topic ML350 G6 with SAS Expander in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

ML350 G6 with SAS Expander

Patric Falinder — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:22:32 GMT

Hi,

I have an ML350 G6 server which I've recently bought a SAS Expander card for (468406-B21).

I have installed the card the the second PCI-E slot, connected port 8C to the SAS Backplane port A and port 9C to SAS Backplane port B and connected a 10pin powercable from the power backplane to the SAS backplane.

I have read in various forums and HPE manuals on how to connect it and I think I have it right. But maybe I'm missing something?

However the disk I have plugged in to the SAS Backplane isn't recognized. It is spinning up and everything and it blinks when I push the start button but then nothing happens. When I logon to iLO and look under System Information -> Drives I can see that it has detected the backplane and is says Drive Status OK on the port where the drive is installed.

When I run hpssacli ctrl all show config I get the following:

Smart Array P410i in Slot 0 (Embedded) (sn:erased)


Port Name: 1I

Port Name: 2I

Internal Drive Cage at Port 1I, Box 1, OK

Internal Drive Cage at Port 2I, Box 1, OK
array A (SAS, Unused Space: 0 MB)


logicaldrive 1 (279.4 GB, RAID 1, OK)

physicaldrive 1I:1:1 (port 1I:box 1:bay 1, SAS, 300 GB, OK)
physicaldrive 1I:1:2 (port 1I:box 1:bay 2, SAS, 300 GB, OK)

array B (SAS, Unused Space: 0 MB)


logicaldrive 2 (838.3 GB, RAID 0, OK)

physicaldrive 1I:1:3 (port 1I:box 1:bay 3, SAS, 900.1 GB, OK)

SEP (Vendor ID PMCSIERA, Model SRC 8x6G) 250 (WWID: 50014380134BE08F)

I have 2x 300GB drives and 1x 900GB drive installed in the original SFF cage which it lists above but I can't find the 4TB LFF drive I have pluged in at all.

Are there any more cables I need to connect? I read that if you are using the 410i you don't need to connect SAS cables to the motherboard as it recognizes it when plugged in to the PCI-E slot.

Is there another command I need to run to list drives from the SAS Expander or is the cabling wrong?

Re: ML350 G6 with SAS Expander

Patric Falinder — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 17:29:57 GMT

Ok so it was me who had got this wrong.

I had to connect port 8C and 9C on the SAS Expander Card to the two SAS ports on the motherboard where the existing SFF SAS Backplane was connected to and then connect that and the new LFF SAS Backplane to the SAS Expander Card on any ports between 2C and 7C.

Now everything seems to work fine.

Thanks anyway and hope this helps someone else in the future.

Re: ML350 G6 with SAS Expander

Suman_1978 — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 03:25:38 GMT

Hi,

Good that you got it resolved, but any how, there was a document available for this.
https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c02034113

Thank You!
I am a HPE employee
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Re: ML350 G6 with SAS Expander

Patric Falinder — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 05:14:39 GMT

Yes I saw that one too but when I read this: https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c01733557

It says in the NOTE down under Server compatibility that the Mini SAS cables are not needed when connecting the P410i to the expander which is a little missleading. I thought that the expander communicated with the p410i controller via pci-e in some way and that's why the cables weren't needed.

NOTE: End user needs to order 8 in Mini SAS to Mini SAS cables (496012-B21) when
connecting the Smart Array P410 controller to a SAS expander card in a G6 server or
ProLiant DL385 G5p. The 8 in Mini Sas To Mini SAS cables are not needed when connected
the Smart Array P410i Controller to a SAS Expander Card in a G6 server or ProLiant DL385 G5p.