On Sun, 14 Apr 2019 14:53:34 -0400 gwes <g...@oat.com> wrote: > >> > >>>>> On 2019-04-11, John Long <codeb...@inbox.lv> wrote: > >>>>>> I have a Dell server that was advertised to support 4x3.5 + > >>>>>> 2x2.5 drives but when I popped it open I found there are only > >>>>>> 4 SATA ports on the motherboard total. So of the 6 claimed > >>>>>> drives, I can actually only install 3 drives because the stock > >>>>>> DVD drive consumes a mobo port. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Yeah T30 PowerEdge. The local shop has the card Dell > >>>>>> recommended, but I'm not sure I trust them since it's unlikely > >>>>>> Dell tests anything but a thousand variants of Windows and > >>>>>> *maybe* RedHat. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> /jl > >>>>>> > [ lots of good stuff snipped ] > I'll second the LSI Logic/Avago/Broadcom? SAS/SATA controllers. > They run as many disks as I want at full speed. As previously > mentioned they can be quite inexpensive if you buy one relabelled > as (for instance) an IBM card. > > They do need to be flashed to a recent firmware version. > Older firmware versions limit themselves to 32-bit block numbers.
Can I flash one of these cards without installing it in a Windows box? Because I don't have one ;) > A probably obvious note: > PC type boxes have unfortunate limitations unless one > is prepared to spend $$$ for high end or Xeon/Opteron. > PCI lanes and memory subsystems can saturate :-( It is a Xeon box, but low end. It was not expensive and it shows. I prefer my other low-end Xeon box, the Fujitsu TX1310 M3 is a much better box with easier access to everything, runs 4x3.5 drives without requiring an addon card and has a 1225 v6 Xeon as opposed to the v5 that came in this Dell box I'm fighting with. /jl
