SAS3 Expander Options

[Scharbag]

I looked through some of the topics but did not find what I was after (I could be blind).

What I would like to know is what SAS3 expander is recommended when using an LSI 9300-8e. I am currently using an old Intel RES2CV240 and it works fine. Just thinking that as time moves on, I should get a SAS3 expander.

The Adaptec AEC-82885T 36-Port SAS-3 expander seems perfect and cheap - but Adaptec and I have a poor history. Really, the expander should be transparent to the system right? Are there go-to TrueNAS SAS3 expanders that people like to use? This is all being used in a Norco 4220 case (20 drive bays).

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Cheers,

 

[jgreco]

There seem to be fewer options for SAS3 expanders than there were for SAS2. Most of the time, for SAS2, people either use the Intel one you have or an LSI one built into their backplane. These are mostly nonproblematic unless you are trying to use very old SATA drives.

Unfortunately, I have not heard many reports about discrete SAS3 expanders although I have pointed people at the HP AEC-83605 (beware SFF-8087) and your Adaptec unit and not gotten beaten over the head for it. If this is a chassis solution, I might look at the Intel RES3FV288 which is the heir apparent to your RES2CV240, but is the newer SFF-8643 cabling.

 

[Johnnie Black]

I've been using the Intel RES3TV360 (SFF-8643) and HP SAS3 expander 761879-001 (SFF-8087) without issues, also have an LSI but it's included with a Supermicro backplane.

 

[dak180]

The Adaptec AEC-82885T 36-Port SAS-3 expander seems perfect and cheap - but Adaptec and I have a poor history. Really, the expander should be transparent to the system right? Are there go-to TrueNAS SAS3 expanders that people like to use?

This is actually the one that I use (see my sig); from the research I did when I got it, it seems to be a reference design that is also produced by intel and lenovo. The only 'gotcha' I ran into is that certain ports are meant to only be used as links and cannot be used for 4x fan outs (see the manual for which ones). Of course the usual air-flow caveats apply.

 

[Etorix]

From the outside, the Adaptec AEC-82885T and Intel RES3FV288 cards (who's coming up with these semi-random strings of letters and digits?) look like clones of each other. Which probably means they're both straight out of the reference design.
What's the wisdom on the desirable firmware version?

The Intel chassis solution is the RES3TV360. (It would obviously have been too simple, or not confusing enough, to name it RES3CV360 to follow the RES2CV240.)

 

[Ericloewe]

Geez, Intel switched to Adaptec expanders? That's unfortunate.