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[ITGuy1024]

My next case is going to support 15 drives. Would the better option be to get one LSI card with a SAS expander or multiple LSI cards?

 

[Chris Moore]

My next case is going to support 15 drives. Would the better option be to get one LSI card with a SAS expander or multiple LSI cards?

I used two SAS controllers in a couple of previous builds but after using a SAS expander in my most recent build, I would say that is the better way to go.
For your next build, are you going to all new hardware or keeping some of what you have.

 

[ITGuy1024]

Ideally what I'd like to do is build a new PC for myself and give my current one to my wife. Then use her old PC parts for the new build. That all depends on if I want to spend $2000 on a new PC right now.

What might happen is using most of the same parts minus the case and raid cards.

I am open to hardware suggestions.

Can you recommend a SAS expander to use?

 

[Chris Moore]

This case makes a pretty decent enclosure for a 15 drive configuration. I have two like this. I did need to make modifications to the fans so they didn't run full blast all the time. I used inline resisters to cut the speed to about half and that worked fine for me with a full load of drives:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SuperMicro-933T-15-Bay-SATA-Storage-NAS-Case-only/221693812159
I used one of these on each of the fan wall fans to drop the speed by about half. They are great fans, so no need to replace them:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pin-Comp...ow-Noise-Extension-Cable-Adaptor/263253799355
I use this model SAS expander in one of my systems and have had no trouble with it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IBM-46...ion-Adapter-16-Port-SAS-Expander/132448152088
You can use a cable like this to connect between the "input 1" on the SAS expander and either of the connectors on the SAS controller:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-SAS-S...-36-Pin-SFF-8087-Data-Cable-50cm/113012935280
That SAS expander card only plugs into a PCIe slot to get power. All the data comes through the SAS cables. So, if you are short on PCIe slots in your board, you can get one of these, just to power the card:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-LED-VE...tender-Riser-Card-Adapter-Cables/302667918720

 

[ITGuy1024]

Thanks I'll keep those part links handy.

I'm probably going to be getting this case. Hot swap isn't that important for me.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811147164

 

[Chris Moore]

Thanks I'll keep those part links handy.

I'm probably going to be getting this case. Hot swap isn't that important for me.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811147164

I didn't do hot swap for the first four FreeNAS systems I built, but it is nice to have, so the last four systems I have built all have it. Those Rosewill cases are a particular pain in the rear to change a drive out. I didn't have that case, but the last one I had before I went hot-swap was built like that, with the drive cages, and I had old drives at the time. I was having to take the thing apart every three months or so, to change a failing drive, and it got old really fast. It was only about a year before I moved that build into a case that had hot-swap drives and I have been much happier for it.

 

[Chris Moore]

PS. The price of the Supermicro 15 bay case is a little more when you count shipping, but it comes with redundant power supply, so the power supply cost would make it less expensive overall...

 

[ITGuy1024]

I have some standard PC power supplies so that won't be an issue.

A thought I just had which is important. I have the opportunity to use SAS hard drives. Can I use the same cards we have been talking about? I haven't found mini sas to sas hard drive cables.

 

[HoneyBadger]

A thought I just had which is important. I have the opportunity to use SAS hard drives. Can I use the same cards we have been talking about? I haven't found mini sas to sas hard drive cables.

Assuming you mean the cards @Chris Moore posted previously, then yes:

HP H220 6Gbps SAS PCI-E 3.0 HBA LSI 9207-8i P20 IT Mode for ZFS FreeNAS unRAID
https://www.ebay.com/itm/162862201664

You'll also need a set of SFF-8087 to SFF-8482 fan-out cables - the ones linked in his post won't work as they're for SATA drives; SAS drives have the power + data ports bridged with a piece of plastic so you can't accidentally connect them to a SATA controller.

 

[Ericloewe]

It's actually because there are pins there, for the second SAS channel. Then, to add support for PCIe, they added even more pins elsewhere to provide eight more differential pairs and a few PCIe-related signals like SMBus.

 

[ITGuy1024]

Assuming you mean the cards @Chris Moore posted previously, then yes:



You'll also need a set of SFF-8087 to SFF-8482 fan-out cables - the ones linked in his post won't work as they're for SATA drives; SAS drives have the power + data ports bridged with a piece of plastic so you can't accidentally connect them to a SATA controller.

Great thanks I was able to find a better selection of cables with that exact specification.

 

[HoneyBadger]

It's actually because there are pins there, for the second SAS channel. Then, to add support for PCIe, they added even more pins elsewhere to provide eight more differential pairs and a few PCIe-related signals like SMBus.

Even single-ported SAS drives have the same style connector though. They could have just as easily designed the opposite side of the 7-pin data cable to carry the secondary channel, but I think they opted for a keyed connector as an ounce of prevention for PICNIC* issues.

SFF-8639 is neat as well. Pinout images in the spoiler tags.

Show

Awesome how they've managed to use all the extra connector space and still maintain backwards compatibility.

*Problem In Chair, Not In Computer

 

[Chris Moore]

I have the opportunity to use SAS hard drives.

Why would you want to do that?

Great thanks I was able to find a better selection of cables with that exact specification.

I have not found SAS drives to be worth the extra expense that is usually associated with using them.

 

[ITGuy1024]

Why would you want to do that?

I have not found SAS drives to be worth the extra expense that is usually associated with using them.

They are free with low hours.

 

[Chris Moore]

They are free with low hours.

Free. Well that is another thing then. There is no better price than free. The cables will cost a little extra but I think free drives offsets the cost of cables .