Start a Conversation

Unsolved

This post is more than 5 years old

4536

March 5th, 2009 10:00

Can I build a PE 2950 with 6x1tb SATA drives no RAID?

I'm looking to build a PE 2950 with 6 1tb drives for an IP camera server/storage solution. I can't seem to order a system online or by phone with more the 4 drives unless I use RAID. I did speak with support people at Dell and they said to order the system with four 1tb SATA drives and add the last two. Can this be done? Why not offer it this way if it can?  Any other ideas. Thanks

884 Posts

March 5th, 2009 12:00

I would gather the confusion is in the controllers. I am not sure if they offer the SAS 6/i (not to be confused with the SAS 6/iR), but if they don't, then you would properly have to get the PERC 6/i and then setup each drive in a RAID 0 by itself.

4 Operator

 • 

1.8K Posts

March 5th, 2009 15:00

 "I can't seem to order a system online or by phone with more the 4 drives unless I use RAID."  Part of this is Dell does not want to get into complicated cabling within the small spaces of  the server, and I agree. With a raid controller and a backplane chassis the setup is much more efficient., much less time to setup, on there end and yours. Just do as Dell suggests and order a couple more drives to get your six. Does seem absurd they just can't  add the 6 drives as one package

looks like you will  need the following options, aside from the raid adapter...

3.5" HD Option: up to 6 SAS (10K/15K) or SATA (7200) drives.
3.5" Nearline SAS (7.2k rpm): 500GB, 750GB, 1TB 4
You are aware of the pathetic rpm of these drives, if the nearline drives are what your getting.

172 Posts

March 6th, 2009 08:00

You can also order the server with whatevery 6 HDD you want, a SAS 6/iR controller and any RAID configuration.  When you receive it, delete any/all RAID volumes from the controller BIOS utility and you are set; although, you will need to reinstall EVERYTHING.  The SAS 6/iR controller will allow you to see all HDDs directly without the need to build RAID volumes . . .

No Events found!

Top