question about Supermicro 846A backplane SAS cable lengths...

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BLinux

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Jul 7, 2016
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I'm putting together a 846 chassis with a 846A backplane. Have the backplane, but the chassis was just ordered and not here yet. I need to find myself SFF-8087<-->SFF-8087 SAS cables (6 of them) for my setup. I will have two connections onboard the motherboard (X8DTH-6F) and 4 connections to a LSI 9201-16i card. I don't know what length is best suited for this? I don't want too much extra cabling and want to keep the chassis as neat and tidy as possible. Can anyone suggest optimal cable lengths for this application?
 

nk215

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Oct 6, 2015
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depend on where the controllers are. In my 846 chassis, I use 2 12" cable and 2 24" cable to connect my 846A backplane to the controller at the last PCI slot. There are quite a bit slack on the 24" cable. 18" maybe more appropriate. I use Supermicro cables so they are larger and harder to bend that others. The typical cable with a nylon mesh would work out even better.

I route my 24" cables to the top edge of the backplane then run to the left (facing the chassis) and go thru the fan wall by the cut out on the left, not the two bottom cutouts.
 

BLinux

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i'll have 2 8087 ports on the motherboard, X8DTH-6F. And 4 more 8087 ports on a LSI 9201-16i card in one of the PCI-E slots (anyone).

@nk215 you only have 4 cables? which ports are you using on the backplane?
 

nk215

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I have 5 cables but only 4 connected to my 9201-16i. The 5th one is reserved for future use, it's connected to the backplane and routed but not connected to any controller. I left the 6th port free for reverse break out cable for ESXi local data store which I have no need for at the moment.

My motherboard (X9SRL-F) doesn't have 8087 port.