From owner-freebsd-fs@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Dec 15 02:38:53 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DC41E16A418 for ; Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:38:53 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cjcantwell@comcast.net) Received: from QMTA05.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net (qmta05.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net [76.96.62.48]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 76A2A13C4E1 for ; Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:38:53 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cjcantwell@comcast.net) Received: from OMTA08.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.62.12]) by QMTA05.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net with comcast id QmCr1Y00R0Fqzac050Gk00; Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:27:52 +0000 Received: from kiwi ([68.59.182.71]) by OMTA08.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net with comcast id QqTs1Y0041Yq1QL3U00000; Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:27:52 +0000 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=x7PUzPPmk10A:10 a=7VChkff_VAesOZfe7NYA:9 a=YbU9jMbKv0qPG0u4HWwA:7 a=ag1K3r6mBEhvTMr55-LxOjIB-2kA:4 a=ykPfwjqPKwsA:10 a=gi0PWCVxevcA:10 From: "Chris Cantwell" To: Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:26:09 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.5510 Thread-Index: Acg77XjM78Z/GI/ERdifOzBN9XZIlwC0QG2AAADVd4A= X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 In-Reply-To: Message-Id: <20071215023853.76A2A13C4E1@mx1.freebsd.org> X-Mailman-Approved-At: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:25:34 +0000 Subject: FreeBSD 7.0 booting with gmirror does not work using SiI SATA controllers X-BeenThere: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Filesystems List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:38:53 -0000 I posted this on bsdforum.org, but got no response, so here's a repost (apologies if you have already seen this). This all started because I was unable to get gmirror to mirror the boot disks on a SiI3132 PCIe SATA controller, using FreeBSD 7.0-BETA1. This controller is supported in 7.0, and works fine on a single drive. I have since switched to a JMicron363 PCIe SATA controller. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I have done some more testing with booting a gmirror RAID1 configuration on some different disk controllers, both SATA and PATA, and using the PCI and PCIe busses. I was using FreeBSD 7.0-BETA1. I followed the instructions in the FreeBSD handbook. In summary I installed FreeBSD 7.0 on one drive, loaded gmirror, created the mirror, and "gmirror status" showed the mirror to be normal . I then changed fstab and the /boot/loader.conf files so that I could boot from the gmirror. Some controllers would boot the mirror, some would not. Here's my results (SiI = Silicon Image): Success nVidia nForce 6150 PCIe chipset SATA controller (motherboard) Command SiI0680 PCI - PATA controller Promise TX2 PCI - PATA controller Maxtor (Promise) PCI - PATA controller JMicron363 - SATA controller Failure (Note: geom_mirror.ko loads, but will not find mirror, boot process stalls at mountroot> prompt) SiI3112/3114 PCI - SATA controller SiI3132 PCIe - SATA controller (tried two cards from different vendors) gmirror works fine using all the tested controllers, but will not survive a reboot on the two listed above. I would include a dmesg from one of the failed attempts, but it didn't have anything that would help. On success the console reads "GEOM_MIRROR: Device mirror/gm0 launched (1/1). On failure, there is no entry for failing to find the mirror. The last entry is "trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/mirror/gm01sa". So does anyone have any idea why gmirror does not work for a boot disk on the Silicon Image based SATA controllers? This is baffling. Greetings, Chris