Wrong Smart Array for HP ProLiant ML350 Gen9?

[talksr]

Hi there, a school I have been working with has recently ordered a new HP ProLiant ML350 Gen9 E5-2603v3 server.

It has four 600gb SAS 10k SFF drives and an HP Smart Array P440/4gb FBWC SAS Controller.

 

I don't believe that this is the correct controller for the server as the plug at the rear of the controller is an internal SAS port 1l (it seems far wider than it should be) however the server has two smaller SAS ports.

This is what the current controller looks like:

 

 

I think it should look more like this 440ar as the server has two SATA 6G plugs currently plugged into the motherboard which would fit this controller:

 

 

Other than this a HP Smart Array P840 looks like it would work.

If anyone could help me work out if this is the correct version, I would really appreciate it as at the moment, the server is not detecting any drives.

Edited July 23, 2015 by talksr

[talksr]

Any ideas guys?

[Steve21]

What chassis is it?

 

 

Steve

[Steve21]

On a side note, the actual port should be the same size inside, think it's just the end that's bigger isn't it?

 

Steve

[talksr]

What chassis is it?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31741[/ATTACH]

 

Steve

 

Hi, I have taken a look at the ID card on it:

HP ML350T09 E5-2603V3 SFF UK SVR/TV

 

I have taken some pictures to illustrate what I mean:

SAS drive size:

 

SATA cable sizes (as they connect to motherboard)

 

Larger sized connector plug at rear or array controller card..

 

[Steve21]

Isn't that card mini-SAS though? Or am I missing something?

 

Steve

[talksr]

Isn't that card mini-SAS though? Or am I missing something?

 

Steve

 

Have not used these drives before.

On the front it just says:

600GB 10k SAS

Model: EG0600FCVBK

 

They have four of these drives (only one pictured)

[Steve21]

Yeah looking at the manual, depending how many ports you're using:

 

Single smart array to drives

 

Smart array and SAS expanders:

 

Your way of doing it should be SATA only:

 

Steve

[talksr]

Yeah looking at the manual, depending how many ports you're using:

 

Single smart array to drives

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31746[/ATTACH]

 

Smart array and SAS expanders:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31747[/ATTACH]

 

Your way of doing it should be SATA only:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31748[/ATTACH]

 

Steve

 

Thanks for your reply. Would the SmartArray not work with the current two sata plugs connected through the motherboard or would they need to go directly into the SmartArray board?

It may be that there is a alternative cable somewhere in their boxes of cables and it is just a case of unplugging the existing double cables and replacing for a single which will fit into the back of the Smart Array card.

[Steve21]

I don't really get what you mean by that.

 

The sata ports are ports for plugging in SATA disks, the SAS ones (on the card) are for SAS disks.

 

Plugging the sata cables into the smart array is basically plugging a socket into a socket. No disks attached.

 

Have you plugged the SAS drives into anything at all yet? As assumed from your original comment about nothing being found that they were, but from the last comment I'm guessing not?

 

Steve

[talksr]

Hi there,

 

Sorry for the confusion.

Yes I plugged them into the caddy on the front of the server (all four disks), left the current two cables plugging into the motherboard as they were originally, but nothing is detected on the Smart Array. It just flags up warnings and says that no disks have been detected.

[IanT]

Have you gone back to the supplier and asked them or whoever quoted you?

 

I would be very surprised if HP shipped the wrong controller out, i've never had that with the thousands of HP servers I've built and managed over the years

 

Also have you plugged the power into the backplane?

 

Looking at the HP site it does say the controller should be:

Storage controller

 

Smart Array P440ar/2GB FBWC

Edited July 27, 2015 by IanT

[glen_j]

It looks like you just need the sas cables to join the backplane to the smart array to me. The sata cables in place already are not for the sas bays but most likely for dvd drive etc.

[IanT]

Can you take a picture of the backplane?

[talksr]

It looks like you just need the sas cables to join the backplane to the smart array to me. The sata cables in place already are not for the sas bays but most likely for dvd drive etc.

 

No, both of those cables go into the hdd caddy (the one pictured with one hdd in it). I double, double checked!

[talksr]

Can you take a picture of the backplane?

 

Next time I am on site, yes certainly, but I can for now describe...

 

The hdd backplane has a circuit board which spans most of the back plane. On each side of the circuit board, one of the sata cables in the silver meshy covering is plugged in.

Logic would tell me that the first four drives in this caddy would run from the first sata and the second would run drives 5-8.

 

In addition to the above, there is one red stata cable which is for a small laptop style dvd drive.

This stretches along the motherboard past the two stata cables pictured in my previous post and go into the motherboard next to a small heat sink.

 

On the system board components list,

 

The two sata cables coming from the hdd caddy/backplane go to plugs 14 and 15 which are described as: "x4 SATA port 2" "x4 SATA port 1" respectively.

The red DVD sata cable goes to plug 11 described as "SATA port 5".

 

 

See attached alternative picture I took when I was last there....

 

 

Also see page three of the below for a view of the motherboard..

c04375628.pdf

Edited July 27, 2015 by talksr

[Steve21]

No, both of those cables go into the hdd caddy (the one pictured with one hdd in it). I double, double checked!

 

I don't get where you're getting that from? :s The card should be SAS as should the drives? Or are they near-line etc?

 

If you're after SATA surely the card you have is not being used at all

 

Steve

[glen_j]

No, both of those cables go into the hdd caddy (the one pictured with one hdd in it). I double, double checked!

 

Either way you still need a cable to go from the smart array to the sas bay it won't make any connections via the mainboard.

 

its either this one

http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/oas/product-detail.html?oid=6988873

 

or this one

 

http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/oas/product-detail.html?oid=6988871

[talksr]

Either way you still need a cable to go from the smart array to the sas bay it won't make any connections via the mainboard.

 

its either this one

http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/oas/product-detail.html?oid=6988873

 

or this one

 

http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/oas/product-detail.html?oid=6988871

 

Ok, I have managed to get a picture of the backplane if that helps in understanding which cable I may need.

 

The backplane has two ports with two cables coming from each.