SAS/SATA Backplane maybe not working

[camster1314]

Hi Guys,

I have a little Problem:

I got an Old Server case without a motherboard, HDD,...

Now it looks like on the pictures with an old motherboard an old power supply with 500W and the CHENBRO 80H10321711A0 Backplane for SAS/SATA Drives, but my Problem is, that it doesn't detects anything... I tested like 5 different HDDs from different manufacturers but nothing worked. If I put a HDD in a little blue LED is getting on but thats the only working thing.

Pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/354vqxt79w02nja/IMG_0046.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9sxn9oau7z03rlh/IMG_0043.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yuurksycywam53p/IMG_0041.JPG?dl=0

Oh Yeah, I tested 3 different motherboards and they still don't work

Hope you can help me

 

Sorry for my English, I'm German.  

 

 

[sybreeder]

Hm..It looks like that backplane use sff 8087 cable and in this case it might work only when you plug it to the SAS HBA or SAS Raid. But this is just my theory. 

Cheapest way would be IBM M1015 crossflashed to IT mode. 

[camster1314]

2 minutes ago, sybreeder said:

Hm..It looks like that backplane use sff 8087 cable and in this case it might work only when you plug it to the SAS HBA or SAS Raid. But this is just my theory. 

Cheapest way would be IBM M1015 crossflashed to IT mode. 

Ouch but it's not realy cheap... I might test it if I get a IBM M1015 from anywhere

thank you for helping but maybe there is a cheaper way.

[Smite]

you cant go sataX4 to 8087. You need a controller or something to go from XX to 8087. Not reverse unless it is a reverse cable. If it is then you should be ok there. The LED  according to the manual means drive has power. Did you try any SAS drives or only SATA?

This Manual only says SAS. 

[camster1314]

1 hour ago, Smite said:

you cant go sataX4 to 8087. You need a controller or something to go from XX to 8087. Not reverse unless it is a reverse cable. If it is then you should be ok there. The LED  according to the manual means drive has power. Did you try any SAS drives or only SATA?

This Manual only says SAS. 

I only used Sata drives and someone told me too I need a controller but I dont find I cheap one.

Oh and sometimes I plugged in a Sata drive an LED was green but it didn't worked and after a restart the green LED was off

[scottyseng]

Just now, camster1314 said:

I only used Sata drives and someone told me too I need a controller but I dont find I cheap one.

 

 

You might look for a used SAS HBA card (RAID cards will cost more). I picked up a used Dell HBA for $50 to test my SAS drives.

[Smite]

Start with the cheapest and work your way out. 

Check cable part number and make sure they are reversable. Check Backplane also works for SATA. Controller/HBA are the last bit as they are the most expensive, and many will tell you just get it second, hand raid cards can get crazy expensive but hba cards on the cheap as it is less logical.

[camster1314]

what about this one:

EBAY

(sorry I really don't know anything about SAS and RAID,...)

[scottyseng]

5 minutes ago, camster1314 said:

what about this one:

EBAY

(sorry I really don't know anything about SAS and RAID,...)

 

Well, do you want to combine the drives in the server together? Or just have the drives show up separate (as if you had them plugged in your motherboard directly with SATA)?

 

RAID cards tend to be more expensive, the one you linked is too low quality for me to recommend. It doesn't have a battery back up on the card so if the power goes out, you risk data corruption / loss.

 

You might look for SAS HBA cards if you just need to have the drives connected (No RAID).

 

What OS are you planning on run on this server?

[camster1314]

I want them separate and I dindn't made Plans for the OS

[scottyseng]

5 minutes ago, camster1314 said:

I want them separate and I dindn't made Plans for the OS

Yeah, look for a SAS HBA card on ebay.

[F4S4K4N]

On 2/2/2016 at 4:02 PM, sybreeder said:

Hm..It looks like that backplane use sff 8087 cable and in this case it might work only when you plug it to the SAS HBA or SAS Raid. But this is just my theory. 

Cheapest way would be IBM M1015 crossflashed to IT mode. 

Yep, exactly. If it supports SAS drives you need a SAS controller, even if you want to use SATA drives.

 

Dell SAS 6IR's are really cheap on ebay, but i'm not sure if it can be cabled correctly. The RAID equivalint of that card is called a Dell PERC6. Make sure you get the model with a normal PCI bracket if you're going to try it.

[brwainer]

You can connect this SAS backplane to the SATA ports on your motherboard, but the problem you are most likely facing is that SFF8087 -> SATA cables are one way only. You probably have a cable that's meant to have the SFF8087 end at the controller, and the SATA ports at the drives. to go the other way around, you need a reverse cable like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Norco-C-SFF8087-4S-Discrete-SFF-8087-Breakout/dp/B002MK7F0Y

I have this exact cable and can verify taht it works connecting an SFF8087 backplane to the SATA ports on my motherboard.

[scottyseng]

3 hours ago, brwainer said:

-snip-

Interesting. Never knew a cable like this existed. The more I learn, I guess. How many drives are you limited to though? Just four?

 

I guess that cable wouldn't work for a LSI SAS expander based backplane like the ones in SuperMicro chassis though...

[brwainer]

26 minutes ago, scottyseng said:

Interesting. Never knew a cable like this existed. The more I learn, I guess. How many drives are you limited to though? Just four?

 

I guess that cable wouldn't work for a LSI SAS expander based backplane like the ones in SuperMicro chassis though...

It only works for straight backplanes, where every lane of the SFF connector goes directly to a drive. Anything with an expander I'm pretty sure wouldn't work.

[camster1314]

On 4. Februar 2016 at 8:12 AM, brwainer said:

You can connect this SAS backplane to the SATA ports on your motherboard, but the problem you are most likely facing is that SFF8087 -> SATA cables are one way only. You probably have a cable that's meant to have the SFF8087 end at the controller, and the SATA ports at the drives. to go the other way around, you need a reverse cable like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Norco-C-SFF8087-4S-Discrete-SFF-8087-Breakout/dp/B002MK7F0Y

I have this exact cable and can verify taht it works connecting an SFF8087 backplane to the SATA ports on my motherboard.

Hi, sorry that I didn't answer this Long Time.

Now I searched a Little bit, but I live in Germany and I dont want to buy Stuff from America, Can you please search for a German Site like on www.amazon.de where I Can get one of the cables. Because I dont know which one I would take

 

Thanks

[brwainer]

11 hours ago, camster1314 said:

Hi, sorry that I didn't answer this Long Time.

Now I searched a Little bit, but I live in Germany and I dont want to buy Stuff from America, Can you please search for a German Site like on www.amazon.de where I Can get one of the cables. Because I dont know which one I would take

 

Thanks

Sorry I am only familiar with American websites. Just search for the NORCO C-SFF8087-4S or for an "SFF-8087 Reverse Breakout Cable" - the important thing is that you need a reverse cable.

[camster1314]

On 7. März 2016 at 9:20 PM, brwainer said:

Sorry I am only familiar with American websites. Just search for the NORCO C-SFF8087-4S or for an "SFF-8087 Reverse Breakout Cable" - the important thing is that you need a reverse cable.

What about this one:

http://www.amazon.de/StarTech-com-SAS8087S4R50-SFF-8087-SATA-Kabel/dp/B008KF73CA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457671721&sr=8-2&keywords=Sas+auf+sata+Reverse

?

[brwainer]

Yes that one will work.