Using an old 19" SCSI disk enclosure to hold a SATA RAID array?

dan_aka_jack

dan_aka_jack

dan_aka_jack

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Hey folks,

I need to build myself a big, fat RAID5 SATA array for video editing. My plan is to stick a SATA RAID card with 8 ports in my workstation and then run 8 SATA cables to a nearby 19" enclosure (I've already maxed out my workstation's hard disk bays).

Could I use an old 19" SCSI storage array like this Compaq Storageworks 4214R Ultra3 Rack Storage Array:

compaq.jpg


Of course, I'd need the Compaq hard disk caddies to go with the rack unit.

Could I use the Compaq storage array's PSU to power 8 SATA disks and then run SATA cables from my workstation's RAID card to the SATA disks in the Compaq enclosure?

Or is this just asking for trouble?!

Many thanks,
Jack
 
In theory it should work, although I'd take anything I say with a pinch of salt seeing as my electrical knowledge doesn;t extend much past wiring a plug.

You'll need to remove the SCSI backplane(s) to allow you access to the back of the SATA drives and, as you note, acquire some caddies for the enclosure.

The PSU is going to be the tricky bit, it'll be able to supply the correct voltages and current but it'll be wired to power the backplane rather than individual drives so you'll need to knock up something to convert from the existing PSU output to Molex/SATA power connectors.

The data cabling should be pretty easy although SATA is limited to cables of about 1m in length so the placement of the enclosure is going to be important. The enclosure looks pretty deep so it may need some modification to get the cables in somewhere other than the back if they turn out to be too short.

Overall it sounds like a nice project if you've got the knowledge and skills to pull it off. There's no way I'd plug 8 HDDs into a PSU I've knocked together but that's just me.
 
Hi,

Thanks loads for the reply.

Hmm... you're right to flag up the PSU as a concern. Even if I could do all the wiring correctly, it's still an aging 2nd-hand PSU. Perhaps I should rip out the existing PSU and replace it with a new PSU meant for use in a standard PC (I'd have to somehow trick the PSU into starting up without a motherboard being connected but I expect that's achievable...)

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy cheap off-the-shelf SATA drive enclosures with a capacity of at least 8 drives?

Thanks,
Jack
 
The standard PSU route might be the best option, it's perfectly possible to fire one up without a mobo attached - it's just a case of shorting 2 connections together.

There are pre-built SATA enclosures out there but they ain't cheap and tend to either come with their own card (which may not be great) or they need one with external ports (possibly multi lane) which aren't easy to find yet.
 
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