Questions regarding installing PCIe Sata controller and BIOS updates

[ctviggen]

I am going to install this PCI SATA controller card (2 port):

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GS8VA4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

In looking at the comments, someone commented that this card does not work with an ASRock motherboard, which is what my unraid server uses.  I currently have the following drives connected to the SATA controller on the motherboard:  1 cache/hot spare, 4 data, 1 parity.  That is 6 SATA ports total.  The new card will give me 8 ports in total.  My plan was to use one of the new ports as the cache/hot spare, and one of the ports on the motherboard as a data drive. This would mean that data and parity would still be on the motherboard, and cache would be on the card. I would use the second port on the card as a spare, or possibly a second parity drive. I am on version 6. 2. 4.

 

1) How do I test the PCIe SATA controller without risking data?

 

2) Can I update the BIOS for the motherboard or the PCIe controller using unraid?

 

Thank you.

[Fireball3]

I found a similar card with ASM1061 chip already tested in our wiki.

From my perspective the price is too high for just 2 ports but I'll leave that up to you.

 

1. Testing:

Plug in, populate all ports and run a non-corrective parity check.

Assuming all drives show up as intended of course.

 

2. Motherboard BIOS: yes;

Card: probably no (it's too simple, not to say "cheap")

[ctviggen]

Thanks, Fireball3.  I saw the post you referenced after I'd ordered, unfortunately. 

 

I'll use the parity trick and see what happens. 

[De1taE1even]

In case the card you ordered doesn't work for you, take a look at this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01464550K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

That's the card I use, in two different unRAID machines, both using ASRock motherboards, and I've had 0 issues.  It also has 2 more ports than the one you ordered, and isn't much more expensive.

[John_M]

I just can't believe a report about an ASMedia controller being incompatible with an ASRock motherboard. A number of ASRock motherboards actually have them soldered on.

[ctviggen]

Thank you.  I was originally going to order a 4 port, but did not, as I thought I only had two locations where I could put drives.  However, I have three locations and then I'm out of space.  So, I'll test this two port to see if it works and then will keep that 4 port in mind if the two port does not work.

 

Another question:  I put in a drive on this 2-port SATA controller.  Can I select this as a second parity drive and then test using check parity without making corrections, but then later go back to only one parity drive?  I'm still undecided on having a second parity drive, as I back up my info to two drives, one of which I take to work.  On the other hand, even with the second parity drive (and especially with a 4 port SATA controller), after I expand my array, I would have 5+ TB free, which is more than the actual data I have (I have many recorded TV shows, which I do not back up). 

[JorgeB]

Can I select this as a second parity drive and then test using check parity without making corrections, but then later go back to only one parity drive?

 

You can, you'll need to let parity2 sync first, the you can do a non correcting check, at any time in the future you can unassign it and go back to single parity.

[ctviggen]

Can I select this as a second parity drive and then test using check parity without making corrections, but then later go back to only one parity drive?

 

You can, you'll need to let parity2 sync first, the you can do a non correcting check, at any time in the future you can unassign it and go back to single parity.

 

Thank you.  OK, so I added in the drive as a second parity and that completed (11 hours) with no errors.  Does that confirm the SATA controller is good, or do I also have to run another parity check without corrections?

 

I can't decide whether or not to keep the second parity.  However, once I finish upgrading my system, I'll have an additional 5TB, a 3TB hot spare/cache (3TB is the largest size of my data drives, and also the size of each parity drive).  And that's with only two ports on the SATA controller.  I can still expand to one more drive, if I get a 4 port SATA controller, but it's going to take me a long time to fill up another 5TB (currently, the "real" data, which I back up weekly, is only 3.5TB; the entire data portion of my array will be 12TB after these upgrades).  So, I could certainly keep two parity drives for a while.  I have had my unraid system for a long time (since version 4.7) and only remember having to replace one drive due to slow failure.  Otherwise, I've run out of space and upgraded because of that.

[JorgeB]

Thank you.  OK, so I added in the drive as a second parity and that completed (11 hours) with no errors.  Does that confirm the SATA controller is good, or do I also have to run another parity check without corrections?

 

That was the parity build (sync), now you can do a non correcting check to make sure all is ok.

[ctviggen]

Thank you.  OK, so I added in the drive as a second parity and that completed (11 hours) with no errors.  Does that confirm the SATA controller is good, or do I also have to run another parity check without corrections?

 

That was the parity build (sync), now you can do a non correcting check to make sure all is ok.

 

Great, will do. 

[ctviggen]

Well, the parity check worked fine. It took 11 hours or so.

 

However, this morning when I tried to access the webpage and the drives, nothing came up. I went down to the server, turned on the monitor I have connected to the server and logged in as root. I tried to powerdown, using the powerdown command, and it gave me a message saying that a halt would be performed. However, nothing happened. So, I did a brief press of the power button, and got the same message. Still nothing happened. I had to hard boot the machine using the power button. The machine came up and everything seems to be okay now.

 

I'm on version 6.2.4. How can I determine why the server was unresponsive?

[BirdHeezy]

I'm new to unraid and the sata expansion card I have isn't working. I'm looking at the one De1taE1even suggested https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01464550K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Is there anything I have to do to get it working? or is it just plug and play? I'm using an ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING motherboard. 

 

Thanks! 

[Hoopster]

12 minutes ago, BirdHeezy said:

I'm new to unraid and the sata expansion card I have isn't working. I'm looking at the one De1taE1even suggested https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01464550K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Is there anything I have to do to get it working? or is it just plug and play? I'm using an ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING motherboard. 

 

Thanks! 

That card would not be recommended because it uses a Marvell controller.  Marvell based card have had issues with dropping drives or not showing drives at all in recent versions of the Linux kernel/unRAID.  This is especially true if using VMs and VT-d enabled in BIOS.

 

For some, modifying a kernel parameter in syslinux.cfg on the flash drive fixes the issue and allows drives attached to Marvell controllers to function.

 

For Intel:

append initrd=/bzroot iommu=pt

 

For AMD:

append intitrd=/bzroot amd_iommu=pt

The permanent and guaranteed-to-work solution is to avoid Marvell controllers and to look for an HBA based on a compatible LSI chipset.  There are many posts in these forums about specific LSI chipsets and cards that are known to work with unRAID.  Personally, I am using the Dell H310 cross-flashed to IT mode.

[BirdHeezy]

14 minutes ago, Hoopster said:

That card would not be recommended because it uses a Marvell controller.  Marvell based card have had issues with dropping drives or not showing drives at all in recent versions of the Linux kernel/unRAID.  This is especially true if using VMs and VT-d enabled in BIOS.

 

For some, modifying a kernel parameter in syslinux.cfg on the flash drive fixes the issue and allows drives attached to Marvell controllers to function.

 

For Intel:

append initrd=/bzroot iommu=pt

 

For AMD:

append intitrd=/bzroot amd_iommu=pt

The permanent and guaranteed-to-work solution is to avoid Marvell controllers and to look for an HBA based on a compatible LSI chipset.  There are many posts in these forums about specific LSI chipsets and cards that are known to work with unRAID.  Personally, I am using the Dell H310 cross-flashed to IT mode.

Awesome thanks for the info! I've been poking around and sounds like the way way to go is HBA. Thanks! 

[SirReal63]

I bought a new SAS 9207-8i card from ebay with the appropriate cables.  It is more expensive but it simply works.  I would post the link but I am not sure if that is allowed.  It is easy to search that item in ebay though.  I paid $62 for it and another $14 for Amphenol MiniSAS SFF-8087 to 4xSATA cables.  No drivers to load, no parameters to change, plug and play if you have an available 8x or larger slot available.  I was initially going to go with the items you listed but read enough to understand it wasn't the best solution.

[BirdHeezy]

20 hours ago, SirReal63 said:

I bought a new SAS 9207-8i card from ebay with the appropriate cables.  It is more expensive but it simply works.  I would post the link but I am not sure if that is allowed.  It is easy to search that item in ebay though.  I paid $62 for it and another $14 for Amphenol MiniSAS SFF-8087 to 4xSATA cables.  No drivers to load, no parameters to change, plug and play if you have an available 8x or larger slot available.  I was initially going to go with the items you listed but read enough to understand it wasn't the best solution.

Sounds good. I've read some people have had success with the ioncrest and some don't so... might just have to pull the trigger on this one.

Thanks!