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February 16th, 2025 23:38
R640 NVME Issues
Greetings, I have a R640 server, and I'm looking to add NVME drives to the server. The server came originally with a Perc H740p Mini Integrated / S140 with BP14G+EXP 0:1 enclosure. I've since then added DP/N 6PPNG 6-9 NVME Assembly Cable, and installed 2x Dell Express Flash PM1725b 1.6TB SFF, KR-04WDXY-SSK00-97R-00NW-A00. I cannot for the life of me get the NVME drives to show up, but my SAS drives are showing up without issue. Bios version 2.22.2, idrac 7.00.00.174, latest Server 2022 OS Driver Pack for Lifecycle Manager, H740p firmware 51.16.0-5150. I've tried Raid Mode, AHCI, etc. I've loaded Server 2022 installer using lifecycle manager, even loaded the H740p & S140 drivers from the driver pack during install but get no NVME drives. The drives (SAS HDD and SSD NVME) do show up fine on the idrac storage interface, see attached. I've also loaded Linux, see linux has the raid drivers, but with nvme list or lspci or lsblk, I cannot see any NVME drives. Not sure where to go from here. Any help would be awesome. Thanks!
DELL-Joey C
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February 17th, 2025 07:47
Hi,
It is as designed, the server can only work on either of the storage controllers, PERC H740P and S140 cannot co-exist.
DJ29Joesph
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February 17th, 2025 12:49
If I remove the H740p, nothing works.
DJ29Joesph
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February 17th, 2025 12:59
Seems to me dell is selling the R740 servers fraudently selling them as NVME compatible when they clearly aren't. The cable diagrams for this server show my configuration to work... so did dell lie about the cabling options to upsell a server?
DELL-Marco B
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February 17th, 2025 13:22
Hello,
in the first post you mention R640, now you are talking about R740.
Which is the server?
Thanks
DJ29Joesph
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February 17th, 2025 14:23
@DELL-Marco B it's a R640, ST: 722CPK3
DJ29Joesph
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February 17th, 2025 14:25
@DELL-Marco B my cabling is Figure 3. Cable routing - 10 x 2.5 drive backplane with NVMe on this url https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/poweredge-r640/per640_ism_pub/cable-routing?guid=guid-97280a84-9e95-4a04-901f-400c88c14645&lang=en-us
I don't have the pcie extender as I'm only using port 6-9 for nvme. I don't plan on using ports 0-5 once the nvme works.
(edited)
DELL-Marco B
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February 18th, 2025 07:28
Hello,
on the S140 only Only Dell - complaint NVMe PCIe SSDs are supported
Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller S140 User’s Guide | Dell US
Here the info about S140 NVMe support
Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller S140 User’s Guide | Dell US
Thanks
DELL-Joey C
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February 18th, 2025 09:15
Hi,
I might be on the wrong side about PERC H740P and S140 cannot co-exist. They can.
From the cabling user guide, can you confirm (ignore the diagram title) Figure 2. Cable routing - 10 x 2.5 drive backplane with mini PERC is your existing cabling, with DPN# 6PPNG as cable label 8. In iDRAC, referring to your screenshot in the first post, can you expand one of the NVMe disk properties, it should show the controller properties that it is being detected. That should give us more information to troubleshoot this issue.
Can you also check if the NVMe are set to RAID following this video: https://dell.to/4hFrHKh. If you are still not able to have the disk detected, I would suggest contacting the technical support to raise a case to have the support check the logs and engage engineering support. The system do have few months of contract.
DELL-Rey G
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February 18th, 2025 18:13
When you say "I cannot for the life of me get the NVME drives to show up" where are they not showing up in Windows?
Rey
#Iwork4Dell
DJ29Joesph
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February 18th, 2025 19:49
@DELL-Rey G
My steps
Open up Lifecycle Manager, click install OS (skip raid setup) select OS Windows Server 2022, select unattended, select the USB media, click finish. Server reboots and starts the Installation process. When the setup window loads I click Install Now, accept the EULA, select Windows Server 2022 Datacenter desktop experience, click next, select drive to install, I select load drivers, I load the drivers for the s140 controller (removed the perc h740p) no drives show up to allow me to install to in the select a drive window. The drives I'm using are supported and on the list.
DJ29Joesph
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February 18th, 2025 19:57
@DELL-Joey C everything on figure 2 is my setup minus cable listed as 7. I have yet to purchase that cable because I don't plan on using those slots for drives. I've also removed the perc and get the same results. AHCI and or RAID for bios SATA and nvme give me the same results, no nvme drives. I will expand the disk and provide a screenshot.
DJ29Joesph
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February 18th, 2025 20:02
@DELL-Joey C Drive information on idrac, drive is known working, used it before.
A new drive that isn't dell, also not recognized (trying everything at this point)
DJ29Joesph
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February 18th, 2025 20:06
@DELL-Rey G SATA / NVME settings per idrac
DELL-Chris H
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February 18th, 2025 21:15
DJ29Joesph,
Just to clarify some things I noticed reading the posting.
The h740 controller, as seen here, does not support using NVMe drives on the R640, the only controllers that will are the S140 and the Boss controller. Now with the cabling, if you have it cabled for the H740 the drives wouldn't be seen as the cabling for the S140 is diagram 6 on the link you shared.
Lastly, you said the drives don't appear when you go to OS deploy, that is because they're not configured in the controller.
Let me know if this helps.
(edited)
DELL-Rey G
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February 18th, 2025 21:23
Gotcha, you shouldnt have to load any drivers at all since you used the LC to install the OS, which would stage the necessary drivers for any Dell storage controllers we ship. i tried Win 2022 on my R640 with nvme (from the factory), and I see the BOSS virtual disk and the three 1.6TB nvme drives I have installed in the bays. I'm trying to understand why your drives arent listed though. What I did a few mins ago was to disconnect the cable that you said you didnt have, now none of my nvme drives show up in idrac or in windows install.