Switching Sata ports possible?

[rl2664]

Hello everyone,

 

Sorry for that maybe stupid question. Is it possible to switch Sata ports without any problems?

Background is that my MB only has 4 Sata ports and I ordered a IBM M1015 HBA card. Then I want to add a second cache drive and move an existing drive to the HBA.

 

Greetings

Ronny

 

Gesendet von meinem EML-L29 mit Tapatalk

 

 

[JonathanM]

I'm not the expert on the nuances here, but I'm 99% sure that as long as the M1015 is flashed to IT mode there will be no issues switching drives between motherboard and HBA ports.

[Frank1940]

56 minutes ago, jonathanm said:

but I'm 99% sure that as long as the M1015 is flashed to IT mode there will be no issues switching drives between motherboard and HBA ports.

Unraid tracks disks by their serial numbers.  So if the HBA reports the manufacturer's serial number there will be no problem.  However, some cards whose firmware is actually runs in RAID mode will modify that serial number and in those cases, they often modify the serial number.  In those cases, Unraid can't track the disk between the RAID card ports and the MB SATA ports because the reported serial numbers are different.

 

If the card have been flashed with the LSI IT mode software/firmware, the serial number will be the same with both and Unraid will be able to properly assign it using either set of ports. 

[rl2664]

Ok, thanks a lot.
Yes, the card comes pre flashed with P20 firmware.

[JorgeB]

2 hours ago, rl2664 said:

P20 firmware.

You can change ports without issues, check that firmware is p20.00.07.00, earlier p20 firmwares have known issues.

[rl2664]

Ok, I have to read first how to check that. But it's an actual offer so I hope the FW is the latest...

[Frank1940]

Search for       20.    in the syslog.  Tools    >>>    System Log    You can use your browser's search function there. 

[Frank1940]

6 hours ago, rl2664 said:

But it's an actual offer so I hope the FW is the latest..

If you haven't purchased yet, ask the vendor for verification.  IF you don't get a timely response, avoid that vendor!!!  (There are a lot of very shady vendors of LSI based cards out there , so caution is required.)

[rl2664]

Ok, that's easy. I thought I have to figure it out somewhere in the bios of the card.
I think the card is fine. The seller is from Germany too, and he has only positive ratings on ebay.
I saw also offers from China for about 26-30 Eur, and thats a bit to cheap for my opinion.

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

Thats the card I ordered.

[Frank1940]

The firmware version may also show up during the POST operation for a short period of time.  But  if you don't where to look on the monitor screen, it is easy to miss. 

[rl2664]

I want to report back, everything works as expected. Hba card works fine and the FW is the latest. Switching sata ports was also no problem.

Screwing into the heatspreader is surely not the best way to mount a fan, but it works and keeps the card cool.

 

So, thanks a lot for all advices.

 

 

[FreeMan]

1 hour ago, rl2664 said:

Screwing into the heatspreader is surely not the best way to mount a fan

I've had a couple of AMD CPUs where that was the way you attached the factory fan to the factory supplied heat sink, so... there's that...

[JonathanM]

21 hours ago, rl2664 said:

Screwing into the heatspreader is surely not the best way to mount a fan, but it works and keeps the card cool.

Pretty much the normal way of doing it 20 years ago.

 

Now we have fancy 3D printers and can print fan shrouds.

[rl2664]

I was a bit to afraid to remove the heatsink. But perhaps in the future I'll buy some screws and screw the the heatsink with the fan onto the board.