drive, in the M.2 form factor, in those slots won't work.


M.2 key M slots can be SATA only, 2 or 4 lane NVMe PCIe only, or both. Plus, it includes so many options, that it takes a computer engineer to keep them all straight;
Wikipedia - M.2 - Form factors and keying

 

[Bahama Tom]

That is the problem with the All-In-One-Supposedly-Perfect-Standard of M.2. The M.2 standard built upon the simpler standard of Mini-PCIe slot, but tried to be everything to everyone.

Both slots appear to be NVMe PCIe only. Attempting to put a SATA drive, in the M.2 form factor, in those slots won't work.


M.2 key M slots can be SATA only, 2 or 4 lane NVMe PCIe only, or both. Plus, it includes so many options, that it takes a computer engineer to keep them all straight;
Wikipedia - M.2 - Form factors and keying

I didnt think of that mind fart. You are correct. The Foresee M.2 SSD drive is a SATA drive and not a NVMe PCIe. I have ordered another Patriot P300 M.2 PCIe Gen 3x4 128 GB SSD. I just have to wait until it arrives. Thanks much have a good weekend.