Troubleshooting PCIe Bifurcation with 10Gtek U.2 to PCIe Adapters and Intel Optane Drives
As I embarked on building my new home lab server, I encountered an interesting challenge while connecting multiple Intel Optane drives using 10Gtek U.2 to PCIe adapters. Despite the adapter’s capability to support six devices, only one drive was visible in the system. In this article, I will share the issues I faced, the troubleshooting process, and the lessons learned from this experience.
Issues Encountered
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When connecting multiple U.2 drives to my Supermicro X11SPI-TF Server Motherboard using 10Gtek U.2 to PCIe adapters, I encountered the following issues:
### Limited PCIe Bifurcation Support
My motherboard’s UEFI configuration was set to “automatic” by default, which limited the PCIe bifurcation support. As a result, only one U.2 device was discovered from each adapter when installing the drives.
### Inconsistent Drive Visibility
After enabling the x4x4x4x4 PCIe bifurcation, I began seeing four out of the six Intel Optane drives. However, two drives remained invisible, despite being properly connected to the adapter and the motherboard.
### PCIe Slot Configuration
I noticed that the motherboard’s specifications listed PCIe SLOT3 and SLOT4 as “x8/x16: Supports Auto Switch”. Additionally, the online specifications showed that if the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot was populated with a PCIe x16 card, the other slot would be disabled.
Troubleshooting Process
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To resolve these issues, I underwent the following troubleshooting process:
### UEFI Configuration Modification
I changed all three PCIe groups to x4x4x4x4 in the UEFI settings to enable PCIe bifurcation. This update allowed me to see additional drives, but not all of them.
### PCIe Slot Swapping
After consulting the motherboard documentation and realizing the issue was related to PCIe slot configuration, I moved the two-port 10Gtek U.2 adapter to a different PCIe 3.0 x8 slot. This simple action enabled me to see all six Intel Optane drives within VMware ESXi.
Lessons Learned
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From this experience, I learned two valuable lessons:
### PCIe Bifurcation is Limited
My motherboard’s PCIe bifurcation support was limited, which affected the visibility of U.2 drives connected via 10Gtek adapters. It is essential to check your motherboard’s specifications before purchasing these adapters and drivers.
### PCIe Slot Configuration Matters
The PCIe slot configuration can significantly impact the functionality of your system. In my case, moving the two-port 10Gtek U.2 adapter to a different PCIe x8 slot resolved the issue. This experience emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the PCIe slot configuration when building a home lab server.
Conclusion
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In conclusion, connecting multiple Intel Optane drives using 10Gtek U.2 to PCIe adapters on a Supermicro X11SPI-TF Server Motherboard can be challenging due to limited PCIe bifurcation support and specific PCIe slot configuration requirements. However, by understanding these limitations and troubleshooting the issues, you can successfully connect all drives and build a powerful home lab server.
Next, I will install VMware ESXi and build a new nested VMware vSphere virtualization environment on the new lab host. Stay tuned for my future posts!