Connecting quad-port Supermicro NVMe HBA to IcyDock mobile rack NVMe backplane?

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ullbeking

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Hopefully... I'm holding thumbs and touching wood... my long-planned installation of these four U.2 SSD's into my workstation will work out in the end:
  • 4x Intel P3605 1.6 TB NVMe U.2 2.5" SSD's
I did a LOT of research, and I read a LOT of reviews, before settling on my planned configuration.

Today I read some news that triggered a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. If this doubt is warranted then I will mitigate the issue before moving any further.

The HBA is the following:
To mount the NVMe U.2 2.5" SSD's I plan to use an IcyDock mobile rack with 4x front-loading 2.5" bays to mount the SSD's. It fits in one of the chassis' large, 5.25" bays.
Now the major operation is clear. I need to connect the source HBA to the target mobile rack using four cables, as follows:

Source: 4x OCuLink connectors on Supermicro HBA

Target: 4x SFF-8643 (MiniSAS HD) connectors on IcyDock mobile rack

The plan is to purchase 4x cables from Supermicro corresponding to:
The potentially discouraging news I read comes from the IcyDock MB699VP-B mobile rack's FAQ, see this excerpt of Page 2: IcyDock_MB699VP-B_mobile_rack_FAQ.pdf [⋆⋆⋆].

I don't fully understand the explanation in the FAQ. On the other hand I am making an educated guess that Supermicro are one step ahead.

[†††] Note how the Supermicro OCuLink connector specified in Row 3, Figure 3-1, Page 3-3, HBA manual ( https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/other/AOC-SLG3-4E2P.pdf ) CLEARLY SPECIFIES THAT THE SOURCE-END OCULINK CONNECTOR HAS A GREEN MARK.

[⋆⋆⋆] I wonder if Supermicro's OCuLink connector uses GREEN to signify that it corrects for the wiring problem that IcyDock MB699VP-B FAQ warns the reader about..?

I think it's worth investigating this hypothesis further. My hope is not yet lost :D

Does anybody know anything about this issue? Is anybody able to confirm that the storage configuration I've planned is actually OK?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Kindest regards,

@ullbeking
 
T_Minus

T_Minus

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I purchased the same IcyDock from @William which he used for a STH review.
I have not put it to use, but I myself purchased the SAME SM AIC you did, with the intention of using it how you want... I ended up getting NVME backplanes and haven't used it, so I can't comment. Maybe @William can provide info about how he attached the Icy Dock?

I also believe at-least one of my SM servers uses Oculink on the motherboard-side and the 8643 on the backplane and if that's the case this is potentially an ICYDock issue and\or cabling issue, which may be resolved by using SM NVME cables that are Oculink-->8643.

This could also be simply them saying "does not work with SAS3" and really nothing about oculink to 8643 in regard to NVME. At time of publication maybe there was no Oculink cards either. AFAIK the specification hasn't changed between oculink and nvme on 8643.
 
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ullbeking

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T_Minus said:
I purchased the same IcyDock from @William which he used for a STH review.
Click to expand...
Do you have a link to the review? I assume that @William's review used the same IcyDock with a different but unspecified AIC. I searched using the AOC model code as the search key and got nothing back. I searched using the IcyDock model code and got @William's review, but the review was sketchy on the HBA details. It's a disappointing review.

I have not put it to use, but I myself purchased the SAME SM AIC you did, with the intention of using it how you want...
Click to expand...
I'm waiting on some final hardware to arrive then I'll test the IcyDock plus SM AOC with SM-branded cables. I'm going to make sure to get the ones with the green mark on the OCuLink connector as per the AOC-SLG3-4E2P's instructions.

I ended up getting NVME backplanes and haven't used it, so I can't comment.
Click to expand...
Could you please provide me with a link to what NVMe backplane you ended up getting?

Maybe @William can provide info about how he attached the Icy Dock?
Click to expand...
I sure hope so :) @William, can you hear my plea?! ;-) I've been looking forward to this moment for about a year, and not that it's imminent I'm preparing myself for disappointment in case a pinout or cable is bad. The IcyDock FAQ isn't much of an enjoyable read.

I also believe at-least one of my SM servers uses Oculink on the motherboard-side and the 8643 on the backplane and if that's the case this is potentially an ICYDock issue and\or cabling issue
Click to expand...
Thanks for your suggestion. This is reassuring. I too believe that because of the way the news in the background went down this does indeed seem like an IcyDock issue if any.

which may be resolved by using SM NVME cables that are Oculink-->8643.
Click to expand...
Are you suggestion the same thing as I'm planning on doing? That is, to purchase SM-branded NVMe cables with OCuLink connectors with a green mark on the Source (SM AOC) end... and SFF-8643 (MiniSAS HD) connectors on the Target (IcyDock) end? Or are you implying that something needs adjusting or re-wiring?

Any further help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you @T_Minus!
 
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William

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Actually, I did not do the testing on that unit, I did not have the capabilities at the time.
It was sent to Patrick where he ran the tests.
That unit is a simple cage, it could be attached to any system so your results may vary depending on how you set up your system.
 
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ullbeking

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William said:
That unit is a simple cage, it could be attached to any system so your results may vary depending on how you set up your system.
Click to expand...
It's not merely a simply cage because it has a backplane on it that is supposed to conform to the SFF-8643 connector standard. If IcyDock have implement non-standard connnectors and then called them something else then that would not be good enough.

I'm going to leave it alone now and get on with other things. When the hardware arrives I'll test it properly and see what happens. There's no point indulging in speculation for the sake of gossip.

@Patrick, what HBA did you use for the tests with this IcyDock mobile rack in the review?
 
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Rand__

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ullbeking said:
IcyDock MB699VP-B mobile rack with the following:
Click to expand...
Based on your post i inquired with IcyDock since I also have one of those (still wrapped up) to get feedback on compatible cards/boards. Unfortunately there dont seem to be any new cards on the list and they did not even know that nowadays even mainboards do have occulink ports o_O

However they told me they'd be releasing a v2 probably sometime this year so naturally I asked about free (or nominal fee) replacement options since the original version is barely usable ...
If anyone wants to add their voice to that expectation set - tech@icydock.com
 
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T_Minus

T_Minus

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Rand__ said:
Based on your post i inquired with IcyDock since I also have one of those (still wrapped up) to get feedback on compatible cards/boards. Unfortunately there dont seem to be any new cards on the list and they did not even know that nowadays even mainboards do have occulink ports o_O

However they told me they'd be releasing a v2 probably sometime this year so naturally I asked about free (or nominal fee) replacement options since the original version is barely usable ...
If anyone wants to add their voice to that expectation set - tech@icydock.com
Click to expand...
Emailed.

Upsetting to learn this now too :( ugh
 
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ullbeking

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Rand__ said:
Based on your post i inquired with IcyDock since I also have one of those (still wrapped up) to get feedback on compatible cards/boards. Unfortunately there dont seem to be any new cards on the list and they did not even know that nowadays even mainboards do have occulink ports o_O

However they told me they'd be releasing a v2 probably sometime this year so naturally I asked about free (or nominal fee) replacement options since the original version is barely usable ...
If anyone wants to add their voice to that expectation set - tech@icydock.com
Click to expand...
Thank you @Rand__ ! I literally just came across your reply, and I haven't even tried to provision my intended solution yet. I have the HBA and the mobile rack, but I don't have the cables yet. I'm wondering whether to put this part of the project on hold for a while...

I will email them too and find out what help they will offer. These cables aren't cheap and I'm not sure if I should get some and try, or if the consensus is that it definitely won't work. (I think it's becoming clear that it's the latter. Disappoint but still, good to have a definite answer.)
 
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Rand__

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So I bugged them a bit more and they now claimed that a customer was able to connect this thing to the onboard ports of a X11 DPI-NT... no mention of cables though.

Since I happen to have one of those I'll give it a try (using regular Supermicro cables since these are the only ones I have) and provide feedback...

Actually I don't have any of these particular cables so I'll need to order some... asked them for feedback, but maybe some recommendations here?
 
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K

kousuke

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Jul 18, 2017
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ullbeking said:
Hopefully... I'm holding thumbs and touching wood... my long-planned installation of these four U.2 SSD's into my workstation will work out in the end:
  • 4x Intel P3605 1.6 TB NVMe U.2 2.5" SSD's
I did a LOT of research, and I read a LOT of reviews, before settling on my planned configuration.

Today I read some news that triggered a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. If this doubt is warranted then I will mitigate the issue before moving any further.

The HBA is the following:
To mount the NVMe U.2 2.5" SSD's I plan to use an IcyDock mobile rack with 4x front-loading 2.5" bays to mount the SSD's. It fits in one of the chassis' large, 5.25" bays.
Now the major operation is clear. I need to connect the source HBA to the target mobile rack using four cables, as follows:

Source: 4x OCuLink connectors on Supermicro HBA

Target: 4x SFF-8643 (MiniSAS HD) connectors on IcyDock mobile rack

The plan is to purchase 4x cables from Supermicro corresponding to:
The potentially discouraging news I read comes from the IcyDock MB699VP-B mobile rack's FAQ, see this excerpt of Page 2: IcyDock_MB699VP-B_mobile_rack_FAQ.pdf [⋆⋆⋆].

I don't fully understand the explanation in the FAQ. On the other hand I am making an educated guess that Supermicro are one step ahead.

[†††] Note how the Supermicro OCuLink connector specified in Row 3, Figure 3-1, Page 3-3, HBA manual ( https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/other/AOC-SLG3-4E2P.pdf ) CLEARLY SPECIFIES THAT THE SOURCE-END OCULINK CONNECTOR HAS A GREEN MARK.

[⋆⋆⋆] I wonder if Supermicro's OCuLink connector uses GREEN to signify that it corrects for the wiring problem that IcyDock MB699VP-B FAQ warns the reader about..?

I think it's worth investigating this hypothesis further. My hope is not yet lost :D

Does anybody know anything about this issue? Is anybody able to confirm that the storage configuration I've planned is actually OK?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Kindest regards,

@ullbeking
Click to expand...
Hey, I'm interested to know if you manage to get this working?

Q: I'm connecting my Oculink PCIe switch add-in card to the MB699VP-B via miniSAS HD (SFF-8643) interface, but the U.2 drives did not show up in my system.


A: The issue is caused by card manufacturers using a different pinout for Oculink card, which does not match the Oculink to miniSAS HD cable in use. It is recommended to consult the card manufacturer before purchasing the cable to avoid compatibility issue.

Please see the following Oculink Add-in cards we have found that may require special Oculink to miniSAS cable, please contact the card manufacture for more information


IntelAXXP3RTX16040AXXP3SWX08040AXXP3SWX08080
SupermicroAOC-SLG3-2E4TAOC-SLG3-8E2PAOC-SLG3-4E4TAOC-SLG3-4E2P
 
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ullbeking

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Is there no solution for the AOC-SLG3-4E2P HBA? I have this HBA, and I don't know whether to keep it and find an appropriate drive cage, or to sell it and purchase an entire Intel kit:
  • Intel cage with hot-swappable 8x 2.5" U.2 drive bays. I would prefer 4x 2.5" U.2 bays, but 8x 2.5" taking 2x 5.25" bays is "OK".
  • Intel HBA that is certified with the above cage. I assume it would be PCI-e (x16) with PLX Switch.
  • OCuLink cables (???) (Manufacturer?)
  • Anything else I've missed?
Concerns and questions?
  • Will the 2x 5.25" Intel cage (for the 8x 2.5 U.2 SSD's) fit in the SuperChassis 747TG-R1400B-SQ ?
  • Will this leave enough room for the optical drive to retain its comfortable fit?
  • Does the kernel have upstream drivers for the Intel HBA?
I was planning on inserting 4x U.2 SSD's into the front-loading hot-swappable cage. Upping this to 8x U.2 SSD capacity (through the use of using Intel cage+HBA instead of Supermicro HBA plus some still-unknown cage) is a welcome upgrade already; I have more U.2 drives to fill those 4x extra slots.
 
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ullbeking

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I tried very hard to get the AOC-SLG3-4E2P solution working, primarily with the IcyDock, but it's obviously a waste of time.

Does anybody know an Intel HBA plus U.2 SSD drive cage kit that is known to work with the SuperChassis 747TG-R1400B-SQ "out of the box"?

Now that I think about it, an 8x 2.5" U.2 SSD drive cage that takes 2x 5.25" drive bays (still leaving room for an ODD), is ideal.
 
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zack$

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Aug 16, 2018
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ullbeking said:
I tried very hard to get the AOC-SLG3-4E2P solution working, primarily with the IcyDock, but it's obviously a waste of time.

Does anybody know an Intel HBA plus U.2 SSD drive cage kit that is known to work with the SuperChassis 747TG-R1400B-SQ "out of the box"?

Now that I think about it, an 8x 2.5" U.2 SSD drive cage that takes 2x 5.25" drive bays (still leaving room for an ODD), is ideal.
Click to expand...
See here: https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...ink-interface-supermicro-aoc-slg3-4e2p.21081/
 
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