Question
We have a SYS-2029U-E1CRT expander system with one Supermicro AOC-S3108L-H8iR controller connected to back plane, can 16-ports controller works with this system? Will the overall performance be better?
Answer
Yes, the overall performance will be better with 16 ports controller. Within Supermicro, we have done some testing and tuning on SYS-2029U-E1CRT with AOC-S3616L-L16iT. 
Here are the configuration that we tested:

System: Supermicro SYS-2029U-E1CRT
Backplane: BPN-SAS3-216EL1-N4 (with Broadcom expander chip LSI SASX40)
Storage HBA: 1x AOC-S3616L-L16iT (with 4 mini-SAS HD cables connected to expander backplane)
Tested drives: 16x WD UltraStar DC SS530 SSD 480GB 
OS: CentOS 7.7
Tested tool: FIO 3.7

Below testing results show how changing the driver parameters and splitting the expander zone can help improve the bandwidth performance. By just enabling the drivers setting without zoning the backplane, the performance is already greatly improved, however, double drives quantity will be detected under OS since two cores on the HBA will each scan the drive once. And by zoning the backplane, since each core is only taking care of its zone, so exact quantity of drives can be seen.

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin-left:.1in;border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-alt:
solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;
mso-padding-alt:0in .1in 0in .1in">
<tbody><tr>
<td valign="bottom" style="width:100.55pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:
accent1;background:#DEEAF6;mso-background-themecolor:accent1;mso-background-themetint:
51;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Back
plane <o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="bottom" style="width:1.25in;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;background:#DEEAF6;mso-background-themecolor:
accent1;mso-background-themetint:51;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Driver
setting<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="bottom" style="width:148.5pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;background:#DEEAF6;mso-background-themecolor:
accent1;mso-background-themetint:51;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Total
drives quantity OS see<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="bottom" style="width:128.45pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;background:#DEEAF6;mso-background-themecolor:
accent1;mso-background-themetint:51;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Bandwidth
<o:p></o:p>


</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="width:100.55pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Without splitting<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:1.25in;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

No <o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:148.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

16, same drives<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:128.45pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

9.2 GB/s<o:p></o:p>


</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="width:100.55pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Without splitting<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:1.25in;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

MPIO enable *<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:148.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

32, double drives<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:128.45pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

13.3 GB/s<o:p></o:p>


</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="width:100.55pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Split into two zone **<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:1.25in;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

No<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:148.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

8, only half drives<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:128.45pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

NA<o:p></o:p>


</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="width:100.55pt;border:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

Split into two zone **<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:1.25in;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

MPIO enable *<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:148.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

16, same drives<o:p></o:p>


</td>
<td valign="top" style="width:128.45pt;border-top:none;border-left:
none;border-bottom:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:accent1;
border-right:solid #5B9BD5 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-top-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-left-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:accent1;
mso-border-alt:solid #5B9BD5 .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:accent1;padding:0in .1in 0in .1in">

14.2GB/s<o:p></o:p>


</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>

Procedure to set the driver settings:
o Remove SAS drives from the systems.
o Unload the driver: modprobe -r mpt3sas
o Reload driver with MPIO enable: modprove mpt3sas multipath_on_hba=1 
** Please contact Supermicro support for backplane zoning related information. (support@supermicro.com)
Was this FAQ helpful?
YES      NO

Enter Comments Below:
Note: Your comments/feedback should be limited to this FAQ only. For technical support, please send an email to support@supermicro.com.



 Enter your email address below if you'd like technical support staff to reply:


 Please type the Captcha (no space)
K 6 9 6

FAQ Stats
FAQ ID Related Category / Keyword Date Posted Code
32371 Operating Systems:
- Linux OS
Peripherals:
- AOC
- RAID card
Storage:
- Expanders
- SAS
- SATA
06/29/20


    Print Answer