Please recommend cheap controller that can acommodate 8 sata drives, with SFF-8088 at the back

[jang430]

My main unraid server is currently a Fractal Design Node 804.

 

 

Just thinking, I have this model lying around.

 

 

It's called HP Microserver N40L, with an AMD Turion processor.  I can't recall how many GB I have on my memory.  Behind those 3.5" bays, I assume there is a backplane, with cable such as this.

 

 

I want to add 4 more sata drives.  I'm thinking what if I placed an IcyDock ExpressCage.

And use an HBA controller that accepts 2 internal SFF-8087 and at the back, have an SFF-8088 port, and plug it onto my Fractal as additional drives, will this work?

 

Currently, the HDDs from the bays are currently connected to the SAS port on the motherboard.  I believe I can plug it to the additional HBA controller I'm gonna connect?  The HBA controller gets power from the PCI-e slot from the motherboard?  I believe it is PCI-e Gen 2, x16 slot.  Which card can you recommend?

 

Thanks

[JorgeB]

47 minutes ago, jang430 said:

I assume there is a backplane, with cable such as this.

IIRC the cable on the HP can't be replaced with one of those, the SATA part is part the the backplane.

[jang430]

If it cannot be replaced, the current cable terminates in SFF-8087.  I can just unplug it, and connect it to an HBA controller, and not plug it to the onboard one.

 

Sorry, what's IIRC?

[JonathanM]

58 minutes ago, jang430 said:

Sorry, what's IIRC?

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=iirc

[JorgeB]

5 hours ago, jang430 said:

I can just unplug it, and connect it to an HBA controller, and not plug it to the onboard one.

 

That you can do, it uses a standard SFF-8087 connection.

[jang430]

Thanks!  Any controller you can recommend?

[tjb_altf4]

FYI, you can squeeze another 2 drives (total of 6) on the microserver with a custom bios and using the CD-ROM drive sata port and esata port.

Note: you'll be stretching the friendship with the stock PSU 

[jang430]

Actually, I'm proposing to squeeze 4 2.5" SATA HDDs to the existing 4 3.5" SATA HDDS  

 

Are you saying we won't get along?   Add to that an HBA controller I'm asking here.  

[JorgeB]

6 hours ago, jang430 said:

Any controller you can recommend?

Any LSI with a SAS2008/2308/3008/3408 chipset in IT mode, e.g., 9201-8i, 9211-8i, 9207-8i, 9300-8i, 9400-8i, etc and clones, like the Dell H200/H310 and IBM M1015, these latter ones need to be crossflashed.

[jang430]

Any card that has both internal and external ports?  At least 8 ports internal

[JorgeB]

4 minutes ago, jang430 said:

Any card that has both internal and external ports?  At least 8 ports internal

Not very common, you have the 9400-8i8e but it's usually pretty expensive.

[jang430]

I see.  So I guess this project will ge hold off for now.

 

Thanks @johnnie.black