SAS HDD not working in TrueNAS Build, even with compatible backplane

[leumas]

Good afternoon everyone,

I have a TrueNAS server in my homelab that has been running for quite some time, and it's due for an upgrade. I currently have a mix of 4 different SATA HDD in RAIDz2 configuration in a Supermicro 2U X8DT3.
I checked before purchasing the new drives that the backplane is compatible with SAS and SATA drives on every port.
I now have a bunch of Seagate Constellation ES 2TB drives, models ST2000NM0001 and ST3200044SS. I put some into my server, and instantly things got weird. Of the 12 drive bay, only slots 6-8 will recognize the drives, no matter the drive or model. In TrueNAS, the drives that are recognized fail a long smart test with "Error:48816477". I've been to the smart test wiki and can't find any error codes that match. Also, they all have errors when trying to wipe them "Error: [Errno 22] Invalid argument".
I found this command online but it did not come with any instructions and I am hesitant to use it without understanding it completely "sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16".
My end goal with this is to replace my current pool with 4 old drives with a new pool with 10 new drives.

I would greatly appreciate any help or suggestions you all have! As a new computer science student, I haven't learned everything yet, and would really like to learn more about this system I am using and why it is not working as expected.

- Sam

Specs Quick Guide:
Server - Supermicro 2U X8DT3 2x X5650 2.66ghz 12-Cores / 24gb Ram / 12x Trays / 2x720w
Current Working Drives - WD re SATA 2TB, WD re SATA 2TB, Seagate Barracuda 2TB(x2)
New drives - Seagate Constellation ES model ST2000NM0001 and ST3200044SS
OS - TrueNAS core Version TrueNAS-12.0.U8.1

 

[jro]

Sounds to me like a faulty backplane. You could try to reseat the SAS cable(s) on the inside of the backplane and the HBA but I think that's a long shot given that you have 3 working slots. Next step would be to live boot Ubuntu or something to see if it's a driver issue, etc. Also check the HBA firmware (make sure it's IT mode on the latest version).

After that, I'd strongly consider buying a new backplane. If you figure out the model number, you can likely get one on eBay for a reasonable price.

Good luck!