upgrading server, understanding SAS

[loady]

i am going to update my server, its running gigabyte GA-P55 UD5, its a socket 1156 and those boards are like rocking horse poo so looking like i might as well update the whole platform, board, chip and the RAM to DDR4, looking for recommendations, i am leaning towards an AMD platform but more importantly i want a board that has WOL that workls well, i also want to connect my drives with SAS cables, i have 8 drives and the boards are only coming with a max of 6 SATA ports, i dont understand fully what SAS is and if its something that can be onboard a motherboard, if not what would i need to get to add it to the system.

[JorgeB]

Some board have SAS controllers, usually only server boards, but you can add a SAS controller to almost all boards, they usually use a x8 PCIe slot, SAS controllers from LSI are recommended for Unraid.

[loady]

1 hour ago, johnnie.black said:

Some board have SAS controllers, usually only server boards, but you can add a SAS controller to almost all boards, they usually use a x8 PCIe slot, SAS controllers from LSI are recommended for Unraid.

Thanks, i was seeing those cards pop up, it will make choosing a motherboard a bit easier. Are there limitations when you have 8 ports going through one pci slot ?, i am doing this because normal sata cables are quite rigid and the close proximity of multiple drives makes things very tight and was getting cables unseating themselves.

 

Dont think ill go for a server board as it is a bit overkill. i would like a business grade as opposed to consumer grade

[loady]

1 hour ago, johnnie.black said:

Some board have SAS controllers, usually only server boards, but you can add a SAS controller to almost all boards, they usually use a x8 PCIe slot, SAS controllers from LSI are recommended for Unraid.

something like this ?? https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/142676057533?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=142676057533&targetid=523159739257&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045907&poi=&campaignid=6744139827&mkgroupid=78343140366&rlsatarget=pla-523159739257&abcId=1139126&merchantid=114888888&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp_zxx83Q5gIVw7HtCh0M9gc6EAQYBCABEgKzTvD_BwE

[JorgeB]

7 minutes ago, loady said:

something like this ??

Yes.

 

15 minutes ago, loady said:

Are there limitations when you have 8 ports going through one pci slot ?

Not with normal spinners, there can be with SSDs.

[mrbilky]

2 hours ago, loady said:

something like this ?? https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/142676057533?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=142676057533&targetid=523159739257&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045907&poi=&campaignid=6744139827&mkgroupid=78343140366&rlsatarget=pla-523159739257&abcId=1139126&merchantid=114888888&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp_zxx83Q5gIVw7HtCh0M9gc6EAQYBCABEgKzTvD_BwE

Just to add the HBA needs to be flashed to IT mode for the drives to be passed through to unRAID and support SMART info

[loady]

8 hours ago, mrbilky said:

Just to add the HBA needs to be flashed to IT mode for the drives to be passed through to unRAID and support SMART info

What card can I buy that won't need flashing ?

[rl2664]

There are a lot flashed cards on ebay, just search for "it-mode"

[mrbilky]

1 hour ago, rl2664 said:

There are a lot flashed cards on ebay, just search for "it-mode"

I have purchased 2 of these at different times and they were both plug and play you may be able to find cheaper but this vendor is good

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-H310-6Gbps-SAS-HBA-w-LSI-9211-8i-P20-IT-Mode-for-ZFS-FreeNAS-unRAID/162834659601?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[loady]

17 hours ago, rl2664 said:

There are a lot flashed cards on ebay, just search for "it-mode"

 

Doesnt seem to be any that are uk based

15 hours ago, mrbilky said:

I have purchased 2 of these at different times and they were both plug and play you may be able to find cheaper but this vendor is good

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-H310-6Gbps-SAS-HBA-w-LSI-9211-8i-P20-IT-Mode-for-ZFS-FreeNAS-unRAID/162834659601?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

if i can get a card delivered from within UK and needs flashing, are they difficult to flash ?

[rl2664]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F163093721417

I ordered that card yesterday, the seller ship it to UK, but that's another 18 Eur.
Don't know how the pricing in UK is, perhaps that's an option for you.
When the card is here I can tell if it works as expected or not.

[mrbilky]

2 hours ago, loady said:

 

Doesnt seem to be any that are uk based

 

if i can get a card delivered from within UK and needs flashing, are they difficult to flash ?

I'm told it's not but it's an unknown as I have never done it, it sounds like it's similar to a bios update with the same pitfalls of potentially bricking the card if not done properly