DL380p Gen8 incompatible with SAS expander? Smart Array P822?

[MShep]

Did you get anywhere with this?

Have the same issue, I am torn between just getting another DL380 G7 with a drive cage and a SAS expander so I can use all 16 disks or throwing cash at this to get it working with the new models.

Spoken at length to HP via various distributors and the only thing even closely resembling an answer was:

Use the HP Double Mini SAS Y 36in Cable Assembly (662901-B21).

So has anyone seen and/or used these cables? And will they actually allow me to get all four connections across the two drive cages in a DL380p Gen8 using the two onboard SAS ports the same way the old SAS Expander did?

[anthony11]

The cable is just for connecting a PCI HBA to the second 8SFF cage AFAICT.

When we ordered our first two Gen8 systems, HP told our VAR the same thing, and my boss didn't catch it, so we have two systems with second 8SFF cages we can't use.  Best part was that HP scattered shipping of the various components over the course of two months.

Regarding 25SFF models, there are a couple of part numbers in some versions of the DL380 Gen8 quickspec document, one for dual 2.7GHz 8-core, the other for a CTO base.  I placed an order for one of the former.  Our VAR tells me today that HP -- despite having showed a bunch of stock -- has discontinued that part number.  This didn't stop HP from shipping the disks and memory, though -- just no system to put them into.

My VAR so far has come up with 686204-S01  HP Proliant DL380e E5-2440 2.4GHz 6-core 25 SFF Server/S-Buy

This is the mysterious DL380e, not the DL380p.  Difference seems to be lower clock rates and half the memory channels.

Someone at HP claimed to me that 25SFF models would be available mid-June, but they still don't appear on the web site.

What a @#$@#@ nightmare.  No wonder HP is having trouble, they can't even be bothered to sell a usable configuration of their servers.  And to think that we switched from Sun/Oracle hardware because it had become so impossible to order and get support...

If you need your system before the next century, probably ordering the G7 is the way to go, if you can handle the crappy HBA's that won't do 3-way mirrors.

[Northwoods]

Well add another caught with their pants down. Ordered a DL380p with the 16xSFF bays expecting to run a large array across 16 drives and low an behold, nope...can't do that.

Why couldn't HP include a controller option with 4x8087 mini-sas connectors or backplanes with built-in expanders?

Half tempted to order a PowerEdge 720 next time around as it can do this without any issues.

With the units I have looking at breaking down the raid groups or buying a non-smart array controller which can handle it. Which for the cost of the P421 w/2GB cache + cache for the onboard P420i I could have picked up a LSI MegaRaid 9260-16i or a  3ware 9750-16i4e which bypasses the problem entirely and works.

[anthony11]

Our VAR quotedd systems like that too despite our explicit spec for all 16 drives on a single HBA, and my boss didn't catch the variance.  I now do the ordering :D

HP *does* now offer the 25SFF / 12LFF backplanes with embedded expander, but they sure don't make it easy to order.  Last I checked no 25SFF configs were on the web site. The QuickSpecs document listed a part number for a 25SFF system with dual 8-core 2.7GHz, mem, FBWC, etc.  Our VAR quoted us 1+2 of those, and HP accepted the first order. They shipped the extra memory and disk, then cancelled the system itself, saying that it was discontinued.  Our VAR was speechless, and found out that these models are CTO/BTO *only*, so I had to embark on the painful process of canceling / ammending PO's.

HP does now finally offer the P822, but it has 4 external and only 2 internal connectors.  I imagine someone duly motivated could pop out a slot cover and run the external connectors back inside.  I also suspect that the older SAS expander card would work, but it certainly isn't "supported".

Wrt your temptation to order a Dell:  phear.  As bad as HP is to deal with I hear that Dell is even worse, plus the utilities for setting up their rebadged LSI RAID HBA's are even more horrid than HP's.

I favor non-RAID HBA's and software RAID too, but:

1) Linux software RAID sucks.  Hard.  Really hard.  Coming from ZFS I read up on LVM2 and MD and was astounded that the tech was 20 years behind

2) There's the age-old problem of physically locating a failed disk.  Linux' stupid sequential device names (sda sdb) instead of cXtXdX makes it an order of magnitude harder.  HP's HBA's in theory will light up a failed disk, though we've yet to experience a failure to test that.

[Minutemqnqvs]

Could anyone find the right way to be able to control the 16 disks witn one P420i RAID controller on the DL380 Gen8? I'm facing the same problem here...I want to create a big RAID 6 array on the 16 disks but it looks like it's not possible?!?

I previously had Gen 5, Gen 6 and Gen 7 DL380's and there was always a solution for this...

[anthony11]

Unless I'm missing something the only supported way with internal disks and HBA RAID is to order the 25SFF CTO chassis, which can take up to 27 internal split across two channels. Alternatives include software RAID or a P420i with external disk chassis. One could I imagine buy a SAS expander separately and stuff it in, but I have no idea if it would work.

Annoying, isn't it? HP took months after Gen8 launch to come out with the 25SFF chassis. I'd say that it really should be the default, but the higher-end CPU's aren't supported -- reduced cooling / airflow I guess. The stock chassis is especially limiting when using three-way mirrors.

HP advertised BTO 25SFF models for a while. I ordered one, then they shipped the extra disk and RAM and cancelled the server itself. I had to piece together a CTO order for the balance, which was an accounting nightmare.

[Minutemqnqvs]

Argh...then I guess I'll go the IBM x3650 M4 way, it has everything the Gen8 DL380 doesn't provide :(

[anthony11]

I'm curious -- like what?

I came to HP systems from Sun gear.  Lots of things I miss about the latter, especially a vastly superior serial console experience.  I demo'd an IBM M3 system last year and found that the serial console was disabled by default, and the IBM people I was dealing with couldn't get me a viable set of steps to enable it.  HP nominally has it enabled by default with Gen 8 systems, which is extremely useful for remote bringups and iLO bugs.  We had a batch of systems from Mexico that came with it disabled, though, and other bizarre factory misconfigurations.  Systems built in the US have all been fine from the factory.

Not being able to get a menu-style RBSU interface is annoying with HP, though, especially since the CLI lacks command editing and the ability to handle pasting test -- or did that get fixed from the G7 systems?

Another plus for HP is the ability of their Smart Array HBA's to do 3-way mirrors.  IBM uses LSI cards, and when I wrote to LSI they told me they have no plans.

When I demo'd the IBM M3 system I'd hoped that UEFI would be a clean break from BIOS anachronisms, but I found that it pretty much was more of the same with a different name.

YMMV.

[anthony11]

The 10SFF (360) and 25SFF (380) chassis work for me, though the period when they weren't available was rocky

[Enzo91778]

Enzo here have you resolve this already ? I have the same problem with my client I'm from the Philippines they have a DL380p CTO with a Smart Array Controller HP P420/1GB FBWC is the P822 the answer for this or Not?