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Gen8 MicroServer - best disk mode for Drivepool & Scanner


benmmellor

Question

I've bought a new Gen8 microserver and looking to migrate my build from the current N54L into it.

 

The N54L current has it's own boot disk (250GB) and the pool is made up of 2x 3TB and 2x 2TB individual drives. Drivepool sorts out all the file placement and Scanner has alerted me to disk issues late last year - hence the upgrade to 2x 3TB (replaced 2x 2TB).

 

The Gen8 is a bit of a sod in that it's funny about booting from a disk connected to the ODD port. I think I have 3 options:

 

1) Set the bios to 'legacy mode' and and have 5 disks addressable - I have to flag the ODD controller as a boot device.

2) Use AHCI and have to install on a drive in a LFF bay.... not ideal

3) Use the onboard b120i controller in RAID mode and set each disk as a RAID0 logical volume - so end up with 5x logical drives but no chance of Scanner working (and thus reliant on the iLO emailing me with disk issues....

 

Any comments or advice would be appreciated,

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For StableBit DrivePool, it doesn't matter which mode you use. As long as the disks are accessible, it's fine.

 

However, for StableBit Scanner, the "Legacy" (IDE) mode doesn't work to get SMART data. In this case you need to use the AHCI mode, ideally.

 

Otherwise ... you maybe able to connect the disks to the RAID controller and NOT create an array. This should in theory pass the disks on to the OS and allow you to use the disks directly AND get SMART data from them.

Though, I'm not entirely sure about the controller, as I don't own the hardware.

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Thanks for the response - I asked the same question on HomeServerShow as there's no direct answer.

 

Looking at the manuals for the onboard B120i controller, if you have it set up in 'raid' mode irrespective of using RAID0 or RAID1, it hides the physical device data from the OS and presents an HP Smart Array Logical device.

 

I'm not too comfortable in using the 'legacy' mode so it looks like I'll have to go down the AHCI method and get hold of a 16GB MicroSD card and use that as a boot loader (or a USB key or USB>SATA converter in the USB port) and set USB as the top of the boot order.

 

Such as shame that they won't issue a revised BIOS which allows you to specify the ODD port on the controller as priority over the disk ports...

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Ah, okay, I wasn't sure about the HP controller. 

 

And I'm sorry to hear that it does seem to be a major issue getting everything to work properly. 

As for the BIOS, HSS does have a nice section about modded BIOS' for the MicroServers. Is there not a modded bios for your system?

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