LSI SAS 9201-16e


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Hi, I've been using an LSI SAS 9201-16e 4-port HBA card on a Threadripper 3970x [32-core] system with 128 GB RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD boot disk.  Attached to this system, I have a Super Micro SC847 JBOD MODEL: CSE-847E26-RJBOD1 [4RU W/45 Disk Slots] setup as a straight pass from the 2 internal back planes [BPN-SAS2-847EL2 &  BPN-SAS2-846EL2] to the 4 SFF-8088 ports.  These are hooked up via 25ft SFF-8088 SAS cables to my computer.  My drives are distributed evenly between the backplanes.

Part List:

-- 8x G.SKILL 16GB D4 3200 RIPJAWS

-- AMD RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3970X

-- ASUS PRIME TRX40 PRO ATX

-- IPSG 1TB PERFORMANCE NVME SSD

-- LSI SAS 9201-16e 4-port HBA

 

Extra Part:  I also have an LSI SAS9207-8E Logic SGL SAS [2-port SFF-8088 card]

NOTE:  Both LSI cards were flashed to the latest firmware available. 

 

I've been finding problem with my machine in the performance category, primary due to being a Windows system and the Threadripper not working well with Windows 10 Pro scheduler.  Apparently, nothing can be done to truly fix this performance issue at this time, until something in Windows is changed.  However, this is also my gaming desktop, home/work system, PLEX server, which I am not depending on for daily needs.  Therefore, moving away from Windows on this system is not a practical option either.

 

I have been considering moving the LSI SAS 9201-16e card out of this system and into a different computer.  Before I do commit to doing that, I've been trying to make UNRAID actually work on another system first, with either LSI SAS Card that I have.  

 

I had the following available, which I build in February 2017:

-- CPU: Intel® Core™ Processor i5-7600K 3.80GHZ 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151 (Kaby Lake)

-- HDD: 1TB Samsung 850 EVO Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 540MB/s Read & 520MB/s Write (Single Drive)

-- MEMORY: 32GB (8GBx4) DDR4/3000MHz Dual Channel Memory (Patriot Viper Elite)

-- MOTHERBOARD: MSI Z270 SLI PLUS ATX w/ USB 3.1, 3 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 6 SATA3, 2 M.2 SATA/PCIe

-- VIDEO: GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 (Pascal)

 

So, i tried to use (free) UNRAID with the LSI SAS 9201-16e 4-port HBA card, and resulted in kernal panics on every boot attempt pointing to issues with CPU0.  In the end, I guess I wasn't surprised... as I was pretty sure that this system was burned-out from 4 years of heavy, daily usage and the reason that I built the Threadripper in the first place was due to daily Blue Screens of Death.

 

I had another computer, which was as follows, and was built in October 2009:

-- Motherboard:  MB322-109 MSI (INTEL CPU) Part#:  G31TM-P21 GMA 3100 1333SSB

-- CPU:  Intel Core -dual CPU E7500 @ 2.93 GHz (2.8Ghz) 2-Core [PM-2DUAL]

-- Memory:  4GB RAM [DDR-2]

-- HDD:  WDCWD 500 AADS OOM 2B0 ATA device

In order to run the LSI SAS 9201-16e 4-port HBA in this system, i have to remove the video card and use the on-board display VGA port.  So mote it be.  Same goes for trying to use the LSI SAS9207-8E 2-Port HBA as well.  This system also paniced every time that I was able to get it to boot from a USB drive.  NOTE:  The boot was only about 25% successful, and otherwise ...the motherboard just hung without trying to read any-HDD drive.  When I was successful, it also resulted in several kernel panics.  To the best I can figure out through debugging, this Motherboard was built in 2005 and based on my reading from https://wiki.unraid.net/Hardware_Compatibility#Is_my_motherboard_compatible_with_unRAID.3F -- I believe this MSI motherboard does suffer from the referenced Host-Protected-Area (HPA) bug, which makes this system incompatible with UNRAID.  Additionally, I was unable to find a firmware update anywhere top to use to try fixing this motherboard with.

 

Admittedly, when I bought the SuperMicro 4U SC847 JBOD MODEL: CSE-847E26-RJBOD1 in the first place...  I misunderstood what my buddy was telling me, when he was trying to get me to buy a SuperMicro 4U CSE-847 36 Bay SAS2 Server.  I didn't realize the (NOW OBVIOUS & IMPORTANT) item that this was a Complete Computer he was recommending vs. the SAS Expander that I actually bought.  Now, that I've gone this far down the line, I'm unconvinced I should give up on the $1000 of HW that I bought earlier this year [2 different SAS HBA Cards, SC847 45-Drive SAS Expander, 4x25ft SFF-8088 cables, etc...] which seems to work just fine as it is.  

 

Based on what I know so far... I'm not sure that I have a good answer.  I can't get UNRAID to work yet, on either test machine due to hardware issues, and I certainly don't want to dismantle my Threadripper at this point.   

 

So, I'm back to ... If I do move this SuperMicro SC847 & LSI 4-Port HBA off to a different system, solely as an UNRAID system.  What Motherboard & CPU should I look to acquire for the best likelihood of compatibility?    I did flash it to the P20 release already, and if this reddit post is accurate -- 

 -- that should be the correct version for the LSI Card.  Can anyone else confirm that they are using a P20 Firmware version of the LSI 9201-16e?  

 

Beyond that, and assuming that this card is still good, then I would just need to get a new CPU & Motherboard & New Ram [if not DDR3-based].  Correct?  

 

Any further things to consider or recommend for me?  

Thanks for your time.  

Christopher E Otwell

 

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4 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

Can anyone else confirm that they are using a P20 Firmware version of the LSI 9201-16e

I am

 

LSISAS2116: FWVersion(20.00.07.00),

 

8 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

25ft SFF-8088 SAS cables

Not the expert here, but my understanding is that the maximum length for the cables (~33ft) is only valid if you're actually using SAS drives.  If you're using SATA drives, it's more like 3.3ft

 

11 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

Host-Protected-Area (HPA) bug, which makes this system incompatible with UNRAID.

HPA doesn't make the system incompatible with unRaid.  It's simply where the BIOS decreases the maximum size of the hard drive to store a backup of the BIOS.  Only a real issue if the BIOS decides to put it onto the parity drive.  Doesn't affect anything if its on a data drive.  And, if it's present then it's also easily removed.

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Thanks for the confirmation.  It is much appreciated.  Presumably, if I had a functional CPU, MEM, and Motherboard combo, then I should be able to an UNRAID setup work.  I guess I would need to find a known working combination in that context now.

 

----

 

As far as your 3.3ft vs 33ft question....  The SATA drives to SAS backplace connection is only a couple inches in the worst case within the disk array enclosure, the SAS backplane expanders then retransmit the signal over a SFF-8087 connection to a SFF-8088 female port relay, which is where I plug in the 25ft SFF-8088 cables into.  The distance from the backplane to the external port on the case is between 9 to 12 inches in total.  So my real distance from HBA card to actual drives is closer to 27 feet, but the distance from the HBA card to the SAS Expander is about 26 feet.

 

So, yes... the 3.3 ft statement above is valid for SATA specific connectivity, but that is when using the uSATA Connector or MicroSATA connectors, which is not how this data path is truly communicating.    

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First, I don't think it relate motherboard, because you success boot up with 9201-16e. BTW 25ft seems the problem, could you try with a shorter length ?

 

I use 2m cable ( 8087 to 8087 ) to link up 9211/9207 ( 2008 / 2308 chips ) with different expander on different platform also no problem.

 

I have 9201-16e, but haven't use currently, also no suitable cable for test.

 

 

Edited by Benson
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  • 1 year later...

Hi, I've purchased the same card (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/234314231438?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649) and have an SFF 8087 cable but it won't fit. Seems that External is SFF 8088 and internal is SFF 8087 which seems strange to me. Do I just purchase an adaptor ? Can someone confirm that and SFF 8088 to 3 Sata's should fit in this card before I order one ?

 

Thank you in advance.

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7 hours ago, Philby1975 said:

Seems that External is SFF 8088 and internal is SFF 8087

Correct 

 

7 hours ago, Philby1975 said:

Can someone confirm that and SFF 8088 to 3 Sata's should fit in this card before I order one ?

SFF-8088 to 4x SATA will work, obviously cables need to be rerouted inside de case.

 

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