HP SAS Expander Owner's Thread

The first page list all of these as working. Is there a particular card you were interested in?

Areca ARC-1880 series: YES (dual linking supported)
Areca ARC-1680 series: YES
3ware 9690SA Series: YES (verified by SeanG)
Highpoint 4320 SAS: YES (verified by Dgephri)
Adaptec 5085: No
Adaptec 5805: No
HP P212, P410, P410i, P411, P411i, P712: YES* (requires minimum of 256MB cache on RAID controller card)
 
nitrobass24 said:
The first page list all of these as working. Is there a particular card you were interested in?

Areca ARC-1880 series: YES (dual linking supported)
Areca ARC-1680 series: YES
3ware 9690SA Series: YES (verified by SeanG)
Highpoint 4320 SAS: YES (verified by Dgephri)
Adaptec 5085: No
Adaptec 5805: No
HP P212, P410, P410i, P411, P411i, P712: YES* (requires minimum of 256MB cache on RAID controller card)
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oops - sorry Nitro - I meant to say about the same thing...quoted your response instead of the actual question.
 
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omniscence said:
I can only find information on the RES2SV240 which is based on LSISAS2x24. Can you guide me to the LSISAS2x36 based Intel expander?
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I was talking about LSISAS2x36 as a platform, as I had meant the RES2SV240. LSISAS2x36 = LSISAS2x24 in terms of silicone, the 24 port version is just "short stroked" if you will.

As for which products feature the LSISAS2x36, thats another topic for another thread.
 
Based on Price of those listed I would say the 3ware 9690SA Series is my best bet. Anyone have any comments about this card they'd like to share?
 
That is a partial list and only takes into account compatibility, not the overall merits of those cards. A "best bet" is more than just about price alone obviously. The 3ware looks like a rebadged 9260-8i. Personally I'd go with an Areca 1880i.
 
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Anyone have experience getting an HP SAS expander working with an adaptec 3085?

My 3085 is detecting the SAS expander but not any drives connected to the expander.
 
rdmustang1 said:
Anyone have experience getting an HP SAS expander working with an adaptec 3085?

My 3085 is detecting the SAS expander but not any drives connected to the expander.
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from what I can see of the HCL, there isnt a single Adaptec product that plays nice with this expander :(
 
gmutale said:
from what I can see of the HCL, there isnt a single Adaptec product that plays nice with this expander :(
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I see that it says they aren't compatable and yet at least one person had success with the adaptec 5 series.

I don't see anything about any 3 series. I guess my main question is, if it's not compatable would I even see the SAS expander detected? I'm using a new raid card, new sas expander a new enclosure, new cables and new hard drives. It's hard to track down the problem with so much new hardware.
 
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I ordered a second Adaptec 52445 about 2 months ago but it is still BO. I will probably cancel my order. What is the best 24 internal ports that can go with the sas expander ? The ARECA ARC-1880-ix-24 ?

Also, anyone had issue with two different Raid cards in one computer ?
 
What kind of case do you have that you need 60 internal ports?
Why not just use the 1880i + HP Expander that will give you 40 internal ports.
 
I already have an Adaptec 52445. Sas expander is for the future. I'll be good with two Raid cards for the moment. I'll have a 50 bay case + 24 bay.
 
Shipped more than a half dozen SAS expanders internationally at this point. If you guys need anything else exported, I can do that as well. Nothing is too big or small (just keep it under 150lbs). :)
 
Blue Fox said:
Shipped more than a half dozen SAS expanders internationally at this point. If you guys need anything else exported, I can do that as well. Nothing is too big or small (just keep it under 150lbs). :)
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havent even done a transaction with u & already i'm impressed! :D :thumbup:

is there a forum rep system? I'll give if there is! :)
 
I have a question on the basic functionality of the sas expander. My understanding was that when attached to a sas controller, the controller would only see the expander once, and only each drive once.

It would appear for me this is not the case, when I attach the expander using single link (so only 1 cable, between expander and sas hba), I can see the same expander 4 times. If I use dual-link, I can see it 8 times. If I plug a drive into the expander, using dual-link I can see the same drive 8 times. 24 drives = 192 drives visible to sas card? Surely something is not right. Firmware is reported as 2.06 on the expander, im using the X8SI6-F flashed to IT mode.

edit: Heres a pic http://img560.imageshack.us/i/imgp3423.jpg/
 
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adoch said:
I have a question on the basic functionality of the sas expander. My understanding was that when attached to a sas controller, the controller would only see the expander once, and only each drive once.

It would appear for me this is not the case, when I attach the expander using single link (so only 1 cable, between expander and sas hba), I can see the same expander 4 times. If I use dual-link, I can see it 8 times. If I plug a drive into the expander, using dual-link I can see the same drive 8 times. 24 drives = 192 drives visible to sas card? Surely something is not right. Firmware is reported as 2.06 on the expander, im using the X8SI6-F flashed to IT mode.

edit: Heres a pic http://img560.imageshack.us/i/imgp3423.jpg/
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That screenshot says SMC2008-IR - You sure you flashed it right?
 
The product is called SMC2008-IR, but when I go into that (or back a menu), I can see that its flashed to IT mode.

What the hell, time to reflash.
 
My initial feeling was that it is expander related. What makes you say that its not?

I've just done another flash, and am getting the same results with the expander plugged in. If I go direct to the drives, I can only see each once and they work fine.

Either way, i need to rule one of them out, so I will try the expander out on a P410i at work next monday.
 
has anyone tested the HP SAS expander on the newer generation of dell sas cards? specifically the PERC H700/H800 or the 6Gb/s SAS HBA? I'm thinking Dell 1u server w/ 6Gbps SAS HBA for a cheap head node to a norco 4224 w/the expander...
anything from here? http://www.dell.com/content/topics/...topics/en/us/raid_controller?c=us&l=en&cs=555

I can't think of why it shouldn't work other than it's dell and hp... :-p
 
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Contrary to the info on the first page I have an Adaptec 5805 and HP SAS expander working just fine in my 20-bay SAS backplaned Habey ESC-4201C (same as Norco) Case.

Although currently all drive auto-negotiate at 1.5gbps. The Adaptec BIOS screen shows that it detects the HP SAS expander and the firmware version running on it.

I will attach screenshots of the BIOS screen when I get home to show the firmware versions that I have working together.
 
adoch said:
My initial feeling was that it is expander related. What makes you say that its not?

I've just done another flash, and am getting the same results with the expander plugged in. If I go direct to the drives, I can only see each once and they work fine.

Either way, i need to rule one of them out, so I will try the expander out on a P410i at work next monday.
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The problem is there's nothing you can change or modify on the HP Expander to get it to work any better in a configuration, aside from the latest firmware which you probably already have. You either plug it in and it works, or it doesn't. On occasion it seems people have received a bad expander, but with different symptoms than you're describing. And since you're trying to use BIOS cross-flashing on the LSI SAS chip, you're introducing additional variables. The BIOS cross-flashing has to be done exactly correctly which is a separate topic. If you want some help with that then post in THIS thread and outline what you've done so far.
 
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Jerkson said:
Contrary to the info on the first page I have an Adaptec 5805 and HP SAS expander working just fine in my 20-bay SAS backplaned Habey ESC-4201C (same as Norco) Case.

Although currently all drive auto-negotiate at 1.5gbps. The Adaptec BIOS screen shows that it detects the HP SAS expander and the firmware version running on it.

I will attach screenshots of the BIOS screen when I get home to show the firmware versions that I have working together.
Click to expand...

The last time I tested a 5805 was like 10 months ago, and at the time it would only work with an HP Expander at firmware 1.00. And I remember it would only negotiate at 1.5Gbps. The point of the OP is it's meant as a guide for people trying to figure out which adapter to buy new, so I wanted to avoid going into a lot of minutiae about cards that sort of work but not 100%. And last time I checked the Adaptec 5 series fell into that group. If it works for you great but it's difficult to recommend it for anyone buying new.

But let me know what firmware versions you're running in any case, perhaps I can add with an asterisk that it only negotiates at 1.5Gbps.
 
odditory said:
The last time I tested a 5805 was like 10 months ago, and at the time it would only work with an HP Expander at firmware 1.00. And I remember it would only negotiate at 1.5Gbps. The point of the OP is it's meant as a guide for people trying to figure out which adapter to buy new, so I wanted to avoid going into a lot of minutiae about cards that sort of work but not 100%. And last time I checked the Adaptec 5 series fell into that group. If it works for you great but it's difficult to recommend it for anyone buying new.

But let me know what firmware versions you're running in any case, perhaps I can add with an asterisk that it only negotiates at 1.5Gbps.
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I agree that I would in no way suggest this Adaptec 5805 over say an Areca 1680 series for a new buyer. However, at the time when I purchased it I thought 8 drives in a raid 6 was all I would ever need. Their documentation stated it was expandable using "inexpensive SAS expanders" and then when I inquired with them 2 years after purchase, they tell me there are no SAS expander cards, only backplanes and enclosures, on their HCL.

The first page, when I read it, seemed to suggest that a 5805 would simply NOT work with it. Not only does it seem to work but it seems to dual link just fine. The adaptec storage manager lists the drives as being members of an "HP enclosure" or something to that effect on theleft hand pane.

I will get the screenshots and firmware versions for you to add to the first post. Maybe this info can help others who are stuck with this Adaptec card, like I was.

:)
 
odditory said:
The last time I tested a 5805 was like 10 months ago, and at the time it would only work with an HP Expander at firmware 1.00. And I remember it would only negotiate at 1.5Gbps. The point of the OP is it's meant as a guide for people trying to figure out which adapter to buy new, so I wanted to avoid going into a lot of minutiae about cards that sort of work but not 100%. And last time I checked the Adaptec 5 series fell into that group. If it works for you great but it's difficult to recommend it for anyone buying new.

But let me know what firmware versions you're running in any case, perhaps I can add with an asterisk that it only negotiates at 1.5Gbps.
Click to expand...

Seems to me it would be a lot more useful to a lot more people if all the known information was included, rather than just a small subset of people. As you said, the OP is only currently useful for those purchasing a new card, but that is a very small subset of the total people who might be interested in the HP expander. There are more people wanting to setup a raid array who already have some kind of card than those who want to set one up and have 0 cards. (or luckily already have a perfectly working card on the list)

I guess I'm saying the more comprehensive the FP is, aren't we all better off?
 
randomlychosen said:
Seems to me it would be a lot more useful to a lot more people if all the known information was included, rather than just a small subset of people. As you said, the OP is only currently useful for those purchasing a new card, but that is a very small subset of the total people who might be interested in the HP expander. There are more people wanting to setup a raid array who already have some kind of card than those who want to set one up and have 0 cards. (or luckily already have a perfectly working card on the list)

I guess I'm saying the more comprehensive the FP is, aren't we all better off?
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^ I agree.

Thats exactly why I took screenshots to take note of both the Adaptec bios revision and the HP SAS expander firmware version. I understand it's not trivial to update the HP firmware unless you have specific hardware so getting a card preloaded with a specific firmware version is going to be an essential piece of the puzzle.

I have a feeling my drives have always been recognized at the 1.5gbps rate but I never took notice. The current drives are Seagate 3401500AS (1.5tb, 7200rpm). I'm going to hook them back up direct to the controller tonight to validate this. Im also going to plug in 4x Hitachi 2tb 7K3000 Sata3 (6.0gbps) drives and see what they negotiate at.
 
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randomlychosen said:
Seems to me it would be a lot more useful to a lot more people if all the known information was included, rather than just a small subset of people. As you said, the OP is only currently useful for those purchasing a new card, but that is a very small subset of the total people who might be interested in the HP expander. There are more people wanting to setup a raid array who already have some kind of card than those who want to set one up and have 0 cards. (or luckily already have a perfectly working card on the list)

I guess I'm saying the more comprehensive the FP is, aren't we all better off?
Click to expand...

No doubt it would be nice if it were more comprehensive - are you volunteering? :) I don't work for HP nor am I invested in how many cards they sell, if anything its been free advertising for resellers including those which have co-opted this thread, also which I have nothing to do with. What was already done was done in precious spare time.

If you or anyone else would like to contribute information then by all means. The fact is there are simply too many combinations of cards to make note of them all. As well its not a huge cash outlay to test the HP expander with a preexisting legacy card - get one off Amazon or somewhere with a liberal return policy, test it out, if it works great if not return it.
 
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Hi

On the HP support page there are two model numbers for the HP SAS Expander:
Option Part Number - 468406-B21
Spare Part Number - 487738-001

Do anyone know the difference, or if there is a difference between these two models?
 
bro2 said:
Hi

On the HP support page there are two model numbers for the HP SAS Expander:
Option Part Number - 468406-B21
Spare Part Number - 487738-001

Do anyone know the difference, or if there is a difference between these two models?
Click to expand...

I got the 468406-B21 which was the full retail kit (card, support braken for SAS cables, 4x SFF8087, manual) it looks like the spare part item is card-only.
Here are the firmware versions that worked for me with the Adaptec 5805:
2011-02-12%2010.40.17.jpg

2011-02-12%2010.40.41.jpg
 
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Jerkson said:
I got the 468406-B21 which was the full retail kit (card, support braken for SAS cables, 4x SFF8087, manual) it looks like the spare part item is card-only.
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What port on the SAS card did you connect to the Adaptec? My 3085 detects the SAS card but no hard drives attached to the SAS expander and it's so frustrating.
 
rdmustang1 said:
What port on the SAS card did you connect to the Adaptec? My 3085 detects the SAS card but no hard drives attached to the SAS expander and it's so frustrating.
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Ports 8 & 9. If I only wanted to do one, I would do #9 but either one should work. They both have a white square around them right on the PCB itself and the white square is labeled "To Controller" whereas the other pairs of ports are labelled "To Drives" (or something to that effect)

Are your drives connected to the sas expander using SFF-8087 to SATA breakout cables or are you connecting the SAS expander to a backplane using full SAS SFF-8087 cables? Also, when your controller boots what FW version is on your HP SAS expander?
 
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I'm very close in getting this sweet expander and need to get cables for it.

I read that there are different versions of SFF-8087->4xSATA cables: 26pin and 32/36pin. Could anyone clarify what this means and would 26pin (looks like they are more common!) cables work with this expander? Previously I thought Mini SAS SFF-8087 is industrial standard...

P.S. Would be great if one point me to the place where to get compatible SFF-8087->90 angle SATA cables at ~$10-13 rate. In PM of course!
 
alexkuzko said:
I'm very close in getting this sweet expander and need to get cables for it.

I read that there are different versions of SFF-8087->4xSATA cables: 26pin and 32/36pin. Could anyone clarify what this means and would 26pin (looks like they are more common!) cables work with this expander? Previously I thought Mini SAS SFF-8087 is industrial standard...

P.S. Would be great if one point me to the place where to get compatible SFF-8087->90 angle SATA cables at ~$10-13 rate. In PM of course!
Click to expand...

I could be wrong but I believe there were different cables for internal and external 26pin being external (SFF-8088) and the 36pin being internal w/ sideband (SFF-8087 ...this is what I have)

Mor info and pics can be seen here www.cs-electronics.com/isas-cables-NEW.htm
 
pjkenned said:
Quick: SAS/ SATA Connector Guide including SFF-8087 and SFF-8088 if you need some pictures.
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I love pretty pichers! :cool: Thats a good resource, thanks.

As a side note, with the 5805 and the HP sas expander I find it to be very finicky about SFF-8087 cable lengths. They MUST be all the same length going from expander to drives/backplane. The two links from the 5805 to the expander are much shorter in my case and that seems to be ok. I may replace them with the same length cables as the rest just for consistency's sake. When I was initially mixing and matching cable lengths some of my drives on a backplane wouldn't get detected.

Also, I seem to have lost my "identify drive" functionality through the use of the expander. I can no longer make a drive light blink to identify a specific drive in the case from within the Adaptec Storage Manager (ASM) software. I can still, however, get the SMART data readings as cryptic as they may be (0x5, 0x9, 0x0A etc... instead of descriptive names like "read error count")
 
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