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I currently need a PCIE SSD to my G5's due to SW incompatibility with the P400 raid controller.

Is there any PCIE ssd compatibility list? I've seen here that the Asus RAIDR Pcie SSD probably works fine on the G5. I know that the PCIE on the G5 is x4, will be there any problem using a ssd which is X8/x16 (apart from lower speeds)? Will I be able to boot from the PCIE ssd? I've seen that reports of problems due to the bios does not recognize PCIE as "bootable" but nothing related with the G5

EDIT:

The operating system is eComm Station OS/2.

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miguels
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  • Can. You explain the actual issue with the incompatibility with the RAID controller. That's uncommon. What doesn't work? – ewwhite Feb 11 '16 at 10:52
  • Yes it's not common, yet I'm using a legacy OS (which I'd prefer not specify due to legal constraints) which does not have driver support for the P400 hence the need for PCI-E SSD. – miguels Feb 11 '16 at 10:59
  • More detail is always better. I don't understand the legal constraints or why they matter here, but it impacts the ability to provide a good answer. – ewwhite Feb 11 '16 at 13:20
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    And they let you specify the hardware? Seriously though, I can't imagine anything that would require not specifying the OS short of building it for North Korea... – Michael Hampton Feb 11 '16 at 14:18
  • @MichaelHampton It's OS/2! – ewwhite Mar 07 '16 at 13:24

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I understand that companies can end up in situations where there are budget limitations or software restrictions or political constraints to deal with... So I'll try to answer the heart of this question.

It's hard for me to understand how you make the jump from "my OS doesn't support my RAID controller" to "I need PCIe SSDs". But let's look at options:

  • Depending on the actual operating system, you can possibly force it to support your hardware.
  • But then again, your hardware is too old to run a modern operating system. The HP G5 servers were popular and had a long lifetime in production, but they went end-of-sale in 2008, eight years ago!
  • Is there any chance you could use newer hardware? A G6 or newer HP will be supported by every mainstream operating system available now.
  • However, you could simply replace the RAID controller with a more suitable model. An HP Smart Array P410 controller and the right internal cabling could be an option.
  • For PCIe SSDs, you'll have to take your chances. The PCIe bandwidth and specs on a G5 HP will limit your options. And you'll still need to RAID at the software level. That type of server predates most PCIe SSD options, so you can't expect it to support much; especially boot. You should try something like this, though.

EDIT: The operating system is eComm Station OS/2.

So in this case, you should probably virtualize your OS/2 setup to avoid future problems with hardware and driver support. Or call this guy.

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ewwhite
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  • I don't need PCI-E ssd due to their speed, I need due to lack of drivers of the smart array controller in a specific OS. Regarding new hardware it's not applicable since we have loads of G5's. My second option is to change the smart controler (from 400 to 410 as said). – miguels Feb 11 '16 at 13:22
  • @miguels - what makes you think that your OS (btw I worked on OS/2, I'm that old!) will support a PCIe-based SSD anyway? Are you aware how new they are? also your G5 only used PCIe version 1.0 and even then you have to go out of your way to get a x8 slot - they'd almost certainly not work and if they did they'd be very slow. Don't waste your money this way, do what ewwhite says and virtualise it. – Chopper3 Mar 07 '16 at 13:23
  • Well I had to try it (it did not work due to OS support). Anyway looks like Vt is the best solution . – miguels Mar 07 '16 at 13:27