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What SAS cables are used with the NetWitness Platform hardware?

Issue

What SAS cables are used with the NetWitness hardware?
The NetWitness hardware uses SAS cables with different types of plug connectors.

Resolution

The various NetWitness hardware use two different types of SAS cable connectors.

                                        User-added
 
  • mini-SAS (SFF-8088) (Note 1): NetWitness S4 & S4S appliances
  • mini-SAS HD (High Density)(SFF-8644): NetWitness S5 & S6 appliances

  • mini-SAS (SFF-8088) (Note 1): 15-Drive DAC (VNX5400)
  • mini-SAS HD (High Density)(SFF-8644): PowerVault (MD 1400)

  • mini-SAS (SFF-8088) (Note 1): 60-Drive UltraDAC
  • mini-SAS HD (High Density)(SFF-8644): EMC Unity


Note 1: The  NetWitness S4 & S4S appliances have reached End of Product Support (EOPS) after June 2019 and S5 appliances have reached EOPS after Oct 2021.
DAC, UltraDAC reaches EOPS and is replaced by PowerVault.
Reference: https://community.netwitness.com/t5/product-life-cycle/product-version-life-cycle-for-rsa-netwitness-platform/ta-p/569875
  1. The mini-SAS (SFF-8088) connector is an external 26 pin rectangle connector that supports 4 lanes at 6 Gbit/sec.
    User-added
     
  2. The mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) connector is an external 36 pin square connector that supports 4 lanes at 12 Gbit/sec.
    User-added
     
The SAS connector on each end of the SAS cable needs to match the two types of NetWitness hardware been connected together.

Example 1

Connecting a PowerVault (MD 1400) to a NetWitness S6 appliance use a mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) to mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) cable.
User-added

Example 2

When connecting a DAC (VNX5400) to a NetWitness S5/S6 appliance use a mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) to mini-SAS (SFF-8088) cable.
User-added

Example 3

When connecting a DAC (VNX5400) to a NetWitness S4S appliance use a mini-SAS (SFF-8088) to mini-SAS (SFF-8088) cable.
User-added

Note 2: A PowerVault (MD 1400) is not supported been connected to the NetWitness S4/S4S appliance. 
            DAC reached EOPS so Example 2 and 3 are no longer applicable

Notes

Wikipedia reference on Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) connectors.

Product Details

NetWitness Product Set: NetWitness Platform
NetWitness Product/Service Type: NetWitness Hardware, PowerVault  
NetWitness Version/Condition: 11.x , 12.x
Platform: CentOS , AlmaLinux

Summary

There are various SAS cable connectors which are used with the NetWitness hardware?


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