Multi-bay enclosures

[steve1977]

I have been running with a multi-bay enclosure connected via USB-C. I know this has been strongly discouraged by the Unraid developers, but has been working surprisingly well with me.

 

I am about to buy a new enclosure and looking into USB-3.1, USB-3.2 and also SAS. I am wondering whether SAS would give me a substantial speed gain and whether it is even supported by Unraid? It is significantly more expensive, so curious whether this gives me a gain.

[JonathanM]

SAS is the ONLY recommended multi drive external enclosure.

 

Here's a good thread.

 

[steve1977]

Thanks

[steve1977]

I just connected the external SAS enclosure. Unraid seems to identify the SAS card that came with it. But I cannot see any drive. Do I need to install something on Unraid to make this work? Please see attached diagnostic log. Thanks for your help!

tower-diagnostics-20230226-1213.zip

[Vr2Io]

Your SAS controller was RAID type, there are no any SAS device have detect in Unraid.

Pls confirm any SAS device found in MegaRAID BIOS first.

[steve1977]

The enclosure has a display, which shows that disks are identified. I don't know how to access the bios and don't have another system than Unraid.

[steve1977]

Attaching updated diagnostic. I think something wrong with the first one.

tower-diagnostics-20230226-1255.zip

[Vr2Io]

Try <Ctrl><R>

 

[steve1977]

I am running Unraid headless, so this will be challenging for me.

[Vr2Io]

11 minutes ago, steve1977 said:

Attaching updated diagnostic. I think something wrong with the first one.

 

Still same as 1st one.

[steve1977]

Then it is the right one. Any other idea what I can try to troubleshoot?

[Vr2Io]

Pls provide the SAS enclosure detail / model.

[steve1977]

Maiwo K8AC: https://www.kintec.cn/MAIWO-K8AC-SFF-8088-Mini-SAS-Port-8-Bays-RAID-HDD-Cabinet-PG6604827

[Vr2Io]

6 minutes ago, steve1977 said:

Maiwo K8AC: https://www.kintec.cn/MAIWO-K8AC-SFF-8088-Mini-SAS-Port-8-Bays-RAID-HDD-Cabinet-PG6604827

 

For my understanding, this not a true SAS enclosure, it just a cable extension to external box, so that's why connect 8 disks then need 2 SAS cables. All just use SAS socket / cable but nothing relate SAS. ( I may be wrong )

The RAID function just provide by the RAID controller,  nothing relate to enclosure.

 

BTW, you should see the disks, what disk type in enclosure SATA / SAS ?

 

[steve1977]

I have SATA disks in the enclosure. The enclosure has a display that shows them being identified. I placed them into slots 1, 7 and 8. It also identifies that both cables are connected.

[Vr2Io]

Then it should because you need in BIOS / Windows environment to add SATA disk be RAID members, so that it can recognize. BTW, you won't see RAW disk SMART under RAID controller.  

[steve1977]

So as long as I get into the bios to add them, I should be fine? So need to get a screen to connect and run bios as you suggest above?

 

I won't be able to run Windows unless possible to do this within a Windows VM.

[Vr2Io]

19 minutes ago, steve1977 said:

So need to get a screen to connect and run bios as you suggest above?

Best and simple.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Vr2Io

[Vr2Io]

17 minutes ago, steve1977 said:

I won't be able to run Windows unless possible to do this within a Windows VM.

 

17:00.0 RAID bus controller [0104]: Broadcom / LSI MegaRAID SAS 2208 [Thunderbolt] [1000:005b] (rev 03)
    Subsystem: Broadcom / LSI MegaRAID SAS 9286CV-8e [1000:9291]
    Kernel driver in use: megaraid_sas
    Kernel modules: megaraid_sas

 

/sys/kernel/iommu_groups/42/devices/0000:17:00.0

 

Or passthrough the SAS controller ( group 42 )  to Windows VM then config it.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Vr2Io

[steve1977]

I am doing it through Bios now. Does this mean that this enclosure does not allow me to swap disks? Everytime I add / change a disk, I will need to go to Bios to set it up? That's quite disappointing. I don't plan to use any raid feature, but just use the controller to pass it through to Unraid.

[steve1977]

I am in Bios now. The disks show up. But I struggle to configure it correctly.

 

Any suggestion how to configure it to pass through 8 disks. I am in the Bios now, but it seems asking me to build drive groups / arrays / etc. I just want to pass through the 8 disks to Unraid.

[Vr2Io]

Should be add each disk in individual RAID, not 100% confirm because never attach disk under Magaraid.

 

28 minutes ago, steve1977 said:

I am doing it through Bios now. Does this mean that this enclosure does not allow me to swap disks? Everytime I add / change a disk, I will need to go to Bios to set it up? That's quite disappointing. I don't plan to use any raid feature, but just use the controller to pass it through to Unraid.

Use HBA could solve this problem.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Vr2Io

[steve1977]

Thanks! What's HBA?

[Vr2Io]

HBA HOST BUS ADAPTER, for LSI name IT mode. Pls note if you swap disk from Megaraid to HBA, it won't mountable, so you need consider change use HBA or not and then build / transfer data.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Vr2Io

[steve1977]

Got it. I think I made some progress in the Bios.

 

I created a drive group with one disk and then created a virtual disk with the same name. This disk now shows up in Unraid.

 

It seems though that the disk is no longer formatted. It was formatted before, so seems it wiped this when adding in the Megaraid bios?

 

I have some other disks with data that I'd like to add. Assume this wouldn't work and it would delete all data on the disk?

 

Any way to add a disk without wiping data?