mATX motherboard on LGA2011-3 with miniSAS

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TLN

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Feb 26, 2016
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Hi all.

Does anyone know a board that is:
-2011-3
-2-3PCI-e
-additional HDD controller with mini-SAS

I'm not sure if mini-SAS (sff8087) or plain Sata ports makes any sense, but one cable for HDD makes it sleek looking setup.

I see many boards like that from HP: All microservers have integrated mini-sff connector. I have similar board from HP server, but it's for 1155. I'd like something on 2011-3.

I'm looking at: ASRock Rack > EPC612D4U-2T8R
But it have SAS ports, not SATA.

Thanks.
 

TLN

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Feb 26, 2016
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Well, I don't need 10G, but that would be nice.
Supermicro says 10ports on C612 controller. Does it mean that I can passthrough it to VM? I guess no.
On the other hand that ASRock have SAS3 LSI 3008, and I can pass it to VM. Probably I should get SAS drives, and call it a day?
 

pyro_

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Oct 4, 2013
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You can use SATA drives with a SAS controller. The Asrock board is going to be the closest you are going to get to what you want
 

PigLover

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Jan 26, 2011
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I believe you can pass them through (or at least pass some of them through). The C612 design splits the SATA ports into two groups - 6 ports "I-SATA" and 4 ports "E-SATA". They show up with separate PCI identitites, so likely you can pass them through to a VM as a controller with 6 drives and separately a controller of 4 drives (note: its the 4 "E-SATA" drives that are on the iPASS connector).

YMMV. I don't have first hand info on passthrough because I don't use it anymore.
 
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TLN

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Feb 26, 2016
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SATA drives work on the SAS controller. You don't need to get SAS drives.
Oh, so whats's the deal with those sqared connectors? Is that SAS to 4xSATA cable? I haven't see one before, but I have some miniSAS(8087) to 4xSATA in use.
 

TType85

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Dec 22, 2014
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Garden Grove, CA
Oh, so whats's the deal with those sqared connectors? Is that SAS to 4xSATA cable? I haven't see one before, but I have some miniSAS(8087) to 4xSATA in use.
You would use something like this:
Amazon.com: Cable Matters Internal HD Mini SAS (SFF-8643) to 4 SATA Forward Breakout Cable 3.3 Feet / 1m: Computers & Accessories for the board you have in your first post. It uses SFF-8643 older boards use the SFF-8087. You need to make sure you get the correct forward breakout cable. There are reverse breakout cables that will not work.
 
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TLN

Active Member
Feb 26, 2016
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You would use something like this:
Amazon.com: Cable Matters Internal HD Mini SAS (SFF-8643) to 4 SATA Forward Breakout Cable 3.3 Feet / 1m: Computers & Accessories for the board you have in your first post. It uses SFF-8643 older boards use the SFF-8087. You need to make sure you get the correct forward breakout cable. There are reverse breakout cables that will not work.
Oh, sweet. So SFF-8643 is similar to SFF8087. And SATA drives will work with SAS. Sounds cool!
All I need is board with such SAS conector and I'm done.

Also, I've noticed another cool thing: Amazon.com: Gigabyte M.2 to U.2-Mini-SAS Add-In Card Components Other GC-M2-U2-MiniSAS: Computers & Accessories
That's M2 to miniSAS adapter. I never though such thing exist!
 

pyro_

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Oct 4, 2013
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That m2 card is to allow 2.5" u2 nvme ssd drives to work with boards that only have an m2 slot. Does not allow sad drives to work with an m2 slot
 

TType85

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Dec 22, 2014
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Garden Grove, CA
That m2 card is to allow 2.5" u2 nvme ssd drives to work with boards that only have an m2 slot. Does not allow sad drives to work with an m2 slot
Yep, SAS controllers works with SATA and SAS Drives, SATA controllers do not work wiht SAS drives and m2 -> u2 is a different animal (NVME)