Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:24:24 +0100 From: Erik Trulsson <ertr1013@student.uu.se> To: Olaf Greve <o.greve@axis.nl> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64 Message-ID: <20050107132423.GA47763@falcon.midgard.homeip.net> In-Reply-To: <41DE7DA3.8060206@axis.nl> References: <41B857A0.2070906@leg.ensieg.inpg.fr> <41DE7DA3.8060206@axis.nl>
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On Fri, Jan 07, 2005 at 01:16:35PM +0100, Olaf Greve wrote: > Hi, > > A client of mine asked me to install their AMD-64 machine as a MySQL > database server. Totally against my strong suggestion to use a proper > SCSI hardware RAID 10 solution (or at least a hardware SATA RAID > solution), they insist on using the internal Sil 3114 software RAID > controller in RAID 1 mode. > > Now, this 'cost reduction' from them backfires, as FreeBSD 5.3 Release > AMD-64 does not properly recognise this controller. First, it locks up > when booting with ACPI enabled (easily fixable by either disabling ACPI > in the BIOS, or by booting without ACPI), then the bootstrap loader > first seemingly does recognise the RAID 1 array (at least it states > something to the effect of "Drive C from BIOS...", but when the > installation CD-ROM has booted, lo and behold! It does not see both > drives as an array, but as separate drives! > > I looked around a bit on the Internet, and seemingly this issue started > to occur around mid june last year with FreeBSD 5.3 versions for these > type of Silicon RAID controllers. > > Now, of course I am still trying to get my client to do it properly and > forget this el-cheapo RAID solution and simply buy a hardware RAID > controller, but if I can't succeed in convincing them, I'd really like > to enable the RAID array of this controller after all. > > Does anyone know how this can be achieved? Is it possible to patch the > device driver once FreeBSD is installed, and somehow get FreeBSD to > build the RAID array? I don't think FreeBSD supports the SiI 3114 as a RAID controller, but only as a normal controller. All the RAID stuff for that controller is done in software anyway, but FreeBSD needs to know what format the BIOS uses for a RAID setup, and it doesn't. I guess you could set up a pure software RAID-1 solution using vinum, but not having done that myself I can't say for sure. See http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/vinum-vinum.html for information on how to use and setup vinum. -- <Insert your favourite quote here.> Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se
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