From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Sep 9 06:54:38 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 57B1B1065670 for ; Sun, 9 Sep 2012 06:54:38 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from thciobanu@nth.ro) Received: from mail-wi0-f178.google.com (mail-wi0-f178.google.com [209.85.212.178]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D25788FC08 for ; Sun, 9 Sep 2012 06:54:37 +0000 (UTC) Received: by wibhr14 with SMTP id hr14so698262wib.13 for ; Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:54:36 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=nth.ro; s=ga; h=date:from:to:cc:subject:message-id:in-reply-to:references:x-mailer :mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=bKoNNUocbex6Kaop3vQqDevtBde51ZCH52FFdlrzq4s=; b=AB85x+QIT6VUHmE+oA5VOh27+Ds195Ypnrtq+zS0dp5DySjS70THAvQu1Fh/9kxeiK xH2L10azO5WwK2zxRjwQxzbswOO3aNR3KvmfdZY/9CCtvnbFq9ndLfkbyli3VsUglVuM hI1nD85qrfcl8EDBtYVgljpQ2wJl5AvEnq9Ug= X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=google.com; s=20120113; h=date:from:to:cc:subject:message-id:in-reply-to:references:x-mailer :mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding :x-gm-message-state; bh=bKoNNUocbex6Kaop3vQqDevtBde51ZCH52FFdlrzq4s=; b=dYZQMNzYzOYh26ng5Njy3CM43IyW2K6Yrw1lgHkg3Pl4/Vjis7UbBqeX50MonQuLoj sRRkj9fqVIcv5ys9iZIQRWlpejXskxzfNNBYPvB7tY42yH7t0EvXohhR6xoDIWycCwYL 9Kno0jDdzlrOx10zarwa0qRzU7rMYFTwkrBTlihHbz2IFtKyi0WoraZOy0HaXm2eEn3H hOuKvOzS3Ys7qTcPqhYvkgIPBQ50bIQD9N55Q7flpj2a40kNci7CAg79Pd4e32VGrEi3 I74RDMQ9r5wzl8h7VbgNMO9/8PAwM+WHBzehjmjTIUUeQs8ju2TgppFWyqNWhy+uhHq0 8PiQ== Received: by 10.216.197.162 with SMTP id t34mr6316611wen.5.1347173676552; Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:54:36 -0700 (PDT) Received: from unknown ([188.26.92.99]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id q4sm9477055wix.9.2012.09.08.23.54.35 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=OTHER); Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:54:36 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2012 09:54:12 +0300 From: Theodor-Iulian Ciobanu To: Paul Schmehl Message-ID: <20120909095412.00005a47@unknown> In-Reply-To: References: X-Mailer: Claws Mail 3.7.8 (GTK+ 2.24.8; i686-pc-mingw32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQnxZ90c9HG8EQf40xVf66EkJ2abQS5nfPdYgGDsKpK+PFyJMk3m+3UeDLNOx8jHR3gmG4O8 Cc: FreeBSD Hardware Subject: Re: Dell Perc H200A X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:54:38 -0000 On Sat, 08 Sep 2012 14:34:14 -0500 Paul Schmehl wrote: > I tried to install FreeBSD 9.0 Release on a Dell R410 with Perc H200A > today. When I tried ran the new installer it failed. So I switched > to sysinstall, but it couldn't recognize the disk. > > I googled and found out that there's been a problem with no driver > for that controller. If I understand it correctly, the mps driver > works, but you had to use something called JBOD mode. I have no idea > what that is or how to set it up. I'm not real knowledgeable about > RAID and controllers and the like. > > All I want to do is install FreeBSD on this box. Is there a version > of FreeBSD that will work with the Perc H200A? If so, how do I get > it? I don't know if this is still the case, but there was a time when you could use LSI2008 (the chipset) cards only with IT firmware (JBOD mode) in FreeBSD. To flash the H200A with the IT firmware, you had to go through some hoops, as switching modes for this kind of cards is not done in one step: http://kb.lsi.com/KnowledgebaseArticle16266.aspx And as this is a rebranded 9211-8i controller, you also had to use an older version first. I remember using firmware directly from LSI to be able to get from IR to IT (p7 with the WinXP sasflash.exe, as the other ones all reported errors), then upgraded to the lastest version the usual way. (I don't know if it will work with the PowerEdge 6Gbps SAS HBA firmware - Dell's version of this card in IT mode). I was then able to use my discs with software raid, with massive performance improvements, as this card does not have any on-board cache and the Dell IR firmware forces disc write-cache off. You are of course doing all of this at your own risc, your warranty will be void etc. > Paul Schmehl, Senior Infosec Analyst > As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions > are my own and not those of my employer. > ******************************************* > "It is as useless to argue with those who have > renounced the use of reason as to administer > medication to the dead." Thomas Jefferson > "There are some ideas so wrong that only a very > intelligent person could believe in them." George Orwell -- Theo