Using a HP Smart Array P400 in a non-HP system?

[Exin]

Hello!

 

I would like to know if it's possible to flash this controller to a different firmware to make it work in a other system than a HP Proliant server....

 

It's relatively cheap right now because many companies throw their old servers away which contain this card. I think it's not a bad one, considering the 512MB Cache memory and the good overall design.

 

the Chipset is a LSI SAS 1078 C1, but the firmware only spins up the drives, initializes them, but then.... nothing.... In a different machine than a HP server ocourse. In a HP server, the ORCA Setup message prompt appears, which doesn't here.

 

At least over here, you can get this card between 50-100€. It got 8 physical SAS/SATA ports. It would be a shame to let it rot. Since i'm not going to use the server. (Too slow, too much power consumption, no PCI-Express power possibility.)

 

Any help on this would be nice.

[StevenD]

I have had no issues using these in non-HP systems.  I have several of these cards, and P410's and P800's.  I have two OpenFiler boxes (with various parts) using these cards right now.  I even have them setup to dual-boot to Windows so I can update firmware easily.

[Exin]

Maybe i should explain what's happening here.

 

in my system, a PC, the BIOS Screen comes up, but after memory test, the controller shows up it's initializing. It displays a small animation while the disks spin up and then a cursor blinks where the animation was. No ORCA Setup message, no controller config splash screen like in the HP server.

 

Also, the machine won't boot at all, from no device. The Init screen just stays there. I also can't get into the BIOS setup. If i press anything, the Init screen just appears earlier.

 

I also tried using the card in another slot. It eports the other slot in the init screen, but everything else stays the same. Also, if i connect no Harddrives.....

 

I will try it in the Tyan Dual Socket F system now.

[Exin]

I tried the controller now in my Tyan Mainboard. (S2927-E) And it works fine.

 

But in the DFI Lanparty (Also AMD, Socket AM3) it shows the described behavior.

 

Am i missing something?

[Exin]

Can ny user of HP Controllers tell me which board and cpu he uses?

[brian89gp]

I tried the controller now in my Tyan Mainboard. (S2927-E) And it works fine.

 

But in the DFI Lanparty (Also AMD, Socket AM3) it shows the described behavior.

 

Am i missing something?

 

Its not uncommon to find problems like this when installing mass storage controllers onto consumer motherboards.  Two of my three computers won't post if I put a IBM M1015 in them...

[Exin]

Thanks. Now i have to get another board. Because alternative controllers in that formfactor are quite a bit too expensive for me.

[Mr_Gamecase]

Hi all,

 

i have 36 dl320s with   HP Smart Array P400 in them ... what hba can i switch m out with that will work with these servers 

[1812]

14 hours ago, Mr_Gamecase said:

Hi all,

 

i have 36 dl320s with   HP Smart Array P400 in them ... what hba can i switch m out with that will work with these servers 

 

I use h220's in my proliants, but there are many other LSI branded cards available http://lime-technology.com/wiki/Hardware_Compatibility

[Mr_Gamecase]

9 hours ago, 1812 said:

 

I use h220's in my proliants, but there are many other LSI branded cards available http://lime-technology.com/wiki/Hardware_Compatibility

Hi sorry,

about the text not to sure what happened there lol ... what are the transfer speeds from these HP H220?

 

How would this work with the server components .. i only have 1 sas port on the backplane going to 1 card ... serving all 16 bays .... 

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by Mr_Gamecase

[1812]

13 hours ago, Mr_Gamecase said:

Hi sorry,

about the text not to sure what happened there lol ... what are the transfer speeds from these HP H220?

 

How would this work with the server components .. i only have 1 sas port on the backplane going to 1 card ... serving all 16 bays .... 

 

 

specs on the card are here:https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04111455.pdf?ver=3 

 

I've never seen the inside of a 320s, so I'm not sure what connectors it has on the card and backplane. A quick search shows conflicting info too. The P400 card looks like a wide plug and not the normal sas connector found on the h220. And the backplane I can't tell. So to use the card, you would need a cable that works on both ports. Any way to take pics?

Edited February 9, 2018 by 1812

[Mr_Gamecase]

I have arranged some downtime on one of the servers tomoz ill take images then for you

 

 

[Mr_Gamecase]

On 09/02/2018 at 1:26 PM, 1812 said:

 

specs on the card are here:https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04111455.pdf?ver=3 

 

I've never seen the inside of a 320s, so I'm not sure what connectors it has on the card and backplane. A quick search shows conflicting info too. The P400 card looks like a wide plug and not the normal sas connector found on the h220. And the backplane I can't tell. So to use the card, you would need a cable that works on both ports. Any way to take pics?

Hi sorry been a manic few weeks .... right the P400 2x SFF8484 connectors on it and the midboard that the backplanes connect to have a Mini-SAS SFF8087

 

Can i only asume that the midboard is a port multiplier?...

[1812]

13 hours ago, Mr_Gamecase said:

Hi sorry been a manic few weeks .... right the P400 2x SFF8484 connectors on it and the midboard that the backplanes connect to have a Mini-SAS SFF8087

 

Can i only asume that the midboard is a port multiplier?...

 

That's probably a fair assumption. You'll be bottlenecked a little from only one SAS connection, but it would be worse (I'm currently bottlenexed on an md1000 enclosure at about 500MB/s... makes parity checks slooooooow. I don't think you'll see much of an issue if you're only doing single writes/reads most of the time. And it's not like you have many other options to access those drives unless you get an external enclosure, at which point you'l either have to make a dual sas link or use an hba expander and live on a x4 bandwidth infiiband connection. 

[Mr_Gamecase]

4 hours ago, 1812 said:

 

That's probably a fair assumption. You'll be bottlenecked a little from only one SAS connection, but it would be worse (I'm currently bottlenexed on an md1000 enclosure at about 500MB/s... makes parity checks slooooooow. I don't think you'll see much of an issue if you're only doing single writes/reads most of the time. And it's not like you have many other options to access those drives unless you get an external enclosure, at which point you'l either have to make a dual sas link or use an hba expander and live on a x4 bandwidth infiiband connection. 

1812

thank you for thew reply .. as said sorry about the delay its been a long few weeks decomissioning these servers lol, ill be experomenting with a ferw HBAs i have laying arround and see what results i get.

im also intrested in a large drive case say arround 40 ish drives .. to external sas cards then linking them to a external server.. can you recomend any such cases ?..

[1812]

Just now, Mr_Gamecase said:

1812

thank you for thew reply .. as said sorry about the delay its been a long few weeks decomissioning these servers lol, ill be experomenting with a ferw HBAs i have laying arround and see what results i get.

im also intrested in a large drive case say arround 40 ish drives .. to external sas cards then linking them to a external server.. can you recomend any such cases ?..

 

Not personally. As I mentioned before, I have an MD1000 which his only 15 drive, and it's slow in terms of bandwidth. but it was free so I don't complain. Eventually I will have to upgrade.