Question about Smart Array B320i

[PDP-Fan]

I got a DL380e Gen8 with integrated B320i controller and it behaves a bit funny.

It has 2 drives in RAID1 (450GB SATA) for the OS and 6 drives in RAID5 (8TB SAS) for data. I have no license for SAS installed and the Storage Manager complains about the SAS drives but they work fine.

Recently I installed a 512MB BBWC cache module but the controller still tells me that it has 0MB cache. I tried another module but still the same. Supercaps are connected too...

Question is: Do I need the SAS license to make the cache work? Or is my B320i defective in some way?

[SanjeevGoyal]

Hello,

I hope all is well.

AS per shared information, you have to purchase the SAS license key for using  SAS hard disk with the B320i controller.

Please follow the below documents for more clarification.

HP ProLiant DL360e Gen8 Server Maintenance and Service Guide ( Follow the below page no 68)

https://shared.swissparts.ch/manuals/HP/Server/HP%20ProLiant%20DL360e%20Gen8%20Server%20Maintenance%20and%20Service%20Guide%20(5955K).pdf

HP Dynamic Smart Array RAID Controller User Guide ( follow the page no 5)

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=c03326739

Dynamic Smart Array controllers (B120i and B320i) Quick Specs follow the page no 2 for more clarification

http://nbc.intersmartweb.com.br/PDF/HP_BC393A.pdf

HP ProLiant DL380e Generation 8 (Gen8)

Ports

Ports B120i Up to 6 SATA drives

NOTE: NO SAS supported.

B320i Up to 8 SATA drives;

NOTE: SAS supported with an optional SAS License key.

HP ProLiant DL380e Generation 8 (Gen8)

https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getdocument.aspx?docname=c04128166

NOTE: This riser kit comes with the B320i Smart Array controller which provides support for up to 8 SAS or SATA drives and requires a SAS license key to support SAS drives.

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Regards,

[PDP-Fan]

Well, the question was not about the disks... they work fine.
The question was why I see 0MB of cache when I installed a 512MB module?
Is cache only activated when the SAS license is installed?

[SanjeevGoyal]

Hello,

Follow the below steps to isolate the issue.

1. Reseat the cache module.

2. Check/update the SA controller firmware.

3. Log a support ticket if the issue still persists.

If you feel this was helpful please click the KUDOS! thumb below!   

Regards,