S.M.A.R.T not working "requires option '-d cciss,N'"

[yaxochubytctoboi]

I'd like to run s.m.a.r.t tests on my hard drives, i am using a HP server with a raid hdd backplane thingy, whenever i try to run it manually using the web GUI i get this:

Code:

smartctl failed for disk sdb:
smartctl 7.3 2022-02-28 r5338 [x86_64-linux-6.1.55-production+truenas] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-22, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

/dev/sdb: requires option '-d cciss,N'
Please specify device type with the -d option.

Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary

Meaning i need to add arguments to make the smart thing do it's thing, but when adding these arguments under "S.M.A.R.T. extra options" i get an error saying:
"-d is an invalid extra smart option"

Using the shell i am able to get a valid smart output by using the commands so why won't the GUI take them?

Kind of a shame because i specifically stopped using the raid controller to read out data using TrueNas Scale :(

 

[Arwen]

If I remember correctly, the "cciss" indicates the hardware RAID controller driver. Hardware RAID controllers are highly discouraged because they can and DO lead to data loss when used with ZFS. ZFS was designed for direct access to the disks and be the only RAID scheme used.

Even though you state that you "specifically stopped using the raid controller", if it still has RAID firmware and you exposed the disks as LUNs, it is still RAID. Meaning the firmware can and will cause problems for ZFS, like out of order writes, (aka elevator writes).

Please see;

What's all the noise about HBAs, and why can't I use a RAID controller?

1) An HBA is a Host Bus Adapter. This is a controller that allows SAS and SATA devices to be attached to, and communicate directly with, a server. RAID controllers typically aggregate several disks into a Virtual Disk abstraction of some sort...

www.truenas.com

That said, I don't know that your disk controller is still using RAID firmware...

 

[jgreco]

I'd like to run s.m.a.r.t tests on my hard drives, i am using a HP server with a raid hdd backplane thingy, whenever i try to run it manually using the web GUI i get this:

Code:

smartctl failed for disk sdb:
smartctl 7.3 2022-02-28 r5338 [x86_64-linux-6.1.55-production+truenas] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-22, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

/dev/sdb: requires option '-d cciss,N'
Please specify device type with the -d option.

Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary

Meaning i need to add arguments to make the smart thing do it's thing, but when adding these arguments under "S.M.A.R.T. extra options" i get an error saying:
"-d is an invalid extra smart option"

Using the shell i am able to get a valid smart output by using the commands so why won't the GUI take them?

Kind of a shame because i specifically stopped using the raid controller to read out data using TrueNas Scale :(

As @Arwen noted, the CCISS based RAID controllers are not supported for ZFS use, and are only included so that you can migrate data off an existing array. Attempting anything else is likely to end in disaster.

 

[yaxochubytctoboi]

Right so,

Thanks for the replies, i've done some research as well and it came down to the fact that right now im using raid mode or "IR" (idk if that's correct), but to get what i want you'd have to use IT mode on the raid controller. My server's raid controller doesn't support IT mode therefore i was thinking of buying a pci raid controller, in this case it would be the LSI-9211 which does support IT mode as i've read. i understand that i'd have to reinstall TrueNas because of this since all disks are set to raid 0 right now but that's not a problem.

Would this work tho? if i buy a LSI-9211 and then try and fetch the smart data.

 

[jgreco]

raid mode or "IR" (idk if that's correct),

"IR" mode is an LSI thing where they added the most basic RAID functionality to their line of HBA's in order to create an entry level "RAID" controller. These controllers can typically take either the IR or IT firmware and both expose themselves to the OS as mpr(4) or mps(4) driver based cards (on FreeBSD), which are entirely and completely usable for TrueNAS (even the "IR"). What TrueNAS is interested in is NOT whether or not the card is actually a RAID controller, but whether or not it is known to work correctly with ZFS. You have a limited set of options for cards known to work correctly with ZFS and it is probably not wise to mess with others; many have tried, few succeed. If you happen to have an LSI IR card, you can run it in its default mode (do not make any virtual disks) and you are 100% okay but maybe only 90% of the speed of IT.

Thanks for the replies, i've done some research as well and it came down to the fact that right now im using raid mode or "IR" (idk if that's correct), but to get what i want you'd have to use IT mode on the raid controller. My server's raid controller doesn't support IT mode therefore i was thinking of buying a pci raid controller, in this case it would be the LSI-9211 which does support IT mode as i've read. i understand that i'd have to reinstall TrueNas because of this since all disks are set to raid 0 right now but that's not a problem.

Would this work tho? if i buy a LSI-9211 and then try and fetch the smart data.

Yup, you should get SMART just fine with any of the recommended LSI HBA's.

You mention that you are using a "RAID HDD backplane thingy" and so I am guessing that you are not particularly familiar with these thingys. If that is the case, please go have a read at

Don't be afraid to be SAS-sy ... a primer on basic SAS and SATA

With the introduction of SAS 12Gbps, seems like "it's time" to do a braindump on SAS. Work in progress, as usual. History By the late '90's, SCSI and PATA were the dominant technologies to attach disks. Both were parallel bus multiple drop...

www.truenas.com

and pay particular attention to the section on various connectors (SFF-8087 vs SFF-8643). Some modern servers still use the CISS based RAID controllers and I believe there are some with the newer SFF-8643 connectors. You should look at the pictures to compare your connectors to what is outlined in that article.

If you have SFF-8087, you will need a SAS2008 or SAS2308 based controller such as the LSI 9211-8i. Newer 12Gbps controllers may have the SFF-8643 and you will want an SAS3008 based controller for that kind of cable. You didn't give too much information about your thingys but your backplane MAY have an SAS expander on it (see the article) if you have more than four drive bays. You may have more questions when you are done assessing your situation, feel free to come back and ask questions. The dumbest question is the one you didn't ask before you bought the wrong thing.

 

[yaxochubytctoboi]

Right so i've purchased the Dell Perc H200A LSI-9211-8i SAS SATA Controller. which comes with cables that are SAS on one side and sata on the other side, but my server already has a SAS cable going from the front to where the current controller is so i won't have to use those cables, and i hope i hould be able to connect the existing cable right onto the controller i bought, the connectors look the same so i hope that's fine :)

lspci reads a RAID bus controller: Hewlett-Packard Company Smart Array G6 controllers (rev 01), and the backplane board is just to provide power to the drives and to connect the two SAS cables, the raid controller (i think) is one of those drop in cards (not pci i think) but the cable doesn't go into it, it goes directly into the board but the connector looks the same as it is on the picture, i was talking with the seller who coincidentally also had this card running on his HP server running truenas so should be all good, it should be arriving monday or tuesday so i will keep this post posted. thank you very much for the help and comments, it's much appreciated.