SOLVED What breakout cable to use with SUPERMICRO X10SL7-F for SAS Drives?

[Stefan Krieger]

I'm considering my first FreeNAS build and am looking at using the Supermicro X10SL7-F with SAS (not SATA) drives. This would be the first time I'm using SAS drives and I'm uncertain if I understand how breakout cables work (in general, for this MB). Will at breakout cable like 3ware CBL-SAS8087OCF-06M allow me to use one of the SAS ports on the MB to connect to four SAS drives? Do I need anything else? I get the impression that SAS expanders are only needed if one connects more than four SAS drives to one SAS port. I assume the MB SAS ports are 'SFF-8087', but that's a guess and I might be wrong. In general the LSI 2308 seems to allow up to 256 SAS HDDs, but I can't tell if that's true for this MB with these SAS ports (or even if you need additional hardware in general). Googling didn't result in any clear (to me) answers.

I'm considering Seagate ST6000NM0034 6TB 7200 RPM 128MB Cache SAS 12Gb/s since they are pretty close or equal in price to WD Red 6TB drives. Looking to go with 6x 6TB in Z2. Don't need to breakout cable for that, but I may down the road want to add more drives at a 2nd Vdev, and I'd need breakout cables for that.

Thanks!

 

[pirateghost]

With that board the SAS ports accept sata cables. That cable you selected will not work because it requires a SFF8087 port to plug into. You don't need a breakout cable you need normal SAS drive cables

 

[Stefan Krieger]

Ah, so 8 SAS ports means no more than 8 SAS drives, despite being an LSI 2308. And to make sure: I can put SAS drives on the MB, using a cable like SAS HDD SFF-8482 to SATA Style SAS Ports Data Cable + 15Pin Power Connector 0.5M? Thanks.

 

[pirateghost]

Ah, so 8 SAS ports means no more than 8 SAS drives, despite being an LSI 2308. And to make sure: I can put SAS drives on the MB, using a cable like SAS HDD SFF-8482 to SATA Style SAS Ports Data Cable + 15Pin Power Connector 0.5M? Thanks.

That cable will work, but you can put a thousand disks on that controller if you want....you just need another component to make that work. A SAS EXPANDER.

I have that same board, and I am using only 4 of the LSI ports connected with reverse breakout cable to an EXPANDER, driving 20 disks.

I used these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133033
to connect four of the LSI ports to one port on one of these:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/raid/raid-controller-res2sv240.html
which has 4 of these connected from the expander to the drives:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816116099

 

[Stefan Krieger]

Thanks, that clears up my confusion.

 

[trumee]

That cable will work, but you can put a thousand disks on that controller if you want....you just need another component to make that work. A SAS EXPANDER.

I have that same board, and I am using only 4 of the LSI ports connected with reverse breakout cable to an EXPANDER, driving 20 disks.

I used these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133033
to connect four of the LSI ports to one port on one of these:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/raid/raid-controller-res2sv240.html
which has 4 of these connected from the expander to the drives:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816116099

What chassis are you using?

 

[Stefan Krieger]

I've moved away from considering SAS drives, due to cost and unclear (for my use) benefits. I'm now considering this build.

Ooops, didn't notice the question was for trumee.

 

[pirateghost]

What chassis are you using?

Lian Li PC-343B with 4 cages (5-3.5" in 3 5.25" bays)
I have room for 2 more cages and I have the adapter for the back of the second side of the case that will allow 3 more 3.5" drives to be mounted there.
with 2 more cages, I could toss in 24-2.5" drives or 10 more 3.5"

 

[BobCochran]

That cable will work, but you can put a thousand disks on that controller if you want....you just need another component to make that work. A SAS EXPANDER.

I have that same board, and I am using only 4 of the LSI ports connected with reverse breakout cable to an EXPANDER, driving 20 disks.

I used these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133033
to connect four of the LSI ports to one port on one of these:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/raid/raid-controller-res2sv240.html
which has 4 of these connected from the expander to the drives:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816116099

I'd like to connect an IBM M1015/LSI SAS9220-8i adapter to the Intel RES2SV240. The ports on the adapter card are SFF-8087, yes? So I would connect to the Intel expander with SFF-8087 to SFF-8087 cables? Like this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133034

Thank you for your help!

Bob

 

[pirateghost]

I'd like to connect an IBM M1015/LSI SAS9220-8i adapter to the Intel RES2SV240. The ports on the adapter card are SFF-8087, yes? So I would connect to the Intel expander with SFF-8087 to SFF-8087 cables? Like this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133034

Thank you for your help!

Bob

Yep!