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How-to connect HP M5214 14-bay Dual FC U3 StorageWorks Fibre Channel Disk Enclosure Storage Unit to LSI Host-Bus-Adapter Model#LSI7204XP-LC... Is it even possible?

Trying to connect/configure this HP storage works ds-m521-aa 14 disk enclosure to a PCI LSI Fiber Channel (HBA) Host bus adapter Model#LSI7204XP-LC

Is there any way of configuring a Host bus adapter as a Raid Controller and/or to use windows as the Raid controller, and simply set up the PCI HBA to communicate to the external HP storage works disk enclosure? I spoke with LSI and they told me it is not possible for this PCI card to be used as a Raid controller.


http://www.lsi.com/channel/products/hba/fibre_channel_hbas/LSI7204XP-LC/index.html

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David
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Well, you'll need to get a FC-FC external RAID controller.  Infortrend has them, but they are expensive.   This is a small box that has several FC connectors.   Run a pair of them to the JBOD, then the other ports connect to your existing FC HBA.  Or you can run those ports to a FC Switch if you want multiple hosts to connect.

You configure the external RAID controller via the front-panel switches and the 2-line-high LCD display (or via windows/Java-based configurator that works in-band).    The black box is the RAID controller, and your host(s) will see whatever LUN configuration you set up.   Goto ebay and look for "external fibre channel RAID" hopefully you will find one cheap.  

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Anyone know if its possible to change out the FC board on the HP ds-m521-aa 14 disk enclosure to a SCSI connector board?
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It has an embedded FC->SCSI bridge controller
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What has?
sorry, my response sent a little late in thread... the enclosure has a bridge board (which author asks about, but I hadn't seen it by time I responded). this makes the fc hba see fc disks instead of scsi. its been years since I looked at one, but pretty sure there is no way to retrofit a backplane. cheapest alternative is to get a naked hp scsi - scsi enclosure and move the disks.  (but author asked how to usee this as fc raid, which is why I responded with how to do it)

personally, I would buy a cheap fc controller and use software raid6 on a unix box and set it up to present iscsi and or smb/cif shares
Think it would break the backplane trying to get those F/C disks into a SCSI enclosure.
If you speak with authority then you have to make damn sure you are right, if you're not sure try "I'm pretty sure..." or "I think..." or whatever, then nobody will acuse you of making a bald statement that is incorrect.

Here's an example...

"It isn't a very good photo but it looks like there's an orange stripe on the disks in the name/type/size area of the label which indicates they are native fibre channel disks, I might be wrong though, any chance of a closeup of the label on the front of one of the disks?"

Then you can put of the argument for several days until such a photo is supplied and it makes it easier for someone else to bow out with a "my bad - original pic isn't clear" type comment.
In this case

"*I think* the enclosure has a bridge board" would have got you off the hook.
.