Enabling RAID5 on B120i in ML310e Gen8 v2

[BananaJack]

I bought a ProLiant ML310e Gen8 v2 E3-1240v3 server (712328-031) and 4 x 4TB HDD (693687-B21). However, it seems that in order to enable RAID 5 support, a Flash-Based Write Cache module is needed.

So in accordance with the "Related Options" section in the Quickspecs for the on-board B120i controller, I bought a 512MB FBWC (631922-B21). However, there appears to be no socket on the motherboard to insert the FBWC card into. The instructions show only the card's battery module attaching to a PCIe controller. Am I missing something?

Can someone please enlighten me as to how to enable RAID 5 support on this machine? Did I buy the wrong FBWC? Is the only solution to buy a PCIe Array Controller instead of using the on-board B120i? To avoid changing the drives I would need one with SATA support but all the controllers I found are SAS only. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Glenn

P.S. This thread has been moved from Disk Array to ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL).
-HP Forum Moderator

[StorageMike]

Hi Glenn

Looking a the QuickSpecs for the server it's self it doesn't look it supports anything other RAID 0/1/10.  The specs do list compatible P Series Controllers which can be added to PCIe Slot 3, Slot 4 or both.  These should support RAID 5 with the correct amount of memory.

Thanks

[StorageMike]

Sorry meant to include the link to the to the quickspecs, it lists the compatible controller cards as well

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/14564_div/14564_div.pdf

[BananaJack]

Hi Mike - thanks for the prompt and very useful reply! So that's my mistake for referring to the array Quickspecs rather than the Proliant Quickspecs. And I saw on page 10, "Optional 512MB Flash Backed Write Cache (FBWC)" and failed to notice that the ML310e was missing from the server compatibility list.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/14343_div/14343_div.pdf

Anyway can you just confirm please that no compatible P-series (or any other) controller is available that offers SATA support? I don't really want to have to change the disks. In that case I guess that SATA RAID 5 isn't possible under any circumstances on the ML310e G8 v2 ?

Thanks

Glenn

[StorageMike · Accepted solution]

Hi Glenn

I would have to agree, looking at the quickspecs for each of the cards it doesn't look like they support SATA drives apart from in the Gen8 (Proliant I assume) Servers.

Thanks

[chrissrvman]

Hi all, I had the same problem and it's easy to solve:

The listed SAS controllers DO support SATA as well - SATA drives can be used on SAS controllers (but not the other way round). The cables should match too.

Chris

[BananaJack]

In the end, to get RAID5 functionality on my ML310e Gen8 v2 I gave up on the on-board B120i and installed a P420i PCI card with FBWC.

This allowed me to do an online transformation of my 4 x 10TB disk RAID10 array to RAID5 (to increase available capacity by 50%), although it looks like it will take about 6 days to complete!