OI + Napp-it doesn't see SSD drive

[nemeas]

Hi,

Need some help with a strange problem . I have built an All-In-One based on the following components:
Motherboard: Supermicro X9SRL-F
Processor: Xeon E5-2620
RAM: 64GB DDR3 ECC
SAS: 3x IBM M1015 flashed in IT mode

Everything is working very well. It's running ESXi 5.1 and the latest OI with Napp-It controlling the SAS adapters via pass-through. I had added a first 256 MB Plextor M3 as cache drive which works fine.

However one weird thing I cannot get solved. A second Plextor M3 SSD which I wanted to test as L2ARC is not recognized. When I connect it to the Intel SATA interfaces it's recognized by VMWare and I can format it and use it as a datastore. But when I connect it to the SAS adapters, OI doesn't see it. Hardware reboot, VM reboot, nothing helps. I have checked all connections and even swapped it to different sata cables but no go. This is pretty baffling as the first one shows up perfectly.

Any idea how I can solve this from the command-line or troubleshoot what's wrong ?

Thanks!

 

[nemeas]

I have found a few utilities to help me too.

The first is LSI Util found here: http://www.juhonkoti.net/media/LSIUTIL-1.63.zip

Its output:

root@openindiana:/usr/bin# lsiutil

LSI Logic MPT Configuration Utility, Version 1.63, June 4, 2009

4 MPT Ports found

Port Name Chip Vendor/Type/Rev MPT Rev Firmware Rev IOC
1. mpt0 LSI Logic 53C1030 B0 102 01032920 0
2. mpt_sas0 LSI Logic SAS2008 03 200 0e000000 0
3. mpt_sas1 LSI Logic SAS2008 03 200 0e000000 0
4. mpt_sas2 LSI Logic SAS2008 03 200 0e000000 0

Select a device: [1-4 or 0 to quit] 2

1. Identify firmware, BIOS, and/or FCode
2. Download firmware (update the FLASH)
4. Download/erase BIOS and/or FCode (update the FLASH)
8. Scan for devices
10. Change IOC settings (interrupt coalescing)
13. Change SAS IO Unit settings
16. Display attached devices
20. Diagnostics
21. RAID actions
23. Reset target
42. Display operating system names for devices
43. Diagnostic Buffer actions
45. Concatenate SAS firmware and NVDATA files
59. Dump PCI config space
60. Show non-default settings
61. Restore default settings
66. Show SAS discovery errors
69. Show board manufacturing information
97. Reset SAS link, HARD RESET
98. Reset SAS link
99. Reset port
e Enable expert mode in menus
p Enable paged mode
w Enable logging

Main menu, select an option: [1-99 or e/p/w or 0 to quit] 8

SAS2008's links are 6.0 G, down, down, 6.0 G, 6.0 G, 6.0 G, down, down

B___T___L Type Vendor Product Rev SASAddress PhyNum
0 9 0 Disk ATA PLEXTOR PX-256M3 1.05 4433221100000000 0
0 10 0 Disk ATA WDC WD30EFRX-68A 0A80 4433221104000000 4
0 11 0 Disk ATA PLEXTOR PX-256M3 1.00 4433221105000000 5
0 12 0 Disk ATA SAMSUNG SSD 830 3B1Q 4433221103000000 3


So you can see the disk is present... Yet Napp-It doesn't show it. Format utility doesn't show it. Iostat -E doesn't show it either. But it's right there! Help .

 

[gea]

I would look at the WWN id of the first SSD, remove it and insert the second SSD.
If the WWN is identical, then you cannot use them together on your SAS2 controller.

I have had the same problem with another Sata SSD.
Not all manufacturers are aware, that disks need unique WWN's like Nics that needs unique Mac adresses.
(Disk WWN are used with LSI SAS2)

 

[nemeas]

Yup that's it. Plextor doesn't use WWN, they're the same and looking at smartctl output on the web gives drives that all have the same WWN. I sent Plextor support a mail about it but doubt it will hardly solve anything.

So to all looking into SSD on LSI SAS2 adapters, stay away from Plextor!

Thanks for your help!