• Re: Dell Poweredge T320

    From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 9 14:12:35 2024
    On 9 Aug 2024 at 14:16:53 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:


    I bough this on eBay, arrived this morning, has 8 x spinning disks,
    courier nearly ruptured himself!

    It's quite ancient and I'm struggling to break the RAID down to JBOD,
    wonder if it's even possible?

    Also struggling to get the BIOS to recognise an SSD I put in slot 1, I thought I had set it up as a physical drive under BIOS control but
    apparently not.

    Any guidance appreciated, I wonder if I've bought a door-stop...

    Is it using the Dell RAID card? It does raids 0,1,5 iirc. You'll have to
    flash that to "IT mode" in order to get single disk control, which is
    fairly easy. Start here for info:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/6o3f6a/dell_hba_mode_vs_it_mode_what_is_the_difference/

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and
    set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    Cheers - Jaimie

    --
    "Don't let nouns get in the way of a good time"
    -- Jasper Fforde

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 9 13:16:53 2024
    I bough this on eBay, arrived this morning, has 8 x spinning disks,
    courier nearly ruptured himself!

    It's quite ancient and I'm struggling to break the RAID down to JBOD,
    wonder if it's even possible?

    Also struggling to get the BIOS to recognise an SSD I put in slot 1, I
    thought I had set it up as a physical drive under BIOS control but
    apparently not.

    Any guidance appreciated, I wonder if I've bought a door-stop...

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    How does a gender neutral bog differ from a unisex bog ?
    It has a non-binary number on the door.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to jaimie@usually.sessile.org on Fri Aug 9 14:19:41 2024
    On 9 Aug 2024 at 15:12:35 BST, "Jaimie Vandenbergh" <jaimie@usually.sessile.org> wrote:

    Is it using the Dell RAID card? It does raids 0,1,5 iirc. You'll have to flash that to "IT mode" in order to get single disk control, which is
    fairly easy. Start here for info:


    For the actual doings: https://fohdeesha.com/docs/perc.html

    Cheers - Jaimie
    --
    Good judgement comes from experience.
    Experience comes from bad judgement.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Burns@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Fri Aug 9 16:51:45 2024
    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    It's quite ancient and I'm struggling to break the RAID down to JBOD,
    wonder if it's even possible?

    In the past the PERC cards didn't support JBOD, not sure whether that's changed?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Theo@21:1/5 to Jaimie Vandenbergh on Fri Aug 9 17:50:52 2024
    Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie@usually.sessile.org> wrote:
    Is it using the Dell RAID card? It does raids 0,1,5 iirc. You'll have to flash that to "IT mode" in order to get single disk control, which is
    fairly easy. Start here for info:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/6o3f6a/dell_hba_mode_vs_it_mode_what_is_the_difference/

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may be
    using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's an HP job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and
    set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to pull
    all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise the
    raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert the second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc
    arrays.

    Theo

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Theo on Fri Aug 9 23:19:48 2024
    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may be >using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's an HP >job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and
    set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to pull >all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise the
    raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert the >second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc >arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's suggestion, although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    I have all the drives (8 x 512 GB !!!) pulled at the moment I will try the
    one at a time trick.

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    There are 3 types of people in this world. Those who can count, and those
    who can't.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 10 00:05:56 2024
    On 10 Aug 2024 at 00:19:48 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may be
    using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's an HP >> job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and
    set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to pull >> all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise the
    raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert the
    second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc
    arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's suggestion, although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    Flashing the specific PERC cards mentioned in my 2nd link is very easy
    and barely even risks the PERC card itself - which cost peanuts,
    although you'd be as well off replacing it with an 8x SAS card anyway if
    it did pop. The PERCs aren't very good.

    Cheers - Jaimie

    --
    I think perhaps the most important problem is that we
    are trying to understand the fundamental workings of
    the universe via a language devised for telling one
    another when the best fruit is.
    -- Terry Pratchett

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 9 23:17:09 2024
    On 09/08/2024 in message <lhms8kFebmgU1@mid.individual.net> Andy Burns
    wrote:

    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    It's quite ancient and I'm struggling to break the RAID down to JBOD, >>wonder if it's even possible?

    In the past the PERC cards didn't support JBOD, not sure whether that's >changed?

    Unfortunately I think I have that model - newer ones do, mine doesn't.
    Wonder if it will take a newer card?

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    You can't tell which way the train went by looking at the tracks

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Vandenbergh on Sat Aug 10 07:01:39 2024
    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhnp74FimuaU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 00:19:48 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo >>wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may be >>>using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's an >>>HP
    job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and >>>>set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to >>>pull
    all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise the >>>raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert the >>>second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc >>>arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's suggestion, >>although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    Flashing the specific PERC cards mentioned in my 2nd link is very easy
    and barely even risks the PERC card itself - which cost peanuts,
    although you'd be as well off replacing it with an 8x SAS card anyway if
    it did pop. The PERCs aren't very good.

    Do you think there is likely to be a drop-in replacement available? I
    remember a Lenovo where the WiFi broke and it refused to recognise the replacement card because of some sort of internal security.


    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    Did you know on the Canary Islands there is not one canary?
    And on the Virgin Islands same thing, not one canary.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 10 10:55:37 2024
    On 10 Aug 2024 at 08:01:39 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhnp74FimuaU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 00:19:48 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo
    wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may be >>>> using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's an >>>> HP
    job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and >>>>> set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to
    pull
    all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise the >>>> raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert the >>>> second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc >>>> arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's suggestion, >>> although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    Flashing the specific PERC cards mentioned in my 2nd link is very easy
    and barely even risks the PERC card itself - which cost peanuts,
    although you'd be as well off replacing it with an 8x SAS card anyway if
    it did pop. The PERCs aren't very good.

    Do you think there is likely to be a drop-in replacement available? I remember a Lenovo where the WiFi broke and it refused to recognise the replacement card because of some sort of internal security.

    I don't know the T320 but I'm verrrry familiar with the R320 (rackmount version). Those have a dedicated PERC socket which only takes PERCs. But tossing it (if it's not flashable) and banging in a PCIe LSI SAS
    controller is a It Just Works thing; only issue may be the SAS cables to
    the drive chassis need replacing with appropriately longer ones.

    Cheers - Jaimie
    --
    Tetris has taught me that accomplishments disappear and mistakes pile up.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Vandenbergh on Sat Aug 10 14:43:44 2024
    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhov99Fo56gU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 08:01:39 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhnp74FimuaU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie >>Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 00:19:48 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com> >>>wrote:

    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo >>>>wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may >>>>>be
    using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's >>>>>an
    HP
    job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and >>>>>>set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to >>>>>pull
    all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise >>>>>the
    raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert >>>>>the
    second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc >>>>>arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's >>>>suggestion,
    although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    Flashing the specific PERC cards mentioned in my 2nd link is very easy >>>and barely even risks the PERC card itself - which cost peanuts,
    although you'd be as well off replacing it with an 8x SAS card anyway if >>>it did pop. The PERCs aren't very good.

    Do you think there is likely to be a drop-in replacement available? I >>remember a Lenovo where the WiFi broke and it refused to recognise the >>replacement card because of some sort of internal security.

    I don't know the T320 but I'm verrrry familiar with the R320 (rackmount >version). Those have a dedicated PERC socket which only takes PERCs. But >tossing it (if it's not flashable) and banging in a PCIe LSI SAS
    controller is a It Just Works thing; only issue may be the SAS cables to
    the drive chassis need replacing with appropriately longer ones.

    Cheers - Jaimie

    OK, thanks! Presumably I need one that can support 8 drives (excuse my ignorance)? Any good/bad makes?

    According to the manual the rackmount version is a tower version with the
    feet removed and laid on its side!

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    You know it's cold outside when you go outside and it's cold.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Daniel James@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Sat Aug 10 23:19:39 2024
    On 10/08/2024 08:01, Jeff Gaines wrote:
    I remember a Lenovo where the WiFi broke and it refused to recognise the replacement card because of some sort of internal security.

    In the case of WiFi it was likely to have been because the US Federal Communications Commission require WiFi subsystems to be certified as a
    whole, and replacing components willy-nilly will likely lead to
    unapproved combinations, and the BIOS stops these from working.

    I had the same thing with a Lenovo machine and a mini-PCIe card from a *different* Lenovo, which wouldn't work (though that was a cellular
    modem rather than WiFi).

    --
    Cheers,
    Daniel.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 10 23:36:21 2024
    On 10 Aug 2024 at 15:43:44 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhov99Fo56gU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 08:01:39 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 10/08/2024 in message <lhnp74FimuaU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    On 10 Aug 2024 at 00:19:48 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com> >>>> wrote:

    On 09/08/2024 in message <0al*7izRz@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo >>>>> wrote:

    I think that's for cards using LSI chips. Some of the older ones may >>>>>> be
    using custom silicon which isn't LSI.

    (can't remember if mine is a Dell or an HP now, I have a feeling it's >>>>>> an
    HP
    job. Their newer ones are LSI but the older ones aren't)

    The closest you can get otherwise is to go into the RAID firmware and >>>>>>> set each disk up as a 'raid0' of one disk. Which is kinda ugly.

    I had to do that. If they're in hotswap bays, one way to do it is to >>>>>> pull
    all the disks except one. Then boot into the setup tool, initialise >>>>>> the
    raid with the single disc, and shutdown. Pull the first disk, insert >>>>>> the
    second, repeat. That way it's never tempted to try to make multi-disc >>>>>> arrays.

    I am concerned about bricking the machine if I follow Jaimie's
    suggestion,
    although perhaps I would qualify for a nerd badge if it works!

    Flashing the specific PERC cards mentioned in my 2nd link is very easy >>>> and barely even risks the PERC card itself - which cost peanuts,
    although you'd be as well off replacing it with an 8x SAS card anyway if >>>> it did pop. The PERCs aren't very good.

    Do you think there is likely to be a drop-in replacement available? I
    remember a Lenovo where the WiFi broke and it refused to recognise the
    replacement card because of some sort of internal security.

    I don't know the T320 but I'm verrrry familiar with the R320 (rackmount
    version). Those have a dedicated PERC socket which only takes PERCs. But
    tossing it (if it's not flashable) and banging in a PCIe LSI SAS
    controller is a It Just Works thing; only issue may be the SAS cables to
    the drive chassis need replacing with appropriately longer ones.

    Cheers - Jaimie

    OK, thanks! Presumably I need one that can support 8 drives (excuse my ignorance)? Any good/bad makes?

    First check your PERC to see if it's fixable at the firmware level to IT
    mode, it'll tell you what model it is on the BIOS RAID config screen you
    can get to at bootup if nowhere else.

    For my ZFS-based NAS (ZFS much prefers to work with native drives
    without any translation from a RAID controller) I use the LSI 9211-8i
    (eight internal) cards, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326088190913 - check
    that its sockets are the same as your PERC card has, they're 6gbit SAS
    cables. Wide and flat ends.

    The alternative is 12gbit, like this 9300-8i card has: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326088246371 - square ends.

    According to the manual the rackmount version is a tower version with the feet removed and laid on its side!

    Ah, the R320 is a 1U server so not a direct 'turn it sideways' rack
    conversion.

    Cheers - Jaimie
    --
    "What we have done with PCs so far is not natural"
    - Craig Mundie, CTO Microsoft

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Vandenbergh on Sun Aug 11 21:13:56 2024
    On 11/08/2024 in message <lhqbrlF69tU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    According to the manual the rackmount version is a tower version with the >>feet removed and laid on its side!

    Ah, the R320 is a 1U server so not a direct 'turn it sideways' rack >conversion.

    Thanks for all the input, I will continue to play :-)

    I am trying to decide if the fan noise when I turn it on is more like
    Concorde taking off or a flight of Avro Vulcans that flew over my hotel
    when I was in Malta on holiday 50 years ago!

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    Indecision is the key to flexibility

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Vandenbergh on Mon Aug 12 11:04:47 2024
    On 11/08/2024 in message <lhqbrlF69tU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    First check your PERC to see if it's fixable at the firmware level to IT >mode, it'll tell you what model it is on the BIOS RAID config screen you
    can get to at bootup if nowhere else.

    I did it, I'm a nerd like Jaimie!

    Booted to FreeDOS and did first bit then to Linux to do second. Only one mistake in that I installed the UEFI boot BIOS, I will go back and put the
    BIOS one on.

    Massive bonus is that Windows has decided the SSD I fitted to replace the
    DVD is bootable now so I installed Windows on it For some reason it is in
    ATA mode so I need to look at that.

    With the SAS drives (what a mix 250 GB to 1 TB, the seller must have
    decided postage was cheaper than recycling) I now just have to pop then in
    and set them up and I'm in business.

    Thanks for the guidance and encouragement, it gave me the confidence I
    needed :-)

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    Though no-one can go back and make a new start, everyone can start from
    now and make a new ending.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 12 11:24:48 2024
    On 12 Aug 2024 at 12:04:47 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:

    On 11/08/2024 in message <lhqbrlF69tU1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    First check your PERC to see if it's fixable at the firmware level to IT
    mode, it'll tell you what model it is on the BIOS RAID config screen you
    can get to at bootup if nowhere else.

    I did it, I'm a nerd like Jaimie!

    I'm very sorry.

    Thanks for the guidance and encouragement, it gave me the confidence I
    needed :-)

    Hurray! Yeah, much less fuss than getting new card+cabling in.

    You should be able to fix the fan speeds in the bios/firmware settings;
    try pushing the machine from performance mode to efficiency mode in
    there. They'll always spin up to full at boot time but should drop to
    sane after.

    Cheers - Jaimie

    --
    "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted"
    -- Bertrand Russell

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Vir Campestris@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Mon Aug 12 15:36:15 2024
    On 12/08/2024 12:04, Jeff Gaines wrote:

    I did it, I'm a nerd like Jaimie!


    Keep us posted. My son is a pro nerd. He's a field engineer. A couple of
    days ago he sent me photos of a DEC Alpha system he was fixing, so this
    should be no problem!

    Booted to FreeDOS and did first bit then to Linux to do second. Only one mistake in that I installed the UEFI boot BIOS, I will go back and put
    the BIOS one on.

    Massive bonus is that Windows has decided the SSD I fitted to replace
    the DVD is bootable now so I installed Windows on it For some reason it
    is in ATA mode so I need to look at that.

    With the SAS drives (what a mix 250 GB to 1 TB, the seller must have
    decided postage was cheaper than recycling) I now just have to pop then
    in and set them up and I'm in business.

    Thanks for the guidance and encouragement, it gave me the confidence I
    needed 🙂

    That explains the mystery I had which was why not run them as RAID5. You
    don't lose much.

    If they are the same size...

    Andy

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Vir Campestris@21:1/5 to Vir Campestris on Mon Aug 12 17:19:05 2024
    On 12/08/2024 15:36, Vir Campestris wrote:
    Keep us posted. My son is a pro nerd. He's a field engineer. A couple of
    days ago he sent me photos of a DEC Alpha system he was fixing, so this should be no problem!

    ... and he immediately reminded me that if you go to Dell's web site and
    enter the service tag it will allow you to download all the relevant
    manuals.

    Andy

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 12 19:31:48 2024
    On 12/08/2024 in message <v9dclq$3ccvn$1@dont-email.me> Vir Campestris
    wrote:

    On 12/08/2024 15:36, Vir Campestris wrote:
    Keep us posted. My son is a pro nerd. He's a field engineer. A couple of >>days ago he sent me photos of a DEC Alpha system he was fixing, so this >>should be no problem!

    ... and he immediately reminded me that if you go to Dell's web site and >enter the service tag it will allow you to download all the relevant
    manuals.

    Andy

    That is a fantastic concept and on my T320 there is a slide out card with
    the service tag on it :-)

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    There are 3 types of people in this world. Those who can count, and those
    who can't.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 12 19:34:30 2024
    On 12/08/2024 in message <v9d6kv$3avh0$3@dont-email.me> Vir Campestris
    wrote:

    Thanks for the guidance and encouragement, it gave me the confidence I >>needed 🙂

    That explains the mystery I had which was why not run them as RAID5. You >don't lose much.

    If they are the same size...

    I'm not a great fan of RAID. If I have a real problem I want a disk that I
    can carry out of the house and that can be read on its own rather than one
    that needs several companion disks and perhaps a h/w controller.

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.
    (Ken Olson, president Digital Equipment, 1977)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 12 19:37:06 2024
    On 09/08/2024 in message <lhms8kFebmgU1@mid.individual.net> Andy Burns
    wrote:

    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    It's quite ancient and I'm struggling to break the RAID down to JBOD, >>wonder if it's even possible?

    In the past the PERC cards didn't support JBOD, not sure whether that's >changed?

    If you want to give it a go the links Jaimie provided do work - all I did
    was to just follow the instructions and my PERC 710 D full size is now
    JBOD - RAID optional :-)

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    If you ever find something you like buy a lifetime supply because they
    will stop making it

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  • From Andy Burns@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Mon Aug 12 21:03:49 2024
    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    If you want to give it a go the links Jaimie provided do work - all I
    did was to just follow the instructions and my PERC 710 D full size is
    now JBOD - RAID optional

    For H/W RAID I'm more of a Smart Array guy, but glad it works ...

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