BUILD Final Hardware Confirmation before I buy

[freenasrast]

The easiest solution is to try it in a different PC, for some reason the LSI firmware tools are strange with certain Intel chipsets or parts or something. The UEFI shell stuff seems to be a disaster.

Hi I tried that, and I don't even believe it was a uefi system by it's age and same error.

 

[jgreco]

Then you may have to try a few different ones, or figure out the UEFI thing (which wouldn't work on Supermicro a year or two ago, which was the last time I tried to fight the beast). We have an HP business PC sitting around the shop that seems to work for most firmware updates, so it just sits around waiting for the next stupid boneheaded firmware update package that requires Windows or a certain chipset or whatever.

 

[freenasrast]

Then you may have to try a few different ones, or figure out the UEFI thing (which wouldn't work on Supermicro a year or two ago, which was the last time I tried to fight the beast). We have an HP business PC sitting around the shop that seems to work for most firmware updates, so it just sits around waiting for the next stupid boneheaded firmware update package that requires Windows or a certain chipset or whatever.

Can you recall the model number?

 

[jgreco]

Can you recall the model number?

Of ... huh? I'm totally not getting what you're asking about.

 

[freenasrast]

Of ... huh? I'm totally not getting what you're asking about.

The HP system.

 

[freenasrast]

Ok I think i got it working.
I completed steps 1 and 2 from the http://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/ with a dos boot usb as they describe. This contains all the files.
1) megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin
2) megarec -cleanflash 0
3) <reboot, back to USB stick >
4) I downloaded the refind usb flash image from http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/getting.html
5) I dd it to a second usb key.
6) I boot with this and it loads a gui where i can select an efi shell
7) it boots to the efi shell and i can see i have to drives fs0 (efi boot usb) and fs1 (the original dos boot usb)
8) at the shell:> prompt I type fs1 to go to the usb drive with the sas2008 files on it
9) i do a dir to see all the files I need there or if you have them in a different directory you can change to that directory here.
10) as per this thread... http://forums.servethehome.com/raid-controllers-host-bus-adapters/433-ibm-m1015-experiences-5.html (post #63) I then ran two commands... that are similar to the orginal instructions....
11) sas2flash.efi -o -f 2118ir.bin -b mptsas2.rom
12) sas2flash.efi -o -sasadd 500605b********* (x= numbers for SAS address)

rebooted

plugged in my fanout cable plugged in some drives and there you have it. So far so good.

 

[purduephotog]

Hi freenasrast,

A couple of random thoughts:

You can get a full-height bracket for the M1015 for $10.00, I recommend you do so....it's not a bad idea to have the card bolted to the chassis!

Here's the guide I usually refer people to for flashing an M1015 to IT mode: http://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/

It might be worth checking Google & see if anyone has actually gotten a 1015 to work in the "video card" PCI-e slot. It certainly *should* work, but sometimes reality is different.

Get your cables from Monoprice.com, might be worth checking around the house for any HDMI or other miscellaneous cables you need & order them all at once.

On a side note, if you haven't ordered the PERC yet, don't....see if you can find an IBM 5014\5015 on the ebay...it's a much better\faster card than a PERC5\6 series & works great in ESXi.

-Will

You've got me tempted here. Now the percs you can get for about 30$, or less, and the 5015s are about 100$. I don't suppose you have a spare 5015 laying around? I'm willing to disassemble my box and benchmark it with the same datasets and backup times over gigE, as well as local copies.

I like being thorough.

Aside from that, I could send you a perc 5i and cables (if you're in the US) and you could benchmark.

Just an idea.

 

[freenasrast]

Hi freenasrast,

It might be worth checking Google & see if anyone has actually gotten a 1015 to work in the "video card" PCI-e slot. It certainly *should* work, but sometimes reality is different.


-Will

Got the card and it worked in the "video card" slot without a problem. Thank the Lord.