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Upgrading DL580 G2 Smart Array 5i to 6402

 
Wayne C
New Member

Upgrading DL580 G2 Smart Array 5i to 6402

Hi,

Can anyone help me?

I have a couple of DL580 G2’s that I would like to improve disk i/o performance.

Reading the Smart Array Hardware Compatibility Matrix from URL http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/arraycontrollers/documentation.html
Suggest that I can install a 6404 controller.

Although I do not have a 6404 controller, I do have a 6402 at my disposal and having compared the 6404 to the 6402 the only difference I can see is the external channels supported, which is fine in my deployment.

Can I use a 6402 in lieu of a 6404?

My second question is, having read the white paper “Upgrading the Integrated Smart Array Controller” from the same URL above, it seems to refer to Attach the original SCSI cable that’s used for the Integrated Smart Array Controller to the new controller from the hot plug drive backplane

My first impressions on looking at the DL580 is that the SCSI back plane does not connect via SCSI cables, but instead connects via PCB connections directly onto the integrated controller, however the SCSI back plane does have two SCSI cable connectors that look as if they can be used to hook up the 6400 series controller.

Am I on the right track?

Do I need to disable the onboard Smart Array 5I plus controller?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Wayne
1 REPLY 1
Mark Matthews
Respected Contributor

Re: Upgrading DL580 G2 Smart Array 5i to 6402

Hi Wayne,

Yes, You can use the 6402, the only difference is the number of channels on the card.

Just found the following re the onboard 5i plus controller which explains the lack of cabling! And you'll need an optional cable (part number is at the bottom)

DL580 G2 Cable Assembly, SCSI, Ultra3, LVDS

NOTE: All DL580 G2 models ship standard with the integrated Smart Array 5i Plus Controller, which has been designed to deliver maximum performance and availability across the internal SCSI Duplex backplane.
o The Ultra3 SCSI cable is required only if the customer chooses to bypass the Smart Array 5i Plus Controller and connect slot-based SCSI adapters or RAID controllers to the internal SCSI Duplex backplane.
o Two cables are required to maintain the standard, duplexed configuration of the backplane.
o One cable is required if the simplex configuration is chosen.
The backplane is easily configured to simplex mode by means of a simple switch duplex to simplex) located on the top of the backplane itself.

288874-B21

Also see my attached file re Duplex / Simplex operation on the drive cage...

And when you install the 6402, install it, but dont attach anything to it first of all.
Boot back up in Windows and install the driver for it first, THEN shutdown and connect your existing disks to it.

That will make life a whole lot easier!

Thanks
Mark...

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