[SOLVED] Uh-oh my SATA not SATA - is actually SAS ( now what ?)

rebrecs

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Aug 31, 2020
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Hi, I'm still digging in to this, but want input from the storage experienced community.
Environment; Windows 10 (current), ASUS H87-PLUS motherboard.
Background; Benchmarked mine to similarly constructed units with comparable devices. (PassMark) Disks numbers were disappointing.
So I opened a project to investigate. No need for math models. The price of the SSD etc. suggests - Put it in there and see what happens.
I started digging in to SSDs to replace my "tubs." I decided not to go too crazy until I understood it better. I bought an SSD, put it on a hot-plug sled, and inserted it. Came up working fine. I didnt move the OS over there. It is a data drive at present.

While testing the new drive I discovered the SSD, and my tubs , in fact all of my so called SATA devices were running SCSI.
This is the SSD Device Instance: SCSI\DISK&VEN_&PROD_CT1000MX500SSD1\4&E937C7&0&030000

(according to Device Manager) My system does have and IDE/AHCI Controller showing no devices attached. I infer from this, my system is interfacing storage using Serial Attached SCSI ( SAS)

I don't know whether that is interesting or not, which is what I am here to ask.
Experimenting with moving one of the SAS attached devices over to the SATA controller - ? yeah maybe. But would a person who understands this stuff advise that ?
I could make a big mess fooling around like that. So I would at least like to know if an experienced person believes there might be something to gain by doing so.
Thanks in advance , all comments are welcome.
 
Solution
FYI, SATA tends to use a "conversion" (not exactly technically correct) which allows use of SCSI drivers for some of their better attributes versus the older PATA drivers. This is not an error and is beneficial for performance.

SAS is true SCSI over serial. All SAS controllers can handle both SAS drives and SATA drives. "Just SATA" controllers cannot work with SAS drives. There won't be any damage, but it also won't work. You could get an add-on SAS controller. If your system shows a working SAS drive, then you don't need to do anything, it should work like any other disk (it would imply the controller is SAS and thus can work with both SAS and SATA).
FYI, SATA tends to use a "conversion" (not exactly technically correct) which allows use of SCSI drivers for some of their better attributes versus the older PATA drivers. This is not an error and is beneficial for performance.

SAS is true SCSI over serial. All SAS controllers can handle both SAS drives and SATA drives. "Just SATA" controllers cannot work with SAS drives. There won't be any damage, but it also won't work. You could get an add-on SAS controller. If your system shows a working SAS drive, then you don't need to do anything, it should work like any other disk (it would imply the controller is SAS and thus can work with both SAS and SATA).
 
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Solution
While testing the new drive I discovered the SSD, and my tubs , in fact all of my so called SATA devices were running SCSI.
ASUS H87-PLUS doesn't have SAS.
CT1000MX500 is sata drive (not SAS).

Not sure, what lead yo to believe you have any SAS device there.
Unless you have a discrete SAS controller card in your system, your discovery is flawed.

71iVEc1bywL._AC_SY355_.jpg
 
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rebrecs

Commendable
Aug 31, 2020
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what is your full system spec?
I would like to answer that, unfortunately I don't know what that means.
I could give you a little or a lot, so - as viewed from ?
Control Panel -> System ? (doesn't seem real useful)
or system info -> [hardware | software | components] (massive)

I want to help - just not sure what is expected.
 

rebrecs

Commendable
Aug 31, 2020
10
1
1,515
FYI, SATA tends to use a "conversion" (not exactly technically correct) which allows use of SCSI drivers for some of their better attributes versus the older PATA drivers. This is not an error and is beneficial for performance.

SAS is true SCSI over serial. All SAS controllers can handle both SAS drives and SATA drives. "Just SATA" controllers cannot work with SAS drives. There won't be any damage, but it also won't work. You could get an add-on SAS controller. If your system shows a working SAS drive, then you don't need to do anything, it should work like any other disk (it would imply the controller is SAS and thus can work with both SAS and SATA).
Thanks, very helpful. I have a SATA controller and SATA drives. The "not-really-a-conversion" you mentioned is likely in this driver: WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\storahci.sys associated with the SATA controller.
No more fretting about this.
On to the next adventure.
 

rebrecs

Commendable
Aug 31, 2020
10
1
1,515
ASUS H87-PLUS doesn't have SAS.
CT1000MX500 is sata drive (not SAS).

Not sure, what lead yo to believe you have any SAS device there.
Unless you have a discrete SAS controller card in your system, your discovery is flawed.

71iVEc1bywL._AC_SY355_.jpg

Well, everything I believe is a "Work-in-Progress." I got it now. Thanks.
 

rebrecs

Commendable
Aug 31, 2020
10
1
1,515
Since you have hot-plug sleds then you most likely have a SAS raid controller in that system which explains everything you've seen.
Even though it turned out that I *don't have a SAS controller, your prognosis is a lot better than mine-- which was, " I was magically running SAS without a SAS controller." :oops:
IMO this stuff is difficult to understand if you don't know the evolution and history of all these specs and protocols. ( which I should but I don't)
For example, had I known this-->" Integrated Drive Electronics, IDE is more commonly known as ATA or PATA (parallel ATA), " it is likely I would not have sent this question. That was the missing link. You may not see how that would have mattered but my mind works weird. Before last week, I would have said, " I haven't even seen an IDE device in 20 years." WRONG.
See 'em everyday!
ATA-PATA-SATA over in the corner growing up healthy and happy , and there are millions of them. Who knew. And all with SCSI device drivers. Oh lord.
Thanks for the response.
 
D

Deleted member 14196

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How do you know you don’t have an SAS controller when you can’t even tell us what the specs of your system are?
 

rebrecs

Commendable
Aug 31, 2020
10
1
1,515
How do you know you don’t have an SAS controller when you can’t even tell us what the specs of your system are?

IMO that is a reasonable question. I do recognize the need. If I want the attention of experts, I should be providing that (as opposed to rambling on about what I think might be ..)
I gotcha.
As I was telling rgd1101 in a prior response, I simply have not found the best way to do that yet.
At this time, I have a report from Windows that has one page, and another report from windows that has every last detail on every last thing - BUT that one is 167 text pages long.
I am sure there is a report generator " in between" those two which I have not located yet.

I suppose I could use the long report and post it to my profile or something? - I am reticent to attach it to a message.
What do most folks use ? What info do you capture? And how?
Got an example?

Thanks for keeping me honest. I'm trying.
 
D

Deleted member 14196

Guest
HWINFO can tell you. Download and run the portable version of that. I think you can save a report as a text file and just post that here
 

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