SOLVED Hardware raid to software raid

[xTitus Maximusx]

I was just wondering if I had a raid controller fail if I could switch to software raid to and still be able to get to my data?

 

[danb35]

Details. Version of FreeNAS, motherboard, CPU, RAID controller, number and type of drives, RAID configuration of your drives, for a start. But as a quick answer, if you were using the controller to set up a RAID array with those disks, it's unlikely you'll be able to access the data without a working, equivalent RAID controller.

And the circumstances in which you should use a RAID controller with FreeNAS are approximately zero.

 

[xTitus Maximusx]

Right, I understand that RAID controllers are no no's. I have FreeNAS 9.10 the latest stable version. I have a a dell poweredge 2900 with a perc H700 raid controller, 48GB of RAM, 8x3TB HDD's. When installing freenas I had to go into the shell and add mfi_load=”YES” to /boot/loader.conf. I had to set each drive as raid zero on the raid controller and then I was able to set all the drives in RAIDZ.

I was just afraid that if I had my server fail. Weather it might be the raid controller or the motherboard or anything. I might have to buy the same server again(which I don't want to do). I want to just update the server and use the on-board SATA controller and do a software RAID instead.

 

[Sakuru]

You want to use a controller that just passes the disks to the OS. You don't want to do RAID of any kind underneath ZFS. Motherboard SATA controllers set to AHCI mode and LSI SAS HBAs are pretty much all we recommend around here.
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/hardware-recommendations-read-this-first.23069/
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

 

[SweetAndLow]

Just buy the correct controller, it's only $100.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[xTitus Maximusx]

Would you know what controller I would need that would fit in a dell poweredge 2900?

 

[SweetAndLow]

Usually a Lsi 9211 will do the trick but maybe your Dell system has some proprietary ness.

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[xTitus Maximusx]

Would the SAS9211-8I be able to support 8 HDD's? I have the mini-sas cable to connect to the SAS9211-8I.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL8I7M/?tag=ozlp-20

 

[Sakuru]

Yes

 

[danb35]

Another option is the Dell H200, which can be flashed with the same LSI firmware. IIRC, @Mirfster favors those.

 

[Mirfster]

You seem to have put yourself in a pickle... Since you used a Hardware Raid (H700), set them as VDs (Raid0) and then passed them to FreeNAS; it is going to require that you:

1. Backup the data elsewhere
2. Destroy the Pool
3. Wipe the Drives
4. Attach them to a real HBA (LSI 9211-8i, *IBM M1015, *Perc H200 or *Perc H310)
   • * = Card will need to be Cross-Flashed to LSI 9211-8i IT Mode)
   • Yeah, I use the H200s (PCI and Mezzanine Models) in Dell C2100/FS12-TY Servers
5. Create Pool, Shares, Permissions, etc
   
6. Copy Data Back

There are other ways to move a Pool, but you will still need to have somewhere else to house the data...

 

[Stux]

*IBM M1015, *Perc H200 or *Perc H310

You forgot the M1115 ;)

 

[Mirfster]

You forgot the M1115

Yeah, that and a few more. Just hitting the normally recommended ones. :)

 

[xTitus Maximusx]

Do I have to flash the SAS9211-8I to P16-IT?

 

[SweetAndLow]

Do I have to flash the SAS9211-8I to P16-IT?

No you flash it to the version supported by the version of freenas you are running. For freenas 9.10 that is p20.00.07. I think I get the exact version correct?

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[xTitus Maximusx]

Is there any documentation on the version supported? I have been reading that I would have to use the "IT" version?

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I have been reading that I would have to use the "IT" version?

That's correct. The reason for choosing the IT mode version is that it gives ZFS direct control of the disks. The IR mode version can potentially get in the way and cause trouble, even if you don't enable the RAID functionality.

 

[xTitus Maximusx]

Ok! You guys have been really really helpful I appreciate your time.