Storage expansion on Supermicro SuperServer Dual X8DTT-HF+ 2U Chassis

[BCo]

I recently bought a Supermicro SuperServer Dual X8DTT-HF+ 2U Chassis for homelab purposes (virtualization, NAS, domotica, media server etc).

Per node the case has six 3.5inch trays I would like to use for NAS drives. The X8DTT-HF+ comes with a PCIE x8 ricer card, I'd like to use for the boot disk, either NVME or M.2.

Who has experience with a controller card PCIE2.0 x8 to host M.2 or NVME boot disk(s)?

#newbiehere #daretoask

 

[BlueFox]

Just to clarify, NMVe is a protocol and M.2 is a physical interface. Not all M.2 devices are NVMe and not all NVMe devices are M.2.

With that said, it's quite unlikely that you'll be booting off an NVMe device on an X8 generation motherboard. Generally you need something newer with UEFI.

If you're using ESXi or the likes, you could just boot off a USB flash drive. Otherwise you'd be looking at a PCIe SATA HBA with spots for M.2 drives.

 

[BCo]

Thanks - so much for my disclaimer (#newbie). I'm looking at ProxMox to use, USB would not be the best booting device, as I understand.

Option to go for a PCIe SATA HBA with spots for one or two M.2 drives doesn't sound to bad, as long as M.2 will boot on the motherboard.

@BlueFox - would you happen to know any particular PCIe SATA HBA's I might investigate further?

 

[BlueFox]

The following should do what you want: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017IM54GM

There might better/cheaper cards out there if you do some research.