2

Can I connect an SDD instead of CD-ROM ?

I found Miscellaneous cable kit 671353-001, include Includes the front video adapter cable, embedded SATA cable, Capacitor Pack with 36-inch cable (provides back up power to the FBWC memory module), and mini-SAS cable with straight connector to left connector (33-inches long)

http://partsurfer.hpe.com/ShowPhoto.aspx?partnumber=671353-001

In manual for HP360G8 using Chipset SATA cable option, but "With the chipset SATA cable option, the chipset SATA controller can be used with a single SATA hard drive", and "Only drive bay 1 is enabled. The remaining drive bays are disabled.".

Can I use DVD-ROM cable (484355-007) for one SSD/HDD drive, and use remaining drive bays (through RAID) at the same time?

Dave M
  • 4,514
  • 22
  • 31
  • 30
DCinkaz
  • 29
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
  • 1
    What is your end goal? You should not connect an SSD to the CDROM port. Is there any reason you can't use a drive slot or PCIe SSD? – ewwhite Aug 06 '16 at 11:46

5 Answers5

9

The short answer is that you can't really do what you're thinking.

enter image description here

Instead of the normal RAID controller -> backplane connections, the kit you've described does this:

enter image description here

HP supports a "chipset SATA" mode while would allow the use of ONE drive bay out of the eight drive bays on the backplane. This option comes with many caveats and is not a normal use of this type of server.

When using the chipset SATA configuration, the following conditions apply:

  • Only drive bay 1 is enabled. The remaining drive bays are disabled.
  • The optical bay is disabled because the chipset SATA controller port on the system board is redirected from the optical bay to the drive cage.
  • Hard drive status LEDs are not supported.
  • Hard drive thermal status monitoring is not supported.
  • Hot-plug is not supported.
  • Because only one drive bay is enabled, all remaining drives should be removed.

The data cable provided for the chipset SATA option plugs into a 4-lane SAS SFF-8087 port that represents the connections for drive bays 1-4. Using this option renders drive bays 2-4 unusable. There's a slight chance that connecting the second SFF-8087 port on the backplane to the Smart Array P420i RAID controller would allow you to use RAID for drives 5-8, but that's the best-case scenario.

You shouldn't need to do this. It's definitely not a normal use case with HP servers. If I'm misinterpreting your intent, please come back with more details of what you're trying to do. What's the end goal?

Is there a specific application or restriction that requires the use of the CD-ROM port for an SSD?

  • The HP Gen8 platform has drive slots available.
  • PCIe SSDs are available if you do not have enough drive slots.
  • If you're using an OS or solution that requires RAW disk access (versus RAID), the Smart Array controller in this server model can be converted to use "HBA mode".
  • There are internal SDHC and USB 3.0 ports on the motherboard if you need a lightweight method to hold an OS installation.

Can you clarify your requirements?

ewwhite
  • 197,159
  • 92
  • 443
  • 809
1

I was able to successfully replace the CDROM with a SATA drive on a DL380P G8 server with a quick modification to the existing cable that feeds data/power to the CDROM drive. The same procedure should work with any DL360/380 G6, G7, and G8.

Items needed:
(1) Molex to SATA power cable or
(purchase) CableCreation SATA 22Pin Female to Slim SATA 13Pin Male Adapter

Procedure:

  1. Cut off molex end
  2. Cut down yellow/black wires
  3. Shave/cut off slim SATA power end of the HPE cable that goes to the motherboard.
  4. Connect the red/black wires from the modified molex>sata cable into the original HPE cable.

Notes:

  • I was able to get full SATA3 6.0Gbps speed despite reading from other users that this port only operates at SATA1 1.5Gbps. This makes sense, as the C600/C602 chipset natively supports SATA3.
  • If intending to boot from this drive, make sure you make the SATA controller as primary. You can also enable ACHI mode in the system BIOS.

This setup is especially useful if you want to max out your SAS drive bays but don't want the OS on the array. In my case, I have the LFF model and maxed out the storage with 8x WD Purple 8TB droves in a Raid10 array for a DVR. Since the Gen8 doesn't have a UEFI bios, it was impossible to install an OS on the 32TB array due to the GPT requirement. Gen9's were the first to have the UEFI bios.

860 EVO Installed
Closeup of modified molex > sata power connector
CrystalDiskMark showing SATA3 6.0Gbps speeds

alexander.polomodov
  • 1,068
  • 3
  • 10
  • 14
Eddie
  • 11
  • 1
  • 1
    DO NOT TRY THIS! Aftermath: burnt power controller smells bad, also USB ports are off now. Dunno if repair is possible, we'll try that on weekend sometime. – real_sm May 23 '19 at 14:46
0

The safest and simplest way to use a SATA SSD as a boot device is to get a PCIe x1 or x4 2port SATA controller and install it then set the bios boot order to this device.. You can buy a drive cage power cable with the proper Molex connector and plug it into the #2 board power connector or create one from an ATX power connector by cutting away the appropriate parts of the plug then pulling the wires and creating the proper color code.. I verified the voltages with a VOM twice so as not to fry anything.. The PCIe 2.0 buss on the motherboard limits speed a little but a SSD will make the whole operating system much more snappy.. If you get a controller card that has SATA and USB 3 you can up the USB speed as well.. We do backups using both eSATA and USB 3.0 external drives that can be stored in a different location daily.. We run 3 DL380 g7 servers 2 with x8 drives and 1 with x16 drives.. The x16 machine has the p410i for 8 and an unlocked SAS controller that is connected to 8x 4tb consume grade red SSD,s drives operating as a server/NAS..

Sparkey
  • 1
  • 1
0

Short answer: It should work, but you'll only know for sure after you tried.

Long answer: There's no technical reason why a SATA port would work only with an optical drive but not with a hard disk or SSD. Vendors have however been known for implementing strange limitations in firmware or BIOS for non-technical reasons. These are often ill-documented.

Your quote from the manual does not contradict this. It only refers to the chipset SATA controller. It does not affect other disk drives attached to a separate RAID controller.

Tilman Schmidt
  • 4,101
  • 12
  • 27
  • 1
    You're missing the fact that doing this should be completely unnecessary. The OP should clarify the reasons as to _why_ they need this. – ewwhite Aug 06 '16 at 12:29
  • Nope, didn't miss that. Just don't agree that questions need to be justified before they may be answered. In fact, the OP's motivation for doing this would add nothing to the actual technical content of the question. – Tilman Schmidt Aug 06 '16 at 12:42
  • 2
    It's an X-Y problem. – ewwhite Aug 06 '16 at 12:43
  • Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. We don't know. There may be a legitimate reason for the OP to do what he intends to do. Just answering the question exactly as it was asked is the most useful approach here IMHO. – Tilman Schmidt Aug 06 '16 at 12:59
  • 6
    The problem is that pretending the question is context-free and entirely technical will certainly result in a technical answer, but it is unlikely to give the person an actual solution to his real problem (whatever it is). That is why we ask for justification. – Michael Hampton Aug 06 '16 at 18:50
-2

The optical SATA ports on this series of HP servers only run at SATA 1.5 speeds, as do the 410/420i SAS adapters when forced into SATA mode. This makes it hard to see any benefit of utilizing that interface, save for the sole reason of having access to the disk. Also someone mentioned USB 3.0 ports on the motherboard? HP servers of Gen 8 variety and lower do not possess such ports. I am dealing with this issue right now with a DL380p G8. I wish to retain the SFF bays in SAS mode but need to add a single 10TB SATA III drive; with no ports or available power,this seems impossible... however, I'm adding a secondary pci SAS/SATA controller (the SATA only models are very cheap and have small cache reserves, a good SAS card will still support true SATA III speeds AND offer decent cache amounts) to get around the port limitation; for power, I purchased a spare SFF secondary cage power cable (HP 660709-001) cut the end off it and teased out which lines were 3.3v, 5v and 12v and installed a SATA power port (also added a single atx power connector as well... you never know). I'm now in the process of modifying the optical drive bay to house the HD directly under the optical drive. Wish me luck!

Avery Koff
  • 1