Alright, folks, let’s talk about something I messed with recently – MIL connectors versus SAS connectors. I was trying to hook up some new drives to my server, and I ran into this whole “which cable do I even use?” situation.
So, first, I grabbed the drives. I had a mix of SSDs and good old spinning rust (that’s hard drives for the uninitiated). I looked at the back of the drives and saw these little ports. Some were wider, some were thinner. That’s where the confusion started.
Digging into the Connectors
I did some Googling, obviously. I found out that the wider ones were likely SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) connectors. The thinner ones? Probably SATA (Serial ATA). Now, my server has these backplanes with connectors that looked kind of like the SAS ones, but a little different. More Googling!
Turns out, those were probably Mini-SAS or maybe even Mini-SAS HD connectors. These are basically just smaller versions of the regular SAS connectors, designed to save space. Makes sense, I guess, since servers are usually packed pretty tight.
MIL-Spec, after googled again, it mentioned the “MIL” part, which I’m pretty sure stands for “Military Specification.” So I think MIL connectors are built to be tougher, more resistant to vibration, extreme temperatures, and all that stuff. Think like, using them in a tank or an airplane, not just in my dusty server room.
Figuring Out Compatibility
Here’s the important part: SAS controllers can usually handle both SAS and SATA drives. But a SATA controller can only handle SATA drives. My server has a SAS controller (I checked the specs, thank goodness!), so I could theoretically use either type of drive.
The Cabling Headache
- I checked the controller’s manual and the type of cable it used.
- Mini-SAS HD to Mini-SAS HD:If I had a backplane with Mini-SAS HD connectors, and my controller also had Mini-SAS HD connectors.
- Mini-SAS HD to 4x SATA:If I wanted to connect SATA drives directly to the controller, bypassing the backplane.
- Mini-SAS to 4x SATA:Same as above, but for older controllers with Mini-SAS instead of Mini-SAS HD.
I ended up using a Mini-SAS HD to 4x SAS breakout cable. It’s basically one cable that splits into four separate connectors, one for each drive. It worked perfectly! I plugged everything in, powered on the server, and… boom! All the drives showed up. Success!
So, the takeaway here? Pay attention to your connectors! SAS and SATA are different, but SAS controllers are usually more flexible. And MIL-Spec? Well, that just means it’s built like a tank. Hopefully, this little adventure of mine helps someone else out there.
