Safe way to add SATA card to existing array?

[neush1]

Hi,

I've been using unRAID for about a year and half and it's been great. I purchased a small Dell T30 server for my build and added 4 disks - 3 HDD & 1 SSD. I've got one parity drive and two data drives. I'd like to add another HDD to the array but I'm currently using all of the SATA ports that came on the T30 motherboard. I've therefore decided to purchase an expansion SATA adapter card so that I can add additional drives. I'm wondering what the best way to do this is so that I don't hose up my array or lose data.

 

1. Can I simply install the SATA card and add the new drive, preclear and add to the array without doing any other modifications?

2. If I wanted I should be able to move one or more of my existing drives to the new SATA card and not lose data, correct? Are there any special steps I need to follow for this to work?

3. What's the best practice for these types of upgrades? I feel (probably naively) like it would be best to have my parity drive on either my SATA expansion card and the data drives on the motherboard SATA controller but not both intermixed? Am I being overly paranoid here? Are there any go to configurations for using both an onboard SATA controller and expansion controller at the same time in the same system?

 

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality SATA adapter card that works well with unRAID?

 

Thank you!

[Frank1940]

Current recommendation for SATA cards are LSI ones that in the 'IT mode'.   These are available at very reasonable prices on E-bay--- both new and used.   There are some counterfeit cards from China so you do have to vet the sellers very carefully.  The used cards are from decommissioned server farms and they are almost all genuine LSI cards.   See here for a bit more info:

 

    https://forums.unraid.net/topic/69018-sata-controller-replacement-question-and-advice/?tab=comments#comment-630097

 

 

Basically, the LSI cards in the IT mode are equivalent to the SATA ports on your MB.   Your drives and Unraid won't 'know' (or care) which port is being used.  The early LSI cards sometimes have issues with SSD's so it is best to keep them on the MB ports.  

[kizer]

Just swap your drives around to any port you want. As long as when you look in the GUI the Disk serial number matches the Device identified in the GUI your good to go.

 

As for which card to use these guys are all over it.