P212 Controller Card confussion

[datalore]

We purchased an HP 462834-B21 (SA P212/256 - no battery) and per HP, the controller is suppose to support 3GBs SATA. I have 4 Samsung 850 Pro 1TB SSDs connected to the controller via SFF SAS/SATA Drive CAGE 16 backplane ( DL170h server).  Have enabled the cache battery ignore (ack on the dangers of doing so)... But the SSA is showing the Transfer Speed as 1.5 GBs? Additional IOMeter testings validates that the xfer speed is only at 1.5 Gbps and not 3 Gbps.

Did a lot of research and I see the P212 with a 1.5 GBs SATA  and a 3 GBs SATA listing. Is there some specific need for this controller to opperate at 3 GBs SATA? or perhaps there are 2 different P212 ?  I usually don't like quering the experts until I have done my due diliganece but having done so, not sure what I am missing...  Before I go back that the controller is the problem, hopeing someone here can shed some light.

P.S. This thread has been moved from Server Automation Support and News Forum to ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL). - Hp Forum Moderator

[TVVJ]

Hi,

The controller's quickspecs shows that SSD drives are supported, along with SAS and SATA at various speeds, such as 6G, 3G etc.

The transfer speed achieved by the controller is a result of interaction of the controller firmware and the firmware on the hard drive. Now, to see if the card has performance issue as such, I recommend that you connect HP branded hard drives that are supported by the controller to check if they work correctly. If the controller does not behave as expected with HP branded hard drives, then we have an issue at hand. The reason is that the controller firmware and that of the supported drives are optimized for each other.  If they are not so behaving then we need to think of replacing the controller, provided the hard drives connected are known working ones. 

I understand that you expect to mix and match hardware. HP undertakes and tests only its listed HP option hardware for compatiblity. I agree that it is not what you might want to hear now. But atleast I am attempting to explain HP's position in this circumstance.

Regards,

Vijayasarathy

[datalore]

Mucho gracious for the response Vijay... will work on verifying with HP SAS and SATA certified drives.

In the interim, can you shed some light on why the P212 ZM contoller googled lists as 3Gbps SATA but the P212/256 googled seems to list as 1.5Gbps SATA?    just want to confirm that this controller (P212/256) truly supports 3Gbps SATA.

Regards,

Datalore

[Jimmy Vance]

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@datalore wrote:

Mucho gracious for the response Vijay... will work on verifying with HP SAS and SATA certified drives.

In the interim, can you shed some light on why the P212 ZM contoller googled lists as 3Gbps SATA but the P212/256 googled seems to list as 1.5Gbps SATA?    just want to confirm that this controller (P212/256) truly supports 3Gbps SATA.

Regards,

Datalore

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There is no differernce in the controller. it either has the cache module or is doesn't.  The specs for the controller are 6G SAS and 3G SATA

[datalore]

This is the source of my confusion...

http://www.hardware.com/products/hp/462834-B21

This link... and many others, has the specs as shown.

Storage Controller Interface SATA 1.5Gb/s / SAS Data Transfer Rate 300 MBps Buffer Size 256 MB

Data xfer rate I suspect is referencing the SAS connection...

Now HP has this controller listed as follows...

http://h30094.www3.hp.com/product/sku/3966553

Note the 3Gbs SAS notation which correlates with the above Data Transfer Rate.

But the quickspecs and the link below show it as what we are expecting but not getting...

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/arraycontrollers/smartarrayp212/index.html

So as suggested, I purchased a 6Gbps SAS disk (P/N 507119-003) and the Controller interface showed it as 3Gbps?. Plug this drive into a known 6Gbps SAS controller at it registers as 6Gbps.

So I install an OS and run IOMeter tests which further validate that anything connected to the P212 max xfer at 1.5 Sata/3 SAS... If I connect to the MB SATA, I get 3Gbps xfer...

I suspect I am missing something or there are various verisons of the P212 Controller Card out there and I need to find one that opperates at Sata II  / 6Gbps SAS?

Additional note, I did replace the 8 LFF cage/backplane with an 16 SFF cage/backplane (acquiring the correct cable kit). It was suggested by peer that the backplance could be the issue but I reveiwed the specs and do not believe this to be the case.

Any other thoughts?