Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64
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? Thanks in advance, and cheers! Olafo ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64
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. -- Erik Trulsson [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64
Hi Erik, Thanks for your answer! 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. Indeed that is what I also fear, hence my reluctance at having to spend much time trying to figure out a way to enable this controller for RAID purposes, whereas it is an -IMO- bad choice anyway to use this for their RAID strategy. :((( 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. Yes, that would probably be another option. Again it would have the same downside though: I've never done this before, so I'll have to spend time getting that going. In this case, time IS money, so that's why I'm trying to convince my client to better spend that money (and my time) on simply buying a supported hardware RAID controller, which really is a win-win situation for both my client and myself. However, somehow I've not yet been able to drive that argument home, so who knows...:/ Oh well, enough of this rant - surely someday they'll see the light. Until then, I'll just continue to scream in the desert. ;) Cheerz! Olafo ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64 - and Promise RAID controllers???
Hi, Last Friday I ranted: >In this case, time IS money, so that's why I'm trying to convince my >client to better spend that money (and my time) on simply buying a >supported hardware RAID controller, which really is a win-win situation >for both my client and myself. However, somehow I've not yet been able >to drive that argument home, so who knows...:/ Well, eureka, I did it! :) That is... I managed to convince the client to go hardware RAID. ;) They have a preference for the following controller: Promise FAST Trak S150TX4 But.. As far as I gather from the supported hardware list (fbsd 5.3, amd-64) at: http://www.freebsd.org/releases/5.3R/hardware-amd64.html#DISK It looks like this controller is not supported. :( To further compound matters, checking the docs on the controller suggests that, again, this is basically a software RAID solution (no CPU, no on-board memory, and a 66MHz PCI 2.2 32-bit interface): nice to complement their otherwise blazingly fast 64-bit AMD machine, duh! :((( Oh well, again I made a very strong suggestion to buy the Adaptec 2200s U320 SCSI RAID controller, but we'll see... :) Meanwhile, does anyone know of a good hardware SATA RAID controller capable of supporting RAID 10, and which is properly supported by FreeBSD 5.3 (amd64)? Any experiences? Any do's and dont's? Tnx & cheerz! Olafo ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sil 3114 RAID controller issues with FreeBSD 5.3 Release AMD-64 - and Promise RAID controllers???
On Mon, Jan 10, 2005 at 02:26:34PM +0100, Olaf Greve wrote: > Hi, > > Last Friday I ranted: > > >In this case, time IS money, so that's why I'm trying to convince my > >client to better spend that money (and my time) on simply buying a > >supported hardware RAID controller, which really is a win-win situation > >for both my client and myself. However, somehow I've not yet been able > >to drive that argument home, so who knows...:/ > > Well, eureka, I did it! :) > That is... I managed to convince the client to go hardware RAID. ;) > > They have a preference for the following controller: Promise FAST Trak > S150TX4 > > But.. > > As far as I gather from the supported hardware list (fbsd 5.3, amd-64) > at: http://www.freebsd.org/releases/5.3R/hardware-amd64.html#DISK > > It looks like this controller is not supported. :( > > To further compound matters, checking the docs on the controller > suggests that, again, this is basically a software RAID solution (no > CPU, no on-board memory, and a 66MHz PCI 2.2 32-bit interface): nice to > complement their otherwise blazingly fast 64-bit AMD machine, duh! :((( > > Oh well, again I made a very strong suggestion to buy the Adaptec 2200s > U320 SCSI RAID controller, but we'll see... :) > > Meanwhile, does anyone know of a good hardware SATA RAID controller > capable of supporting RAID 10, and which is properly supported by > FreeBSD 5.3 (amd64)? Any experiences? Any do's and dont's? Hi, I'am runnig some 3ware Storage Controllers on 5.2.1 and 5.3 on i386 Hardware. They work well. I use a 3ware 3W-8500-8 disk controller with 4 disks in Raid 5 Mode and some 3ware 3W-7006-2 disk controller with 2 disks in Raid 1 Mode. So far no problems with them. They react well on HotSwaps of defectiv disks (had one diskfailure allready). Gerhard Schmidt| Nick : estartu IRC : Estartu | Fischbachweg 3 || PGP Public Key 86856 Hiltenfingen | Privat: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | auf Anfrage/ Germany||on request pgpxQ7cH4nKo0.pgp Description: PGP signature
