AFAICT, a SAS expander should also support SATA drives.
Can anyone confirm that -- or, is it an "implementation
defined" condition? (I have external enclosures thusly
enabled)

And, can anyone recommend an *internal* SAS extender
(I don't want/need an external enclosure as all of the
drives are 2.5" SSDs and, thus, considerably smaller
than 3.5" magnetic disk slots) that would handle
a dozen or more?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/9/24 14:26, Don Y wrote:

AFAICT, a SAS expander should also support SATA drives. Can anyone
confirm that -- or, is it an "implementation defined" condition?
(I have external enclosures thusly enabled)

I'm 80% certain that you can put a SATA drive on a SAS controller via a
SAS expander without any problems.

And, can anyone recommend an *internal* SAS extender (I don't want/need
an external enclosure as all of the drives are 2.5" SSDs and, thus, considerably smaller than 3.5" magnetic disk slots) that would handle
a dozen or more?

I've seen multiple half height and full height 5-1/4 bay modules that
will accept multiple 2-1/2 inch drives. The half height versions could
hold six drives horizontally and the full height versions could hold
many more vertically.

Check out the usual electronic haunts; Amazon, ebay, etc. I like Amazon
in that as a Prime member, it's quite easy to return something (in good condition) if it doesn't work.



--
Grant. . . .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/10/2024 10:32 AM, Grant Taylor wrote:

On 11/9/24 14:26, Don Y wrote:

AFAICT, a SAS expander should also support SATA drives.  Can anyone confirm >> that -- or, is it an "implementation defined" condition? (I have external
enclosures thusly enabled)

I'm 80% certain that you can put a SATA drive on a SAS controller via a SAS expander without any problems.

I have several DAS boxes that a have built-in SAS expanders (to put up to
90 drives on a SAS cable). But, ALL must be SAS or ALL must be SATA.
I am not sure if that is a requirement of the hardware or firmware
(but it is a reasonable one)

And, can anyone recommend an *internal* SAS extender (I don't want/need an >> external enclosure as all of the drives are 2.5" SSDs and, thus, considerably
smaller than 3.5" magnetic disk slots) that would handle a dozen or more?

I've seen multiple half height and full height 5-1/4 bay modules that will accept multiple 2-1/2 inch drives.  The half height versions could hold six drives horizontally and the full height versions could hold many more vertically.

Do these just mechanically package the drives? Or, do they include a
SAS expander and present to the host as a SAS interface? (that would
be cool!)

Check out the usual electronic haunts; Amazon, ebay, etc.  I like Amazon in that as a Prime member, it's quite easy to return something (in good condition)
if it doesn't work.

Thanks!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/10/24 13:48, Don Y wrote:

I have several DAS boxes that a have built-in SAS expanders (to put up to
90 drives on a SAS cable).  But, ALL must be SAS or ALL must be SATA.
I am not sure if that is a requirement of the hardware or firmware
(but it is a reasonable one)

That sounds like a potential gotcha. I don't know if it's spec and / or implementation.

Do these just mechanically package the drives?  Or, do they include a
SAS expander and present to the host as a SAS interface?  (that would
be cool!)

I've seen both.

I think it depends on the number of drives that go in the enclosure and
the physical size thereof. It seems as if the ones that hold fewer
drives might simply be pass through while the ones that hold more drives probably have expanders in them.



--
Grant. . . .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/10/2024 2:07 PM, Grant Taylor wrote:

On 11/10/24 13:48, Don Y wrote:

I have several DAS boxes that a have built-in SAS expanders (to put up to
90 drives on a SAS cable).  But, ALL must be SAS or ALL must be SATA.
I am not sure if that is a requirement of the hardware or firmware
(but it is a reasonable one)

That sounds like a potential gotcha.  I don't know if it's spec and / or implementation.

I know the *chips* that exist for this support both. But, I am not
sure how much hand-holding is needed to get them to support both.
Or, if a "mix" is even possible in the hardware.

Do these just mechanically package the drives?  Or, do they include a
SAS expander and present to the host as a SAS interface?  (that would
be cool!)

I've seen both.

I think it depends on the number of drives that go in the enclosure and the physical size thereof.  It seems as if the ones that hold fewer drives might simply be pass through while the ones that hold more drives probably have expanders in them.

I thought SAS/SATA drives were point-to-point wired? I.e., *can*
you hang two drives on a single cable without any extra electronics?

My initial thought was just to get an expander "card" -- or cards -- that
had "many" SAS/SATA ports on it and cable it to the drives wherever I
could make them fit (SSDs being so lightweight that I figured I could use double-sided tape to secure them to each other, the sides of the case, etc.)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/10/2024 6:50 PM, Grant Taylor wrote:

On 11/10/24 18:47, Don Y wrote:

I thought SAS/SATA drives were point-to-point wired?

My understanding is that the SAS / SATA physical /link/ is point-to-point. That's why SAS and where SAS /exapnders/ come into play.  They multiplex the multiple logical & physical connections onto one physical.

I.e., can you hang two drives on a single cable without any extra electronics?

No.  My understanding is that the extra electronics are required.

This was the source of my query:
"It seems as if the ones that hold fewer drives might simply be pass
through while the ones that hold more drives probably have expanders
in them."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 11/10/24 18:47, Don Y wrote:

I thought SAS/SATA drives were point-to-point wired?

My understanding is that the SAS / SATA physical /link/ is
point-to-point. That's why SAS and where SAS /exapnders/ come into
play. They multiplex the multiple logical & physical connections onto
one physical.

I.e., can you hang two drives on a single cable without any extra electronics?

No. My understanding is that the extra electronics are required.



--
Grant. . . .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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