Using X25-E SSD on Dell R710 w/PERC H700

dell-percssd

I noticed that StackExchange/ServerFault is using a Dell R710 with PERC H700 controller and Intel X25-E SSDs for a database server. We're trying to do the same thing!

We're currently running the most current PERC firmware, version 12.10.1 (which unfortunately is several releases behind the equivalent LSI firmware). The Intel X25-E SSDs run beautifully in all respects–configuration, performance, etc.

What we're seeing is two effects–about two minutes after a reboot, the disk status lights permanently turn from green to blinking amber, and at the same time, the hardware management log gets a non-critical error with "A non-Dell supplied disk drive has been detected". These seem to be more of a nuisance than anything else.

At this point I'm about ready to get some tape and cover the lights. So my question to the StackExchange/ServerFault folks (or anybody else) is whether they ran into anything similar.

Best Answer

We have not seen any thing like that. They might have introduced that in the 12.10.1 version of the firmware thought. Our servers are currently on 12.10.0

Dell really doesn't like you running disks that arn't provided by them.

Related Solutions

How to Over-Provision an Intel SSD RAID Array via Dell H700 PERC RAID Controller

You can use the Linux hdparm utility to set your provisioning parameters in this fashion:

root@ubuntu-10-10:~# hdparm -N /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 max sectors   = 312581808/312581808, HPA is disabled

root@ubuntu-10-10:~# hdparm -Np281323627 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting max visible sectors to 281323627 (permanent)
Use of -Nnnnnn is VERY DANGEROUS.
You have requested reducing the apparent size of the drive.
This is a BAD idea, and can easily destroy all of the drive's contents.
Please supply the --yes-i-know-what-i-am-doing flag if you really want this.
Program aborted.

root@ubuntu-10-10:~# hdparm -Np281323627 --yes-i-know-what-i-am-doing /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting max visible sectors to 281323627 (permanent)
 max sectors   = 281323627/312581808, HPA is enabled

root@ubuntu-10-10:~#

To give credit where it's due, I've got this info from a German server builder's website wiki.

But according to the Intel docs, it would be enough simply to keep the sectors in a "clean" state (in which they would be after a secure erase) by never writing to them. If you define a container/volume which only ever uses 300 GB of each of your drives, this is exactly what you are doing for half of your drives' sectors.

Dell H710P, Non-Dell SSDs, and RAID Failures

Which is the OS and do you have the option to install Server Administrator?, with it you can see the state of the HDs and with another application you can configure it to send you alerts in case of failure, the alert of a failure are going to reported by the controller so I don't see why a possible failure cannot be reported. But if I'm sincere I never saw a Dell Server with non-Dell SSDs.

I think tomorrow I can have more information about it.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

How to Over-Provision an Intel SSD RAID Array via Dell H700 PERC RAID Controller

Dell H710P, Non-Dell SSDs, and RAID Failures

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