Expansion Unit Connection Guide – Best Practice

This article provides technical instructions for connecting XD5 series SAS expansion enclosures to QSAN storage, including supported models, cable options, deployment topologies, and expansion rules.

Download: Expansion Unit Guide

Click here to download the Expansion Unit Connection Guide.

Key Sections:

  • Introduction to Expansion Units: XD5 series DAS/SAS JBOD; compatible with QSAN product line; LFF 12/16/24/78-bay and SFF 26-bay form factors.
  • Apply Models:
    • Block: XF5 (XF5226D-12C, XF5226S-12C), XF4 (XF4226D-8C/4C, XF4226S-8C/4C), XCubeSAN 5300/3300 (full model list).
    • Unified: XN5, XN4, XN2; XCubeNXT 8100/5100 (full model list).
    • Note: XF3 and XN3 do not support SAS expansion units.
  • List of Available Cable:
    • CBL-12SH150 — SAS 12G expansion cable, SFF-8644 to SFF-8644, 1.5 m.
    • CBL-12SW150 — SAS 12G expansion cable with Wake-on-SAS, SFF-8644 to SFF-8644, 1.5 m (not for HBA/RAID).
    • Host links: use SAS cables < 3 m; Wake-on-SAS requires QSAN genuine cables with sideband support.
  • Deployment Types & Cabling:
    • Single Path: CTRL1→JBOD CTRL1 (one path; degraded tolerance on dual-controller heads).
    • Dual Path: CTRL1→JBOD CTRL1 and CTRL2→JBOD CTRL2 (MPIO HA; dual-domain tolerance).
    • Four Path: Cross-connections from both controllers to both JBOD controllers (higher bandwidth and full redundancy).
  • Storage Status with Expansion:
    • Two SAS cables: dual-path redundancy; Round-Robin load sharing.
    • Only one SAS cable left: system stays online; MPIO switches to single path (repair recommended).
    • Four SAS cables: full fault tolerance and higher I/O bandwidth.
  • Expansion Configuration Rules: tables for 2U12 / 3U16 / 4U24 / 2U26 heads show max expansion units, max drives, and raw capacity per chassis type.
  • Appendix: Apply To refers to Apply Models; Reference: product pages and Hardware Manual.

Critical Notes:

  • CAUTION: For Wake-on-SAS, use QSAN genuine SAS cables with sideband support.
  • TIP: Keep host-to-JBOD SAS cables under 3 m for signal integrity.

JetStor Support

For assistance with expansion deployments on JetStor systems:
๐Ÿ“ง [email protected]
๐ŸŽซ Submit Support Ticket