New home server hurdles

[Dorgin]

Apologies for any naivety on my part, I'm new to the server side of building.

Case: Supermicro CS846E16-R1200B with BPN-SAS2-846EL1 backplane

MB: Supermicro H11SSL-i rev 1

CPU: AMD EPYC 7351P

Memory: Supermicro 64GB SDRAM ECC Registered DDR4 2666

HBA: LSI Broadcom SAS 9300-8i

OS: Unraid 6.8.3

Questions 1: The Front Control Panel header JF1 appears to take a 20? pin connector with pins 3 & 4 absent (P.38 https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/EPYC7000/MNL-2085.pdf) but the case (https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/chassis/4U/SC846.pdf) only has a 16 pin connector cable. So I have no LEDS or control from the front panel. Am I SOL, is there different cable that I can't find, or another solution I'm unaware of?

Question 2: Despite the above issue, I can get into the IPMI to boot and power down the server, but I can't get the KVM to launch with SuperMicro's IPMIView 2.16.0. The error message I get is "Administrator privilege is required to launch KVM during first initialization or Connection Failed". I'm logged in as the Admin and plugged into the IPMI LAN port. Not sure what other info I need to give, but help?

Question 3: Unraid boots but it won't recognize any of the drives I've got loaded (x2 WD Red 10Tb, x4 WD elements schucked 10TB, x1 Kingston 120Gb SSD). The SSD is the only drive that displays the solid blue "SAS/SATA/NVME drive installed" on the drive bay, and does so in all 24 slots so I know there's power. My understanding with this backplane is you run all 24 drives through a single HBA, and I'm under 8-ports anyway.

Thank you in advance everyone!

 

[Spartacus]

1) https://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-CBL-0048-Switch-16-pin-20-pin/dp/B005AHB85E or
https://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-11-81-Inch-16-Pin-Front-CBL-0068L/dp/B000ONYSR4

2) FAQ Entry | Online Support | Support - Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Try to launch the IPMIView as admin, and reset to factory default if that doesnt work per the link above.

3) The SC846 can have many different back planes which model of backplane is it? There are two versions one like you noted that only requires one port, the other requires all ports to be connected. What happens if you put one of the HDD in the slot where the SSD is? does it work/recognize?

 

[Dorgin]

1. Thanks for the cable links, I ordered the CBL-0048. We'll give that a shot but I'm guessing it will work nicely!

2. Right clicking on the IPMIView from my Start menu did the trick. Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing in the KVM.

3. I have the BPN-SAS2-846EL1 backplane, so it only has the single SAS port expander. When I plug the SSD into any of the 24 drive bays, I get a solid blue front panel LED, indicating "SAS/SATA/NVME drive installed". I still can't see it in Unraid, perhaps I need to go digging in the BIOS and see if it's recognized there. Plugging any of the HDDs into any bay, and I've tried multiple combinations, has been unsuccessful. A friend told me I might be getting 3.3V errors, as described here:

. I'll try this method and report back.

Thanks again for the prompt and awesome feedback!

 

[Spartacus]

Glad that helped, the WD Red don't have that 3.3v issue at all, so if those aren't working then thats not the issue.
Your backplane is powered by molex connectors so theres no 3.3v even powering it, thats not likely the issue.
Speaking of Molex connectors are all of them plugged in on the back plane?

However you have the BPN-SAS2-846EL1 backplane which has 8087 connectors on it, your HBA is 8643, which cable did you get to convert that?
Which port do you have your HBA plugged into on your backplane and which port on the HBA is plugged in? (it should only be J0 in the top right of the board) all others should not be connected and on the HBA it should be Port 0.

Edit: Does your hba have a boot rom on it (such as press ctrl+r when it pops up to see if its recognizing the drives?)

Additional note, sata drives don't always light up in supermicro boxes intended for SAS drives.
I have a 3x5.25" to 5x 3.5" supermicro enclosure and it only lights up during drive activity (vs solid light + blinking for activity for SAS drives). The backplanes may work differently though.

 

[Markess]

Questions 1: The Front Control Panel header JF1 appears to take a 20? pin connector with pins 3 & 4 absent (P.38 https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/EPYC7000/MNL-2085.pdf) but the case (https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/chassis/4U/SC846.pdf) only has a 16 pin connector cable. So I have no LEDS or control from the front panel. Am I SOL, is there different cable that I can't find, or another solution I'm unaware of?

Maybe I’m mistaken, but are you sure that pins 3&4 are absent from the motherboard front panel connector, and its not really pins 17 & 18 that are absent? I have no experience with that exact chassis, but in the past I was always able to plug a Chassis 16 pin ribbon cable into pins 1-16 on a SM motherboard's FP header. In my experience, Super Micro leaves pins 17-18 missing on the front panel headers (shows as an "x" on he manual's diagram) to ensure there's room to plug in a 16 pin Chassis ribbon cable without bending any pins on the motherboard.

Pins 19-20 on your motherboard header are for Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI), and since there's no NMI function on that case's front panel, there's no corresponding header connection on the ribbon cable.

I suggest that you line up pin 1 on the cable (usually a red stripe for SM) with Pin 1 on the motherboard (heavier white outline/white box usually for SM) and it should work. Being an AMD board, I think you'll find that Pin 1 is closest to the rear of the chassis, and pins 19&20 are toward the front.

The ribbon cable will cover pins 1-16 with the housing extending over the hole where pins 17 & 18 would be. Pins 19-20 will be uncovered.

If you got your case used, and the ribbon cable is bent into place from years connected to a different motherboard it may "naturally fall into place" over your front panel header in the wrong orientation. I've had that before....pulling a SM motherboard with a Front Panel header oriented with pin 1 facing one end of the case (front or back) and replacing it with a motherboard where pin 1 is facing the other direction. If I didn't check, and re-bend the cable, it would have been backwards and nothing would have worked.

Edit: Sorry to everyone about the length. Stuck inside with nothing to do!

 

[Dorgin]

Glad that helped, the WD Red don't have that 3.3v issue at all, so if those aren't working then thats not the issue.
Your backplane is powered by molex connectors so theres no 3.3v even powering it, thats not likely the issue.
Speaking of Molex connectors are all of them plugged in on the back plane?

Good to know, I feel like I've read the manual a dozen times and I'm either still missing some things or it's not in there. I did double check the molex connectors and all seem to be completely seated.

However you have the BPN-SAS2-846EL1 backplane which has 8087 connectors on it, your HBA is 8643, which cable did you get to convert that?
Which port do you have your HBA plugged into on your backplane and which port on the HBA is plugged in? (it should only be J0 in the top right of the board) all others should not be connected and on the HBA it should be Port 0.

This is the cable I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013G4FL0A/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_10tHEb8B7844E

My PCIe slots are labeled 1-6, and I was plugged into #3 so I could more easily access the Front Control Panel header. Now it's plugged into J1, and the HBA has been plugged into it's Port 0. Still not seeing my drives in Unraid however.

Edit: Does your hba have a boot rom on it (such as press ctrl+r when it pops up to see if its recognizing the drives?)

Very curious to hear more about this. When would the boot rom pop up? during boot? in the Bios? Still haven't had a chance to go digging in the Bios to see if I can find if the drives are recognized there, but I'll hopefully get to that tonight (worked the last 4 nights in the hospital, and now I'm tired!)

Additional note, sata drives don't always light up in supermicro boxes intended for SAS drives.
I have a 3x5.25" to 5x 3.5" supermicro enclosure and it only lights up during drive activity (vs solid light + blinking for activity for SAS drives). The backplanes may work differently though.

Good to know, and to be honest, so long as they work in the OS I'm not concerned if they don't light up when passive. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Dorgin]

Maybe I’m mistaken, but are you sure that pins 3&4 are absent from the motherboard front panel connector, and its not really pins 17 & 18 that are absent? I have no experience with that exact chassis, but in the past I was always able to plug a Chassis 16 pin ribbon cable into pins 1-16 on a SM motherboard's FP header. In my experience, Super Micro leaves pins 17-18 missing on the front panel headers (shows as an "x" on he manual's diagram) to ensure there's room to plug in a 16 pin Chassis ribbon cable without bending any pins on the motherboard.

Wow, I'm feeling a bit foolish. Yes, you are correct and that fixed the issue., so thank you! In my defense I was reading the manual and assumed the orientation in the manual corresponded to the board itself. Fun fact, it inverted. Whoops...

 

[Spartacus]

This is the cable I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013G4FL0A/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_10tHEb8B7844E

Very curious to hear more about this. When would the boot rom pop up? during boot? in the Bios? Still haven't had a chance to go digging in the Bios to see if I can find if the drives are recognized there, but I'll hopefully get to that tonight (worked the last 4 nights in the hospital, and now I'm tired!)

Cable should be fine, have you tried reseating the HBA and/or the cable from the HBA to the backplane?
Do you get a light or any activity on the HBA (theres usually a green led light on it)?

It would be between the POST and OS startup usually crtl+r, ctrl+c, or ctrl+h to enter into the menu (some of them don't have the boot rom installed depending on where you got it from ~ reduces the boot time by a few seconds but makes it difficult to trouble shoot if drives aren't showing up).

The menu would look something like this with drives in it:

 

[Markess]

I was reading the manual and assumed the orientation in the manual corresponded to the board itself.

I love Supermicro products, I really do. Not locked down like Dell, HP, etc. which is great for a cheapskate DIY hobbyist like me. (Usually) more readily available used at a decent price than brands like Asus or ASrock Rack, which is great for a cheapskate DIY hobbyist like me. But, they definitely DO NOT have the small volume, home, or new user in mind with their documentation.

I think they assume a certain baseline level of expertise with enterprise hardware. And when they do document something, it sometimes seems like an afterthought. I've been seeing the exact same, sometimes cryptic, diagrams & descriptions for jumpers and connectors in their manuals for well over a decade. Sometimes they match the product in your hands...sometimes not.

And sometimes, they don't mention things at all. For example, the manual for your chassis doesn't mention the front panel connector at all, except that you should plug it in. I guess they assume everyone would know already how it all works!

 

[Dorgin]

Cable should be fine, have you tried reseating the HBA and/or the cable from the HBA to the backplane?

I have checked and double checked the connections. Now when I boot I get a red LED on each drive carrier during boot so I know something is being communicated.

Do you get a light or any activity on the HBA (theres usually a green led light on it)?

There is a green Heartbeat LED on the board that seems to be pulsing appropriately.

It would be between the POST and OS startup usually crtl+r, ctrl+c, or ctrl+h to enter into the menu (some of them don't have the boot rom installed depending on where you got it from ~ reduces the boot time by a few seconds but makes it difficult to trouble shoot if drives aren't showing up).

The menu would look something like this with drives in it:

I do have a boot rom but I still can't see my drives. In your first image where you have drives 4-7, I have nothing listed, and in your second image, my utility looks exactly like the image with no drives listed.

 

[Dorgin]

I guess they assume everyone would know already how it all works!

It's funny bacause it's true. Ce la vie and thanks again.

 

[Spartacus]

The card should be working since you can get to the menu.
The backplane sounds like its powered if you have lights, however you said they were red?
First thought, this goes back to which ports is the cable plugged into on the HBA and backplane?

 

[Dorgin]

So this goes back to which ports is the cable plugged into on the HBA and backplane?

HBA in J1 on the MB and J0 for the cable, Backplane plugged into it's only available port. Apparently I just needed to triple check the connections because I tore it all apart one more time, plugged it all back in and this time, for whatever reason (and I have no doubt it was 100% user error), I HAVE DRIVES! Although they still don't register the blue LED on the drive sleds, but that is only a point of interest and not a problem. Thank you again for all the help and patience, I am truly grateful. Now to dive into the software side of things, wish me luck, I'll probably need it...

 

[Spartacus]

Sweet! hit us back up if you have any other issues

 

[Terry Kennedy]

I love Supermicro products, I really do. Not locked down like Dell, HP, etc. which is great for a cheapskate DIY hobbyist like me. (Usually) more readily available used at a decent price than brands like Asus or ASrock Rack, which is great for a cheapskate DIY hobbyist like me. But, they definitely DO NOT have the small volume, home, or new user in mind with their documentation.

If you contact tech support with a clearly-worded question about a current production product they should be able to provide some info. It may take a few tries - sometimes the questions seem to "fall on the floor" and not get answered, sometimes you get an answer that doesn't resolve your question. This is for information (like getting the manual for the DVD installation kit), not parts. With parts, you're pretty much SOL. You might be able to get a part number from them, but unless it is something they already sell in the Supermicro Store or you can find online, the parts are unobtainium. They expect customers to either return the product whole to the authorized reseller for a replacement, or to just cannibalize the rest of the parts from the chassis for other systems (since most of their products are purchased in bulk).

Whatever you do, don't tell them you bought something used or via a non-authorized reseller. All you'll get after that is a deafening silence. There's a whole long saga here somewhere about someone who needed to get the bizarre metric-on-one-side-and-SAE-on-the-other standoffs needed to mount some CPU coolers. They come in the chassis bag of parts, but most people toss 'em unless they use them. Supermicro is either incapable or unwilling to sell the whole bag of parts at any price, even to authorized distributors.