Simple PC as server storage for ThinkServer RD350

[Mycobacterium]

Hi, I have unused PC with Core i5 and 8GB DDR4.

I bought a server case and pack my unused stuff with some additional hdd.

No i have additional working PC with some new disks that give me about 50TB of free space.
I do not need RAID for my lab, so RAID is off, disks act as storage for completely irrelevant data.

 

The Lenovo ThinkServer RD350 server works next to this storage PC

Is it possible to connect this storage PC to RD350 Lenovo server in some way so that the server has additional storage and the transfer speed was as little as SATA?

 

Any additional hardware extension for storage PC ?

 

[bebejapes]

2 minutes ago, Performace said:

Hi, I have unused PC with Core i5 and 8GB DDR4.

I bought a server case and pack my unused stuff with some additional hdd.

No i have additional working PC with some new disks that give me about 50TB of free space.
I do not need RAID for my lab, so RAID is off, disks act as storage for completely irrelevant data.

 

The Lenovo ThinkServer RD350 server works next to this storage PC

Is it possible to connect this storage PC to RD350 Lenovo server in some way so that the server has additional storage and the transfer speed was as little as SATA?

 

yes and no

 

yes you could with a third party usb to usb with a propriotry software. you could just map the drive to that pc from the server.

 

No its not in the list of hdd from the servers bios or main configuration.

 

 

[Mycobacterium]

And SAS controller for PC is not an option ?

[Jarsky]

You could use ethernet and set it up as an iSCSi target and connect via an iSCS initiator - then it appears as a local disk in your Operating System.

 

You will still be limited to 1Gbps transfer speed unless you use 10gbE network cards....keep in mind you can only access the data through an iSCSi initiator setup though so can be a bit of a convoluted setup. 

 

[bebejapes]

Just now, Performace said:

And SAS controller for PC is not an option ?

i dont know if your motherboard will interface properly with the sas controller.

[Mycobacterium]

1 minute ago, bebejapes said:

i dont know if your motherboard will interface properly with the sas controller.

I have H110M PRO-VD Motherboard on this PC setup

[Jarsky]

8 minutes ago, Performace said:

And SAS controller for PC is not an option ?

 

You want to turn it into a JBOD disk shelf? 

Then you'll need a SAS controller (e.g an HBA with external connectors) in your PC, and then connect it to a SAS expander in the server. In that case you don't really need powerful cpu/mobo/ram in there, you just need some way to power the SAS expander. If you use a RES2SV240 they can be powered off a molex computer, then you dont even need the cpu/mobo/ram if you use something like this to initialize the power: https://www.servethehome.com/supermicro-cse-ptjbod-cb1-jbod-power-board-diy-jbod-chassis-made-easy/

[bebejapes]

@Jarsky

using that method sometimes is feaseable of if @Performace has the dispossable budget.

[Mycobacterium]

Super ! I found somethng like this

 

 IBM LSI SAS SATA2 PCI-E 25R8071 HBA

 

I assume it will look like this?

 

 

 

 

 

[bebejapes]

Just now, Performace said:

Super ! I found somethng like this

 

 IBM LSI SAS SATA2 PCI-E 25R8071 HBA

 

I assume it will look like this?

 

 

 

 

 

do you have the pci slot 

[Mycobacterium]

I have one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot

And two PCI-E x1 slots

[Jarsky]

Yes, and then you have something like this in the server:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-RES2SV240-24-Port-RAID-Expander-Card-SAS-SATA-PCI-Express-x4/192620415574

 

And you can have one of these in the server as well:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAS-36Pin-SFF-8087-PCBA-to-Dual-Ports-Mini-SAS-SFF-8088-Female-Adapter-With-PCI/123374765704

 

then you run an SFF8088 cable from PC to the adapter, and a SFF8087 cable from the adapter to the SAS expander. 

[bebejapes]

1 minute ago, Performace said:

I have one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot

And two PCI-E x1 slots

its a pci-e x4 slot

[Mycobacterium]

4 minutes ago, Jarsky said:

Yes, and then you have something like this in the server:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-RES2SV240-24-Port-RAID-Expander-Card-SAS-SATA-PCI-Express-x4/192620415574

 

And you can have one of these in the server as well:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAS-36Pin-SFF-8087-PCBA-to-Dual-Ports-Mini-SAS-SFF-8088-Female-Adapter-With-PCI/123374765704

 

then you run an SFF8088 cable from PC to the adapter, and a SFF8087 cable from the adapter to the SAS expander. 

Thank You

 

3 minutes ago, bebejapes said:

its a pci-e x8 slot

Will this be a problem?

[bebejapes]

Just now, Performace said:

Thank You

 

Will this be a problem?

yes because its not on your board. so it wont fit and interface with the card. @Jarsky do you think this will work with his x16 slot if he doesnt use a gpu.

[Jarsky]

An x8 card will work just fine in an x16 slot. 

You could use a x1 to x8 riser cable to plug it into an x1 slot, but it will be limited to about 2Gbps (250MB/s) reading/writing to the CPU or other disks outside of the array. 

[bebejapes]

Just now, Jarsky said:

An x8 card will work just fine in an x16 slot. 

You could use a x1 to x8 riser cable to plug it into an x1 slot, but it will be limited to about 2Gbps (250MB/s) reading/writing to the CPU or other disks outside of the array. 

i forgot about the riser cable. hahhaha i hope his case is standard ATX and not m atx

[Mycobacterium]

So I have everything  Thanks.
Assuming that I already have all the cables, hardware and I want to connect it now, let's talk about software.

 

What software do you recommend for installation for such Storage PC ?

Lenovo ThinkServer RD350 runs on Centos7

[bebejapes]

im not familiar with linux servers but it should automatically pick it up upon boot up.

[Jarsky]

You don't install anything on the server if you're doing the Disk Shelf setup i described.....you need to understand the concept first....

 

Your PC is the "brain" with the HBA card......the disk shelf is merely powering the drives and acting as a hub with the sas expander card.

 

Software would just be using the Raid Manager software that comes with your HBA card, and configure the file system locally under Disk Management on your PC.

[bebejapes]

1 minute ago, Jarsky said:

You don't install anything on the server if you're doing the Disk Shelf setup i described.....you need to understand the concept first....

 

Your PC is the "brain" with the HBA card......the disk shelf is merely powering the drives and acting as a hub with the sas expander card.

 

Software would just be using the Raid Manager software that comes with your HBA card, and configure the file system locally under Disk Management on your PC.

hahahaha that works but hes using linux os

[Mycobacterium]

Some i ca run with Centos on my PC Storage, install Raid Manager software that comes with  HBA card, and that's all ?

[bebejapes]

2 minutes ago, Performace said:

Some i ca run with Centos on my PC Storage, install Raid Manager software that comes with  HBA card, and that's all ?

nothing to be configured on the server just on the pc.

[Jarsky]

1 minute ago, bebejapes said:

hahahaha that works but hes using linux os

He said CentOS is installed on the server. I'm assuming hes using Windows on his PC...

It doesn't matter if theres an OS installed on the server or not, it just needs to power the card and the drives on. 

 

 

This explains more in-depth the configuration im talking about: 

https://www.servethehome.com/sas-expanders-diy-cheap-low-cost-jbod-enclosures-raid/

 

[Mycobacterium]

I have some doubts about the controller assembly in the server, I mean the length of the card.

 

 

That's how it looks in the server