SAS Expander Help Needed

[vorpel]

Hello. I have purchased 2 Supermicro SC846TQ 24-bay servers from eBay and ultimately want all 48 bays between the two to be attached to 1 file server.

Current configuration: Supermicro SC846TQ server with 24 Seagate 4TB NAS drives connected to the 3 internal Supermicro SAT2-MV8 Rev 2 controllers running Windows 2008R2 and FlexRaid's Raid-F.

I would like to setup the 2nd SC846TQ case as a DAS and from what I've read I can accomplish this with a SAS expander.

I currently have an Areca ARC-1680ix-24 controller that I am not using.

How I think it will work: I should be able to install the Areca ARC-1680ix-24 card into my main server, and then purchase a SAS expander card, put it in the 2nd case and use a SFF-8088 cable to connect the two.

What I don't know:

1. Is using the Areca ARC-1680ix-24 to connect to a SAS card in the 2nd machine going to work if I don't have any drives attached to it internally?

2. What would be the least expensive SAS expander to get that would work with the Areca card?

3. (most importantly) Is there a better way to accomplish the end goal of attaching all 48 drives from the 2 servers to my main file server in the first Supermicro SC846TQ case?

The motherboard in the main file server is a Supermicro H8DME-2 Rev 2.01a and has 1 PCI Express x8 slot open.

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-DC

 

[Master_shake_]

res2cv360 will give you 24 satas, 4 ports in and have room for another 8087 cable to daisy chain your second chassis, but you are going to have to buy 2.

they are based of an lsi chip and i imagine it's compatible with your card.

there is a thread here devoted to them so take a look.