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HD - SAS or Sata?


Urlryn

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I just purchased hardware to build my first NAS/Unraid server.  I got the Supermicro x10SL7-F motherboard.

 

When connecting up your 250GB SSD cache drive, 4TB HGST parity drive and 4TB HGST drives...whats the rule of thumb in connecting them to the motherboard? sata or sas?

 

Main focus of the server will be media storage and pc backups.

 

Thanks

Urlryn

 

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Motherboard ports are typically SATA ports. You will want to connect your SSD to a 6 Gb/sec (SATA 3) port, as it will be able to exceed the 3 Gb/sec speed of SATA 2. For your spinning disks, SATA 2 or SATA 3 ports are fine, as a spinning disk cannot saturate a SATA 2 port (in fact, saturating even a SATA 1 (1.5 Gb/sec) port would be difficult in practical use).

 

SAS is a protocol used by enterprise disk subsystems, which require the ability to connect more drives (up to 128) using splitters that allow you to divide the bandwidth across drives. Practically speaking, most unRAID servers use a single SAS to 4 Sata cable to connect drives to SAS controllers. With 2 SAS connectors that allows 8 drives to be connected.

 

You don't list how many data disks you are adding, but if you have sufficient motherboard SATA ports to connect them all, then that is the way to go.

 

 

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Thanks bjp999.

 

I have 4 4TB drives+1 4TB Parity Drive + SSD Cache.  May add more later..but don't' think i'll go past 8 total for a bit. Though that's the famous last words! :)

 

So just wanted to be sure which should be plugged in the LSI SAS connectors vs the others.

 

Just got the server up and running.  Configuring the drives/array now.

Once get that done is I should be able to do the preclear....does the 5.x script work on 6?

 

Urlryn

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