SuperMicro X11SDV-12C-TLN2F - OCuLink U.2 NVME Issues

[n00bftw007]

Hi, I have a SuperMicro X11SDV-12C-TLN2F, I am trying to get an NVME (MyDigitalSSD 480GB BPX Pro) drive to work with ESXI 6.5, or even show up in the BIOS for that matter. The drive is connected through the OCuLink port via the correct U.2 cable connected to a StarTech U2M2E125 M.2 to U.2 Adapter. I have the pins set correctly (pin 2-3) for PCI-E x4 NVME, but still no look. Really getting me annoyed.

Has anyone got this motherboard or a similar model?

Could it be a BIOS setting I am missing, or could it be an unsupported M.2 drive i am using? Also, where exactly in the BIOS settings should I see the drive show up, once it's working of course?

 

[Belegnor]

Hi, I have a SuperMicro X11SDV-12C-TLN2F, I am trying to get an NVME (MyDigitalSSD 480GB BPX Pro) drive to work with ESXI 6.5, or even show up in the BIOS for that matter. The drive is connected through the OCuLink port via the correct U.2 cable connected to a StarTech U2M2E125 M.2 to U.2 Adapter. I have the pins set correctly (pin 2-3) for PCI-E x4 NVME, but still no look. Really getting me annoyed.

Has anyone got this motherboard or a similar model?

Could it be a BIOS setting I am missing, or could it be an unsupported M.2 drive i am using? Also, where exactly in the BIOS settings should I see the drive show up, once it's working of course?

Hi n00bftw007,

I experienced an issue like yours on a SuperMicro X11SDV-8C-TLN2F board, but using a Delock NVME card instead of the OCuLink port. In my case, the NVME disks were detected and I could install the OS on it, but the system couldn't boot from these devices. I compared the BIOS version with an other board (SuperMicro X11SDV-8C+-TLN2F) on which the same disks were detected without issues and realized, the versions were different. After upgrading the BIOS to the latest version, the NVME disks were detected as boot devices and I could boot the system. Perhaps it's the same in your case.

Regards

 

[Ericloewe]

I've heard of this on the enclosure side: https://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=255#t5

I can't tell you what the difference really is that creates this incompatibility, but I'd recommend investigating it. Let us know if you find anything.