Help with adding storage to R720

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adminmat

Member
Sep 1, 2019
30
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Hi, I'd like to add some additional storage to an R720 LFF (8 bay). What is the most economical way to add additional storage. I understand the easiest way is to add a Dell PowerVault but I'd like to try to just add an LSI HBA to the R720 and expand off that's to a JBOD or DAS. I have some questions:

1) what is the unused SFF-8087 port on the motherboard for?

2) if I add a LSI HBA to a PCIe slot how will the disks show up in ESXi? (Right now I use the Dell raid controller setup to define disks) Can I add those new disks to the Dell RAID arrays?

3) Can I somehow utilize my barebones R710 as a DAS if I add power to the backplane? Can I connect a LSI SAS (from the R720) to the backplane in the R710?