(SOLVED) LSI 9240-8i Flashed to 9211-8i IT Mode not Seeing Drives

[Machine_Galaxy]

I've bought an LSI 9240-8i that was meant to be already flashed to IT mode, however when it arrived it wasn't flashed, so a couple of hours later I've managed to flash it correctly (I Think) however when I connect it to the backplane of the server using an SFF 8087 to SFF 8087 cable I don't think it can see any of the drives. I've checked the BIOS to see if I can see the drives in their as well as checking with unraid and none of them are visible. Is there some more configuration that is needed to pass the drives though? or is the unit just dead now.

 

Thanks in advanced

Edited November 20, 2020 by Machine_Galaxy

[JorgeB]

Make sure you're using the correct cables, you need forward breakout cables, reverse breakout look the same but won't work for this.

[Machine_Galaxy]

Thanks for the reply.

 

This is the cable that I'm using: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076VNM1JY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't see anything in the description about if its forward or reverse breakout. I've also tried with another breakout cable that looks like this however with the same result

 

[Vr2Io]

Pls clarify you use 8087<->SATA or 8087<->8087, there are no reverse type for 8087-8087

[Machine_Galaxy]

SFF 8087 to SFF 8087

[ChatNoir]

The cable on your picture looks like 8087 to SATA, the Amazon link is a 8087 to 8087.

The second one is used to connect HBA to backplanes, expanders and the like, not disks.

[Machine_Galaxy]

The 8087 to 8087 is the one that I'm using to connect the backplane to the HBA, I was only using the red breakout cable to test if it was the backplane that was not working. I've not managed to get the HBA to recognise any drive using either cable correctly. 

[Vr2Io]

You use what controller to connect backplane before ??

Backplane are expender type or not ? How many bays and how many ports you connect to HBA

Edited November 20, 2020 by Vr2Io

[Machine_Galaxy]

I didn't use a controller before, originally I had the drives plugged directly into the motherboard, however, I've moved the system into a new case that can handle more drives. This case has the backplane that I'm now using the 8087 to 8087 cable to connect the backplane to the LSI 9240-8i card.

 

The case has 20 bays, however im only using the first 8, the two cables that connect from the first 8 bays then go to the 2 connectors on the HBA, it only has two ports. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Machine_Galaxy

[Vr2Io]

Understand, so can't confirm blackplane work or not. If you have a 8087 to SATA forward cable, then you can directly connect disk to HBA without blackplane.

It would easy to shoot HBA working or not.

 

The RED cable ( 8087-SATA), seems be forward type, pls try connect it with HBA and disks ( provide power )

Edited November 20, 2020 by Vr2Io

[JorgeB]

You can also post the diags, just to check that the HBA is being initialized correctly.

[Machine_Galaxy]

I've tried to connect the drives using the 8087-Sata and still none of them appear. Ill post the logs in a moment but my guess is that the LSI card isn't working correctly. 

[Machine_Galaxy]

I've managed to figure what was happening, for whatever reason, the LSI card didn't like being in the 3rd PCI-E slot and once I moved it to the 2nd slot, it started to work fine, it also turns out one of my connectors on the back of the backplane has a broken capacitor. But I've now managed to get all the drives to show up correctly now. 

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Vr2Io]

👍

PCI slot show "FF" may be hints ?? Not sure about that ....

 

 

2 hours ago, Machine_Galaxy said:

The case has 20 bays, however im only using the first 8, the two cables that connect from the first 8 bays then go to the 2 connectors on the HBA, it only has two ports. 

It is expander type backplane, you should connect two cable ( dual link ) to get max bandwidth for 20 disks. If using only 8, one cable already enough.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Vr2Io