Help the N00b with an IBM x3650 SAS setup

[aob]

Hi all,

I have an extensive background in IP networking, but know bugger all when it comes to storage.
So I'm hoping you folk can help me out with getting my FreeNAS servers up and running.

I have managed to get hold of an IBM x3650 with 6 SAS drives connected to a ServeRAID 8k controller.
I've managed to get FreeNAS up and running, but not sure that I've configured the drives correctly.

When the system boots, I enter the RAID controller setup via the CRTL-A break sequence, I've gone through and created a new array for each drive of type "Volume". Is this all that needs to be done to configure the disks?
They come up in the GUI as aacd0 through to aacd5, for which I then can create a ZFS volume.

I'm not sure if this is right or not? Can someone help? I've also noticed that the drives don't spin down after 5 minutes as configured.

rgds,
Andrew

 

[cyberjock]

I don't believe that the controller you are using is a good choice for FreeNAS. ZFS needs direct access to the hard drives themselves. In your case by setting up the drives as volumes you are probably creating single drive RAIDs. This is just as bad as running all of the drives in 1 hardware RAID.

I could be mistaken. I've never used a ServeRAID controller and I couldn't find easy answers or a manual. I've just seen that if you need to "configure" a hard drive in the RAID controller it probably is being setup as a RAID volume which defeats the purpose for the intent ZFS uses.

Assuming I am correct, this would also explain why you cannot spin down the drives after 5 minutes. Basically, since the OS doesn't have direct access to the drives you may not be able to use spindown, SMART testing, serial number gathering and power management for the hard drives.

 

[aob]

Thanks Noobsauce,

Since the IBM X Series 3650 is an a popular compute platform, I would have thought someone would have crossed this issue before me? The controller is built into the motherboard, or it could be a daughter card that looks very much like a memory chip.

Looking at the boot up sequence, it actually looks like an Adaptec controller, re-badged as an IBM one.

Is anyone familiar with Adaptec SAS RAID Controllers? Maybe I should just buy a new controller?

 

[cyberjock]

I know my Adaptec 5*** controller(forget the exact model and I'm not at home to look) didn't work at all when I had tried it before. Of course, I had no intention of using it in FreeNAS I just wanted a data point.

I'd recommend the IBM 1015 controller reflashed to IT mode. Its the best of all worlds for FreeNAS, plus its less than $100 for 8 ports. Survive has a great guide for RAID controllers. If I was at home I'd provide the bookmark link. It runs down a bunch of cards of various sizes and manufacturers and talks about what works.

 

[aob]

Thanks noobsauce,

After spending many hours on this reading and trying many different things, I found that you can create a JBOD through the arcconf utility, 'arcconf create 1 JBOD 0 0' for example to turn controller 1, disk 0 0 into a JBOD disk.

The problem is that the disk/controller still does not support SMART or power down, which for me operating in a home environment is extremely useful.
The arcconf commands like 'arcconf power 1 ... spindown' responds with something like 'feature not supported on controller'.


As such, I've ordered a M1015 controller card and will try that. The disks insert directly into some SAS daughter/expander board with a SFF-8087 connector, so I'm hoping that I can just disconnect the inbuilt RAID controller and plug in the M1015.

Now to do some reading on re-flashing the card to IT mode.

 

[MtK]

Hey,
I know this is a very old thread but, might be still relevant.

I have a x3650 with ServeRaid 8k and I set the drives as "Volumes".
the problem is that even with the latest firmware of {drives/backplane/controller} it occasionally drops connection to one of the drives. Specially those 2TB WD Green.

so my questions is, how did you connect the M1015, that has 2 x 4-ports into the 6-port backplane of the x3650?

MtK

 

[cyberjock]

I've never seen an x3650 connector, but I assume its compatible with the M1015's standard SFF-8087 connector. If not, then all I can say is that you are on your own to figure out what connector the X3650 has and how to make it work with virtually everything else on the planet.

 

[MtK]

I've never seen an x3650 connector, but I assume its compatible with the M1015's standard SFF-8087 connector. If not, then all I can say is that you are on your own to figure out what connector the X3650 has and how to make it work with virtually everything else on the planet.

the cable that I have on the server at this moment (connecting the ServeRaid 8k and the backplane) is: 42c2378

 

[pirateghost]

the cable that I have on the server at this moment (connecting the ServeRaid 8k and the backplane) is: 42c2378

Looks like an sff8087

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

[MtK]

the question still remains:
the backplane is for 6 drives, while the m1015 is for 2 x 4 drives.

will is work?


@aob
did you get it to work?

 

[Ulises]

the question still remains:
the backplane is for 6 drives, while the m1015 is for 2 x 4 drives.

will is work?


@aob
did you get it to work?

Yep I know this is an old thread, but I really need to share this info as I have been trying to figure this out myself for a long time.

I just now had a chance to install an m1015 into an x3650 7979 and yes, it picked up all 6 drives with just one cable. The server's hdd backplane acts as an expander.

 

[Kilianos]

Yep I know this is an old thread, but I really need to share this info as I have been trying to figure this out myself for a long time.

I just now had a chance to install an m1015 into an x3650 7979 and yes, it picked up all 6 drives with just one cable. The server's hdd backplane acts as an expander.

Thank you so much.

I have the x3650 7979-EHU and have been trying to figure out what to replace my Serveraid 8? with. I will try the M1015. I have exact same problem with 2tb greens. Some work, some don't. Did you re-flash it as LSI to turn off all raid?