*PCI* SAS controller?

[Mercutio]

One of my students is looking for a SAS controller with an external mini-SAS connection and either PCI or PCIe 1x interface.

The system they're dealing with already has something in the PCIe 1x slot, but I'm not aware of any standard PCI SAS HBAs in the first place.

Has anyone heard of such a thing?

I believe they're going to run a tape drive off it.

 

[ddrueding]

The only ones I know of are PCI-E 4x/8x or PCI-X. Depending on the motherboard, the PCI-E 1x slot might be open-ended, allowing a 4x/8x card to run in it?

 

[Mercutio]

There are 1xPCIe SAS cards. They're all internal only 2-port deals as far as I know.

I'm surprised SOMEBODY doesn't make a functional PCI card, though.

Apparently, the not-for-profit she works for is using an Optiplex GX520 with Windows Server 2003 on it.

 

[Chewy509]

The only SAS controllers I know of are:
1. PCI-X controllers that won't fit in a 32bti PCI slot
2. PCIe x1 - but only internal connectors. (eg, Highpoint 2640x1)
3. PCIe x4, x8 and x16.

It'll be easier to give them a new box, or use (and I shudder when I suggest this), an external DAT72 USB tape drive.
The other option, is to look at an external U320 SCSI tape drive?

 

[sechs]

Doesn't somebody make internal to external brackets?

 

[Mercutio]

It'll be easier to give them a new box, or use (and I shudder when I suggest this), an external DAT72 USB tape drive.

One of the things that happens when you start working with nonprofits is you get to see some REALLY misbegotten configurations.

So their "server" is a Desktop that has, I think, two 3.5" internal drive bays, a 2.4GHz P4 and a 945 chipset... but it has Windows Server 2003 R2 with 250 CALs associated with it.

They would have been better off with one of those crappy $350 Celeron Pedestal servers Dell makes. Who knows where they got what they have.

Anyway, they got a grant that covered the cost of a backup system... and they already paid for it. Maybe $10k worth of hardware and software, plus tapes...

And right now, they can't do anything with it, because their "server" has less I/O options than a decent Thinkpad.

 

[ddrueding]

Doesn't somebody make internal to external brackets?

Something kinda like this?

 

[Fushigi]

This PCI-X card from LSI says it is backwards compatible with PCI. Check the Product Brief (PDF). Both internal & external ports.

 

[Mercutio]

Thank you, Mark. I believe she got an Adaptec card but if swapping to LSI can get her running I'm sure she will be thrilled to hear that.

 

[Mercutio]

... and it turns out that the LSI cards are compatible with PCI, but only 3.3V PCI, which is not something you're going to find in a Dell Optiplex.

I'm giving serious consideration to just shipping my student a decent motherboard. I really am.

 

[ddrueding]

A decent motherboard that is compatible with a Dell Optiplex?

 

[blakerwry]

... and it turns out that the LSI cards are compatible with PCI, but only 3.3V PCI, which is not something you're going to find in a Dell Optiplex.

I think you're smoking crack Merc... when's the last time you saw a non-universal 32/33 PCI slot on a new motherboard? ... I think for me it's been almost a decade... Now, if we were talking about PCI-X slots, that'd be a different story.... that might be 5 years... ;- )

 

[blakerwry]

I think you're smoking crack Merc... when's the last time you saw a non-universal 32/33 PCI slot on a new motherboard? ... I think for me it's been almost a decade... Now, if we were talking about PCI-X slots, that'd be a different story.... that might be 5 years... ;- )

Wow, guess I have my history backwards... I'm thinking of universal cards... bummer, I think you're right about the optiplexes and the LSI card...

 

[LiamC]

... and it turns out that the LSI cards are compatible with PCI, but only 3.3V PCI, which is not something you're going to find in a Dell Optiplex.

I'm giving serious consideration to just shipping my student a decent motherboard. I really am.

Eh? 3.3V supply was mandatory in PCI v 2.2 or later.
Are you saying that the Dell is only PCI 2.1 or earlier? How retarded.

 

[blakerwry]

I think the Dell specs stated PCI v2.3 - but the pictures look like the slots are keyed for 5v...

 

[Mercutio]

I have a cameraphone photo. The pictures are correct and the slots are keyed for 5V.

I'm not sure what the lesson is here, aside from the fact that Dell PCs are retarded and whomever decided that machine should be a "server" is ALSO retarded.

At the end of the day they're basically stuck with having to spend money someplace. I think they're buying a whole new server at this point.

 

[sechs]

Nobody puts in 3.3v or universal PCI conventional slots in computers, even though 5v has been deprecated for years. Sometimes the bus is universal, but they still put 5v slots on the board.

Maybe the manufacturers just thought that conventional PCI would go away faster and never bothered to figure out universal slots, and were too scared to put 3.3v slots.