From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 29 19:43:17 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher AECDH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B4DA9FA9 for ; Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:43:17 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-oi0-f42.google.com (mail-oi0-f42.google.com [209.85.218.42]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA (128/128 bits)) (Client CN "smtp.gmail.com", Issuer "Google Internet Authority G2" (verified OK)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 7C4C9E7A for ; Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:43:17 +0000 (UTC) Received: by mail-oi0-f42.google.com with SMTP id i138so30266738oig.1 for ; Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:43:16 -0800 (PST) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20130820; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date :message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type; bh=MirZtX1OBz2Yb2n5LhV2vMpyUvjntkoX/NHjIA4NRag=; b=dva2e/v6rrzG/nw6pDWnyOe6SSF3po/Fi/hZqTwPcXT9eAGe5iT4JP+VjFUKWshPIk Faro/0Qc7VfQOoMiIdZB3JW5++WPTYSdqe9V1LjCZc4mwUGCIkdrqC96V4AWDHifYlYG dnmt2CT8epA84/p8ce7p6710vUL2twAF72SYfWfoQYIhB93rlBj2aEGWGU+vjAgN0NU5 Blj+5M/Qq1LQkDA5tFvNuGntc2N9Yr1Xh4C+sd/Js7dUKgAgzu/BkL0GlGySomMExPyH /ysNlMUfXHqEFI2bFJL5t5BXdxyxh6TR/ZbKF7rnah/JvJG2tr7ghIbRvk/jvbrfsnMA FV8Q== X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQl17iCx07e6t4MBaE6NC9NAq890BKf6FqGTpJ5jRn1ak3iw6PPD2eaz7WSY8xw4S5/Bbr61 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.202.185.198 with SMTP id j189mr1448742oif.72.1422560596270; Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:43:16 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.202.51.196 with HTTP; Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:43:16 -0800 (PST) X-Originating-IP: [93.221.161.223] In-Reply-To: <54C6D6AE.7040306@cyberleo.net> References: <54C6D6AE.7040306@cyberleo.net> Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 20:43:16 +0100 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [Semi-OT] SFF-8087 to eSata? From: "C. P. Ghost" To: CyberLeo Kitsana Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.18-1 Cc: FreeBSD Mailing List X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18-1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:43:17 -0000 On Tue, Jan 27, 2015 at 1:07 AM, CyberLeo Kitsana wrote: > On 01/26/2015 12:25 PM, C. P. Ghost wrote: > > Hello, > > > > I'm trying to connect an external enclosure for SATA drives > > which comes with a single eSata connector for 8 drives in > > JBOD mode on one side (it's an IcyBox IB-3680SU3) to an > > HBA which comes with 2 external SFF-8087 connectors > > for 4 drives each (that's an Avago SAS HBA 9207-8e, which > > supports up to 1024 HDDs according to specs). > > That HBA has an SFF-8088 port (well, two), not SFF-8087. SFF-8088 is > external, the 8087 variant is internal, and looks completely different. > You're right, it's two SFF-8088 ports, not 8087. My mistake. The HBA identifies itself like this on that machine (flashed firmware and BIOS from P17 to P19 to match FreeBSD's own mps driver): mps0: port 0xd000-0xd0ff mem 0xfe9f0000-0xfe9fffff,0xfe980000-0xfe9bffff irq 18 at device 0.0 on pci2 mps0: Firmware: 19.00.00.00, Driver: 19.00.00.00-fbsd mps0: IOCCapabilities: 5285c Looks like it is usable on FreeBSD 10.1 / amd64 without any proprietary driver. So far, so good (keeping fingers crossed). It looks like the enclosure funnels all disks through a single link, > probably via something like a SATA port multiplier if you're lucky; but > as the glossy pointedly leaves out support for anything but Windows 7/8 > and OSX, it may well be a proprietary driver necessary to expose all > eight bays. If my experience with similar setups is any indication, > you're likely to want to toss this thing down the stairs in short order. > I'll get physical access to the enclosure in about two days. I hope all drives / bays are exposed throught that port multiplier; even if the performance will be terrible. If not, I'll recommend to toss that enclosure away, and to get a real SAS enclosure instead. > I'm trying to set up an external ZFS pool on those 8 drives. > > I did something similar, but chose to dedicate a link to each drive > instead of faffing about with expanders or port multipliers. An LSI > 9207-8e HBA, two Addonics AD4SMSAS bridges, a little creative dremeling, > and a couple Amphenol SFF-8088 cables hooked up two enclosures nicely. > Yes, that's a very good idea. I'll keep it in mind. :) > Now, I'm wondering what kind of cable or cable wizardry > > I need to get both SFF-8087 with the single JBOD eSata > > port connected. Is that possible at all? > > SFF-8087 and SFF-8088 both carry four SAS/SATA links; in theory, you > would only need one, so something like this[1] would be most useful for > you. The other seven lanes could be used for other things. > > [1] http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JQ51CM > That's exactly what I had in mind: using one eSATA connector to connect to the port multiplier of the enclosure, and leave the other 3 connectors dangling, for future use (using only one of the two 8088 ports). The HBA *should* access 8 drives through this single eSATA connector... if the SATA port multiplier of the enclosure is smart enough. At least, that's the theory. Will see how it plays out IRL. Thanks, -cpghost. > -- > Fuzzy love, > -CyberLeo > Technical Administrator > CyberLeo.Net Webhosting > http://www.CyberLeo.Net > > > Furry Peace! - http://www.fur.com/peace/ > -- Cordula's Web. http://www.cordula.ws/