Port multiplier problem

[srock77]

Bought a Syba SATA 3 card for my older Gigabyte MB in order to use a SATA 3 SSD-- Works great

Installed card and windows 7 recognized it immediately and installed its own drivers. ACHI enabled in BIOS

Card has port multiplier support -ASMedia 1061 chip - Windows driver supposedly supports port multiplier but when I hook up my Rosewill esata RSV-S4-X (4 disk enclosure with port multiplier)- the bios sees the drives on the boot screen, but windows 7 appears to only see the first drive (just want to use the system as 4 separate disks - no raid, no spanning, JBOD)

Does the microsoft driver support port multiplier really? If so How do I activate it?

Do I need to try to install the ASMedia 1061 driver from Syba- If so can I install the driver from Device manager or from the install program without crashing my OS? Windows driver already installed.

I guess the major question is: windows 7 installed its driver for my controller on boot- can I still install the correct Asmedia driver (which I hope will support port multiplier) either though device manager or running the install program- without screwing everything up?

Even though my system is fully backed up, would like to not have to restore the whole system

Any help much appreciated

Steve

 

[Emulex]

You shouldn't need a driver for a port multiplier if the primary sata port is compatible with said port multiplier.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think not all SATA controllers are compatible with not all multiplers. Might want to make sure they're made by the same manufacturer, will proably need to get a new SATA card that is guaranteed compatible with the enclosure/multiplier. (Check enclosure manufacturer's website.)

 

[Emulex]

yeah that was what I was saying. Most port multipliers work with SAS Controllers though!

 

[greenhawk]

Most port multipliers work with SAS Controllers though!

Link?

The only ones I would think would work are the port multipliers called hardware port multipliers that only report a single (large) drive to the host, not individual drives.

As to the OP, I would expect you need to install the manufacture's drivers as windows only uses a generic drive that does not support port multipliers.

 

[MerlinRML]

To the OP: Load the driver for the ASMedia controller. It should enable all features for the controller, and it shouldn't break anything. Free forum help comes with no warranty, so good luck!

And some corrections to other posters in this thread:

Most port multipliers work with SAS Controllers though!

Port multiplier is only for SATA. SAS has a similar capability using SAS expanders.

The only ones I would think would work are the port multipliers called hardware port multipliers that only report a single (large) drive to the host, not individual drives.

Port multiplier does not provide any capability to combine or manipulate devices connected to it. That is typically done with a RAID controller that could be used in conjunction with a port multiplier. It is, however, common for a controller that doesn't properly support port multiplier to only show the first device connected to a port multiplier, but it is only the first device out of the 4 or 5 connected, not a representation/combination of all 5 devices.

 

[srock77]

Score!
Installed the Asmedia driver over the Windows installed driver (Install program) , rebooted and the 4 disk eclosure was recognized and the two installed drives became active.

Very excellent
Many thanks

Steve

 

[greenhawk]

Port multiplier does not provide any capability to combine or manipulate devices connected to it.

It is, however, common for a controller that doesn't properly support port multiplier to only show the first device connected to a port multiplier,

to the first, http://www.addonics.com/technologies/tutorial_pm.php

point #3.

To the second, IIRC that is the behavior intended by design of a sata port multiplier, to show the drive connected to port 0 to the host controller. The rest are not accessible until the correct switching codes are sent to the port multiplier.