IBM SERVERAID M1015 Cabling to support 16 devices

[AltecBX]

Try just one Hard Drive with the DVD sata cable in the same DVD sata port. Use the same SATA power connector from the DVD on the HD. See if it shows up in the BIOS.
If it doesn't reset the BIOS to default.

Make sure there isn't any other peripheral connected.

 

[jgreco]

I should note that somewhere in my head comes a warning that there's a variation of the LSI controller that's configured to not work with hard disks. It is unusual. You might want to Google around a bit.

 

[Z300M]

The M1015 should support up to at least 32, but there's a caveat: it only has eight lanes. It's essentially a 9240-8i or wotevr. It can DIRECTLY attach to eight devices. You can add a SAS expander to it which loses you four lanes but then gets you the additional devices, but usually the cost of the expander exceeds the cost of the M1015 (at least on eBay).

So this isn't just a cabling issue. The IBM redbook may be assuming that it is integrated into an IBM chassis that has an expander, but I'll also say it isn't exactly clear why they're saying 16.

If your motherboard's only PCIe 16x or 8x slot is already occupied by one M1015, you can't add another M1015, so adding something like a RES2SV240 may be the simplest way to go if you need more drives.

 

[Spud]

Try just one Hard Drive with the DVD sata cable in the same DVD sata port. Use the same SATA power connector from the DVD on the HD. See if it shows up in the BIOS.
If it doesn't reset the BIOS to default.

Make sure there isn't any other peripheral connected.

Yep tried it just now, plugged the DVD Rom in and it shows up as the only device, shutdown and plugged in a HD and the DVD is still there but no HD. Swapped SATA cables around Reset the BIOS no change.

 

[Spud]

I should note that somewhere in my head comes a warning that there's a variation of the LSI controller that's configured to not work with hard disks. It is unusual. You might want to Google around a bit.

Just had a look though all the options, couldn't find anything like you describe and I'm about the melt Googles cpus with the amount of searching I've done on the x10sl7-f :)

thanks!

 

[Spud]

If your motherboard's only PCIe 16x or 8x slot is already occupied by one M1015, you can't add another M1015, so adding something like a RES2SV240 may be the simplest way to go if you need more drives.

Yeah right thanks for pointing that out, I was thinking about an expander card like the res2sv240 but from what I have learnt since looking into that option the onboard sata/sas controllers should be enough for the time being, if I can get them working.

But I guess you can never have enough HD space and the M1015 will go into this system at some point. :)

 

[Spud]

It definitely looks like a bad board. Still, quite a specific problem to have, over two separate controllers.

Yeah I agree, but I have tried around 10 or so different cables, around 8 different HD's and 2 power supplies so that kind of rules out everything but the board.

thanks

 

[AltecBX]

Yep tried it just now, plugged the DVD Rom in and it shows up as the only device, shutdown and plugged in a HD and the DVD is still there but no HD. Swapped SATA cables around Reset the BIOS no change.

Let me get this straight.
You see the DVD Rom in Bios ->Then shutdown PC and plugged in the HD in the same SATA & power cable from DVD Rom -> Then booted and it showed no HD on Bios?
You shouldn't be able to see the DVD Rom drive as you're using its cables (sata & power) with no other peripherals connected to any ACHI ports.

 

[Spud]

Let me get this straight.
You see the DVD Rom in Bios ->Then shutdown PC and plugged in the HD in the same SATA & power cable from DVD Rom -> Then booted and it showed no HD on Bios?
You shouldn't be able to see the DVD Rom drive as you're using its cables (sata & power) with no other peripherals connected to any ACHI ports.

No, I pull everything out including USB sticks and so on.

Plug in the DVD rom on a sata cable and boot the machine and it shows up in the BIOS, then shutdown and pull the DVD

I plug in the HD on that same cable and nothing, shutdown.

I put that DVD on the same cable as the HD was on and its back, shutdown, plug in a second (known to be working) sata cable and plug in a HD. Boot the system with a freenas 9.3 disc and nothing but the DVD shows up. Shutdown.

I plug in 9 HD's across the sata and sas controllers along with the DVD rom and boot the system, freenas shows up gets to the install prompt and I say yep install, no HD's available. Shutdown.

I plug in a USB stick along with 2 x 3TB WD reds, 4 x 2TB reds, 2 x 880GB greens and an old 150MB WD raptor and I boot, BIOS finds DVD and boots freenas, freenas finds USB "ONLY" nothing else shows up, finish install and boot freenas off the USB and it cannot see any HD's either.

I probably didn't explain myself to well before sorry about that.

 

[AltecBX]

Ahh I see. What mode do you have your SATA ports in?
Try updating the BIOS to the latest firmware. If already, force the latest update to flash again.
Then try plugging in a known working HD to each port one at a time (Power down and then connect to SATA1, powerdown connect to SATA2, etc..)
If all else fails, time to RMA that board.

 

[Spud]

Well the latest update...

The board has to be faulty, we plug those same drives into a mates system and guess what they pop up straight away.

I shall let you know what the outcome is after the xmas break.

Thanks for all the help you have given people, I very much appreciate it!

 

[Spud]

Hi guys,

Just a quick update to let everyone know that the X10SL-7 MB has now been replaced and the new one works!!!

I've now tried my reds/greens/blacks and raptors and they all show up on both controllers.

Thanks again for the help you guys gave during this figgin nightmare but its now fixed and everyone's happy :D

 

[AltecBX]

Great . Good news!