PowerEdge 2950 with SAS controller and SSD

Currently SSD disks are not supported attached to the SAS5/SAS6 or PERC5/PERC6 controllers.  Theoretically they should show as SATA disks, but they must be SATA Gen 2 compliant to be seen.

 

 

ChTran are you trying to mix SSDs and magnetic in the same volume? I think I have read you have to have them in their own SSD volume when you configure RAID .. rather than mixing magnetic and SSD in the same volume?

 

Are you using Dell Openmanage to configure them?

 

Also forgot to say, it was using a PERC 6i controller and it mentions having to enable SATA I first on the Poweredge (if you are using SATA I maybe you also need to do this, however it is done, then boot up again)

 

 

Could you post up here if you get it working (or not) as I am keen to know whether to expect problems with mine when they arrive.

 

MTron give a SSD compatibility grid here which shows their 3000 and 7000 series are compatible with the Poweredge 2950  mainboard.

 

http://www.j-dsolution.com/MtronGTAC_Mainboard%20Compatibility%20list_080613_ver2.2.pdf

 

 

Thanks

Hi.

 

I have SSDs on order to fit to the 2950 but they are MTron SATA2 for servers. The Samsungs arent recommended for that use. If the MTron's dont show up, being enterprise server SATA2 SLC SSD standard then surely Dell need to put a fix in for this.

 

I think somebody has fit an MTron SATA I before to the 2950 so wonder if your answer is correct?

I will try and find the link to it on this forum and post it up here

 

Thanks

Here is the link where a SATA I SSD has been fitted to a Poweredge 2950 III

 

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=pes_hardrive&message.id=29219&query.id=308954#M29219

 

 

You can get the Samsungs in SATA I or SATA II type are you sure they are SATA II?

 

 

Are you using Dell Openmanage to configure them?

 

Lets hope Dell havent turned off the ability to use SSD's in their servers as it was possible using the MTrons in the 2950 previously as the above thread shows. Maybe the type you are using just arent good for SAS backplanes. They fit mechanically and should be ok electrically if everyone is conforming to the correct standards. Try some that have been validated from the document I posted above instead as the Samsungs arent really for server use anyway?

No I am not trying to mix drives. I am trying to get the drive online by itself to run performance testing on them.

 

All SSD drives are SATA2 by default, or at least all of the ones I am trying to use. AS I metnioned before, the SAS controller detects the Hard Drive Model and even the capacity. However, its status neither shows offline or online or any other status. Its blank.

I am not allowed to mentioned what kind of performance testing they will be used for.

 

What I can say is we have identical PE2950 machines and we will be installing various SSD drives in them and getting performance testing done on them. The reason these machines are prefered to be used is because they have two quad core processors and enough RAM to give overhead and max out these drives in certain situations.

 

However, if these drives dont show any signs of working, we will be moving onto desktop machines for performance testing as I know they work fine on regular SATA controllers.

Right well you would expect them to work.

 

I spent 2 weeks looking into SSDs and spoke to most of the manufacturers. The write performance is where you need to be careful as most are brilliant for reads.

 

This was a very informative benchmark review which swayed me a bit away from the OCZ drives (same as Samsung with a different label apparently) for server use even though they are much cheaper. Mind you my Dell Precision has a Samsung SSD and it has been excellent .. not sure I'd want the write performance in a server though.

 

http://www.alternativerecursion.info/?p=106

 

For servers, as well as the MTron drives (3000, 7000, 7500 series) you might consider the XceedUltra2 and the Intel X25-E coming out first quarter 2009 ... the Intel looks awesome but I couldnt wait for it.

 

If the Dell doesnt fit these SATA 2 compatible MTron SSDs for whatever reason I will be really disappointed and look elsewhere for a server in future.

 

Good luck with your tests.

 

 

..especially as they just sold me the top processor , large ram version knowing I wanted to plug SATA SSDs in and the server department selling me it gave me reassurances they would be ok albeit not supported by Dell.

It is a little worrying for me when I read another thread where SATA drives cant be found as you have found

 

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=pes_hardrive&thread.id=30150

 

If Dell have disabled SATA drives to continue selling magnetic over the SATA SSD I will be really .. well you know the rest .. basically having bought Dell my whole career I wont buy another one if that is what is going on. Hopefully not and this is all coincidence.

Have Dell turned off the ability to mix SAS and SATA drive volumes on their backplanes recently? Or are these recent posts just a coincidence. Can anyone from Dell confirm whether you can still mix SATA and SAS drive volumes on the 2950 backplanes please?

I can say this much on the PE2950.

 

You are not able to enable any SATA ports on the PE2950 mainboard when the SAS controller is in place. I tried enabling them but they would always revert and become disabled after a reboot.