Hi

I want to add 4 nvme SSDs into my unraid system. The nvme SSDs are from a Netapp system. I used to have Netapp SSDs attached via SAS and there i had to change the sector size with sg_format according to: https://forums.unraid.net/topic/71348-sas-drive-520-sector-size/#findComment-693536 . This worked fine for SAS SSDs, but it seems that this way does not work with NVMe SSDs.
I attached the nvme SSDs with this pci card: PCIE 4.0 auf 4x U.2 Erweiterungskarte SFF-8639 SFF-8643 NVME PCIE x16 SSD Adapter | Fruugo CH and with theses cables: SFF-8643 to SFF-8639 Connector SFF-8639 with 15Pin Power Adapter Cable Data Transmission Cable for PC Servers | Fruugo CH After I changed the pci card to use x4x4x4x4 (bifurcation) on the x16 slot on my motherboard, I was able to see the SSDs in unraid , see this screenshot: Upload and share screenshots and images - print screen online | Snipboard.io I cannot mount these devices nor can I use them in a pool. I assume, I have to format them as well, but don't know what tool I have to use. Does anyone has experience on this topic?

thx,

sandsturm

Please post the diagnostics

Hi JorgeB

diagnostic logs are attached. thanks for your help

sandsturm

toasty-diagnostics-20260330-2135.zip

Mar 30 21:34:44 TOASTY emhttpd: device /dev/nvme1n1 has size zero

Mar 30 21:34:44 TOASTY emhttpd: device /dev/nvme3n1 has size zero

Mar 30 21:34:44 TOASTY emhttpd: device /dev/nvme4n1 has size zero

Mar 30 21:34:44 TOASTY emhttpd: device /dev/nvme0n1 has size zero

They are not being correctly detected, do they work in a motherboard slot?

I cannot connect these devices directly to the motherboard, because of the SFF-8639 interface, the mainboard does not have such an interface and therefore I have to use the PCIe card to connect these NVMe-SSDs. What do you exactly mean with: "not being correctly detected"? Some Netapp SSDs (at least the SAS_SSDs) are formatted with 520 byte sectors, instead of 512 bytes. And they need to be re-formatted with sg3_utils tool. Don't you think, this could be the reason here as well? But that is just an assumption....maybe I'm completely wrong.

It's possible, or the devices have some kind of lock, but I don't have experience. What does fdisk -l /dev/nvme0n1 show?

it shows invalid argument for the netapp disk (nvme0n1). There is another M2 SSD directly on the motherboard (WD_Black) and fdisk -l works for this one:

root@TOASTY:/dev# fdisk -l /dev/nvme0n1
fdisk: cannot open /dev/nvme0n1: Invalid argument

root@TOASTY:/dev# fdisk -l /dev/nvme1n1
Disk /dev/nvme1n1: 1.82 TiB, 2000398934016 bytes, 3907029168 sectors
Disk model: WD_BLACK SN850X 2000GB                  
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device         Boot Start        End    Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/nvme1n1p1       2048 3907029167 3907027120  1.8T 83 Linux

Edited April 2Apr 2 by sandsturm

with hdparm i see the following:

root@TOASTY:~# hdparm --verbose /dev/nvme0n1

/dev/nvme0n1:
APT: No idVendor found -> not USB bridge device
outgoing cdb:  85 08 0e 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 ec 00
ioctl(fd,SG_IO): Inappropriate ioctl for device
outgoing cdb:  85 08 0e 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 a1 00
ioctl(fd,SG_IO): Inappropriate ioctl for device
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
 readonly      =  0 (off)
 readahead     = 256 (on)
outgoing cdb:  85 08 0e 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 ec 00
ioctl(fd,SG_IO): Inappropriate ioctl for device
outgoing cdb:  85 08 0e 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 a1 00
ioctl(fd,SG_IO): Inappropriate ioctl for device
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
 geometry      = 0/64/32, sectors = 0, start = 0

root@TOASTY:~# hdparm -g /dev/nvme0n1

/dev/nvme0n1:
 geometry      = 0/64/32, sectors = 0, start = 0

Edited April 2Apr 2 by sandsturm

I was able to find a solution now:

root@TOASTY:~# nvme format /dev/nvme0n1
You are about to format nvme0n1, namespace 0x1.
Namespace nvme0n1 has parent controller(s):nvme0

WARNING: Format may irrevocably delete this device's data.
You have 10 seconds to press Ctrl-C to cancel this operation.

Use the force [--force] option to suppress this warning.
Sending format operation ...
Success formatting namespace:1

root@TOASTY:~# fdisk -l /dev/nvme0n1
Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 13.97 TiB, 15362991415296 bytes, 3750730326 sectors
Disk model: NETAPPX4028WCOFB15TNTE                  
Units: sectors of 1 * 4096 = 4096 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 4096 bytes / 32768 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 32768 bytes / 32768 bytes

After that to be able to format the nvme:

• open Settings in GUI and go to Utilities/Unassigned devices

• common settings: set destructive mode to enabled

• Main menu: Format disk

• reset destructive mode to disabled

the nvme is usable now.