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Dell drives in a non-Dell enclosure?
I have a bunch of Dell-branded SAS drives that were part of old MD1120 3Gbps SAS enclosure. Based on the labeling on the drives, they appear to be re-branded Seagate Savvio 10K.3 6Gbps SAS drives. Can I use these drives in a non-Dell server/enclosure with a 6Gbs SAS backplane? I just want to make sure the Dell drive will work with a non-Dell controller. The enclosure and drives are out of warranty, so I'm not worried about technical support from Dell.
I've seen lots of people asking about using non-Dell drives with Dell enclosures, but I want to do the reverse.
theflash1932
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July 31st, 2013 10:00
No, controllers block access, not drives.
There will be a difference in firmware between the non-Dell branded (generic/retail) Seagate and the Dell-branded Seagate, so there may be issues ranging from small to major, but if the enclosure/controller doesn't block non-certified drives, then at least you'll be free to test it, but if you run into problems, that's where I would start my troubleshooting.
nmdange
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July 31st, 2013 10:00
Ah, great thanks for clarifying! I definitely plan on testing thoroughly, but at least I know it may work, which is better than definitely not working!
nmdange
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July 31st, 2013 10:00
The enclosure lists the non-Dell branded Seagate Savvio as certified, and I confirmed with the enclosure manufacturer that they do not block "uncertified" drives. I was wondering more if the Dell drive firmware would block access if the controller was not Dell-branded.
theflash1932
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July 31st, 2013 10:00
Check the specs/documentation of your enclosure ... most major storage solution providers/manufacturers have drives that are "certifed" for their enclosures/controllers to be able to control and guarantee reliability and performance, and some may even block non-certified drives.