DL580 internal cage 4L2I config puzzle

[Serge2k6]

Hi everybody,

I would like to add two drives to DL580 server.

Background info.

There are two controllers, Smart Array 5i and Smart Array 642.

Currently there are 2 x 72GB drives installed in internal cage 4L2I (duplex). They are configured as Raid 1 on Smart Array 5i controller.

ACU reports the drives as connected to 5i as follows:

SCSI drive at port 1, scsi id 0
SCSI drive at port 2, scsi id 0

Based on this, drives must be connected to two separate channels.

Per HP documentation, 5i has only one internal channel (and one external channel).

Based on this, the drives must be connected to the same channel of 5i (internal).

I looked at the cage. It has four slots marked 0/0, 1/1, 0/2, 1/3. The drives are installed in slots 0/0, 0/2.

Based on this, the drives must be connected to the same channel of 5i.

Questions:

1. Why would ACU report the drives as on separate channels, when it's obvious they can't be? (unless I don't understand something). Then, they can't be connected to the same channel because they have the same scsi id 0???

2. I want to add two more drives to the cage and configure them as non-raid to avoid raid overhead (to be used for page files, temp files and so on). I think the only way to do this would be to set each additional drive up as a separate "half" Raid 1 array. Correct? I think that's the only option ACU would allow. Wouldn't I get the reminders all the time that raid 1 is incomplete and second "halfs" should be added?

3. Is it Ok to order just the drives, or do I have to order an extra cable as well. If my assumptions so far are correct, I think the extra drives will be connected to internal channel of SA 642 which is currently not used.
But I don't know what's inside the box, i.e. whether there are two cables in the back of the cage (one of them currently used with 5i; the other is not used) or there is only one cable and so an extra cable should be ordered to utilize the empty slots in the internal cage.

Thanks in advance for any insight.
Serge

[Leon Rosier]

Serge,

First of all I expect the disks are connected to the 642 controller. You could run the ADU utility and attach the results here. Or add a survey output. This way i could check your current config.

If you want to add speperate disks, you need to configure them as raid0 devices.

You only need disks, no cables since there are already two cables installed.

Leon

[Brian_Murdoch]

Serge,

Here is a note from the DL580G2 Smart Array 5i plus configuration information. So it is configured in DUPLEX mode and each disk is on a seperate SA5i plus channel. There is no external 5i plus channel, both are used internally.

NOTE: The implementation of the Smart Array 5i Plus controller is using both SCSI channels for Duplex operation of the internal 4 bay SCSI drive cage. Both channels are connected to the SCSI backplane board. Therefore there is no external SCSI port found on the back of the DL580 G2. To connect external storage to the system, a second controller must be installed into an available PCI slot.

I hope this helps.

Brian