LSI 9400-16i with PowerVault MD1200 and EMC SAE

[IonutZ]

Hey! Maybe you can help me understand what's going on. I upgraded from a LSI 9200 to an LSI 9400-16i figuring I can connect 2 enclosures to it. LSI 9200 was feeding the MD1200 in IT mode, no problem.

Since I got the LSI 9400-16i (with 4 internal ports), I had to somehow translate them to the outside, so I made myself a ghetto version of one of these (from 2x 8e8is). Now I have SAS SFF-8643 cables from the HBA to the ghetto converter, and SFF-8644 to SFF-8088 cables going to the 2x enclosures.


I used the latest firmware I could find on the LSI 9400 (specifically this one: Broadcom Inc. | Connecting Everything) - this one has a .bin file called HBA_9400-16i_SAS_SATA_Profile.bin which I figured is the one I needed to flash with storcli. All the other files are .roms and I couldn't use them with storcli.

In any case, in BIOS (on a Dell R740), the card is showing up, but it's not seeing any enclosures.

Any ideas would be super welcome!

 

[IonutZ]

Just wanted to update people... if you ever run into this issue, please ensure that you have the connector plugged in the right way... f'king SAS SFF8644 goes in both ways apparently lol. Turned them over and seeing both enclosures now...

 

[CyklonDX]

Just out of curiosity, but is there even a point of using lsi 9400 with md1200? md1200 can do only up-to 2x6bps (if you use mpio). Are you planning on connecting more?

 

[IonutZ]

Just out of curiosity, but is there even a point of using lsi 9400 with md1200? md1200 can do only up-to 2x6bps (if you use mpio). Are you planning on connecting more?

The MD1200 is going to be decommissioned but I wanted to be able to move the data first and I ran out of PCIE slots lol so I upgraded to the 9400.