SOLVED IBM ServeRAID M1015 - "WARNING: Firmware version 15 does not match driver version 20 for /dev/mps0"

[paradoxiom]

I cross flashed my M1015 card to IT mode using the guide here: http://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/

I did "sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin" as opposed to "sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom" because I don't need the optiomrom bios on the card to load during boot (that's what this does, correct?)

Anyway, all went perfectly fine and I have yet to hook any drives up to it, but this morning I just noticed freenas has a yellow alert stating:

WARNING: Firmware version 15 does not match driver version 20 for /dev/mps0

Google found me this, https://bugs.pcbsd.org/issues/7144 which led me here: http://doc.freenas.org/9.3/freenas_alert.html

Which says:

An alert will also be generated when the LSI HBA firmware version does not match the driver version. To resolve this alert, download the IT (integrated target) firmware, not the IR (integrated RAID) firmware, from the LSI website. Then, specify the name of the firmware image and bios as well as the controller to flash:

sas2flash -f firmwareimagename -b biosname -c controllernumber

When finished, reboot the system. The new firmware version should appear in the system messages and the alert will be cleared.

This is where I get lost, firstly is this actually what I need to do to resolve this 'error' with my card? (will it not function until I fix it, if I did attach drives to it now?) and if so, could someone point me to the exact files I need and where to put them before running that (or a similiar/modified) command in order to perform the flash?

Thanks in advance, I'm new to NAS / FreeNAS etc in general so I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

 

[Jailer]

My question is if you are new to this why are you on the nightly? A new user should be on the stable train unless it is purely for experimentation.

As for the error, you need to flash the card with the correct firmware, specifically version 20 for 9.3 nightly and version 16 for 9.3 stable.

 

[paradoxiom]

My question is if you are new to this why are you on the nightly? A new user should be on the stable train unless it is purely for experimentation.

As for the error, you need to flash the card with the correct firmware, specifically version 20 for 9.3 nightly and version 16 for 9.3 stable.

Ah thanks. So the problem is that the flash isn't compatible with the nightly, that explains why I didn't see the 'error' last night after installing the nightly.

Where can I get version 20 of the firmware? and when flashing it, would I do exactly the same process as I did the first time just correcting for the changed filenames on the USB stick etc?

That is if I choose to do it, I might just revert back to the stable release, but if FreeNAS in future will require the updates firmware I'd rather just do it now before I hook drives up to it etc.

Thanks again,
para

 

[Jailer]

Regardless of what version of freenas you choose to use you're going to have to reflash your card.

You can find the firmware files here.

 

[paradoxiom]

Regardless of what version of freenas you choose to use you're going to have to reflash your card.

You can find the firmware files here.

Thanks, could you explain why I need to reflash it regardless?
I mean, is something incorrect / outdated with the guide I used and linked?

 

[danb35]

The guide has you using version P15 of the firmware. The firmware version is supposed to match the driver version. 9.3-STABLE (and 9.2.1.x) use the P16 driver, so they need the P16 firmware. 9.3 nightly uses the P20 driver, so it needs the P20 firmware.

 

[Jailer]

You have version 15 firmware installed on your HBA. That's what that warning is telling you, that the firmware version on your HBA doesn't match the driver that freeNAS uses. The stable train of FreeNAS 9.3 uses the phase 16 driver and the nightly train uses version 20. You need your firmware version to match the driver that freenas uses or you run the risk of data loss.

 

[paradoxiom]

I see, thanks - so the cross-flash guide I used is rather outdated?

I want "Installer_P20_for_FreeBSD.zip" from your link right?

Then copy Installer_P20_for_FreeBSD\sas2flash_freebsd_amd64_rel\sas2flash to the root of the USB stick where the files from the installation guide are?


If I look at the instructions here, however (from the old guide):

Convert LSI9240(IBM M1015) to a LSI9211-IT mode

Type in the following exactly:

megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin
megarec -cleanflash 0

<reboot, back to USB stick >

sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin
sas2flsh -o -sasadd 500605bxxxxxxxxx (x= numbers for SAS address)

<reboot>
Done!

Where does the 'sas2flash' file come in from the zip? It has no extension and there are no existing files with that name.
Do you / or anyone that might see this know what commands I should be typing with the version 20 file and such?

Do I just modify the "sas2flsh" part of the commands to "sas2flash"?
Then again, sas2flash.efi is the only other file called sas2flash, but the version 20 one has no file extension, so should I rename it to have the extension and then replace the existing one and repeat the flashing process? Because sas2flsh is actually sas2flsh.exe, it appears, and I'm guessing it doesn't replace that.

Thanks again,
para


Thanks in advance.

 

[Jailer]

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/confused-about-that-lsi-card-join-the-crowd.11901/

And make sure you are flashing it with the IT firmware and not the IR firmware.

 

[paradoxiom]

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/confused-about-that-lsi-card-join-the-crowd.11901/

And make sure you are flashing it with the IT firmware and not the IR firmware.

Is there a specific post in that thread which deals with the updated files? because the link in the original post is how I found the guide I used to flash it originally.

 

[ethereal]

download the firmware version you require - 20 if you are staying on nightlies.
you want IT mode so use 2118it.bin to flash you card. depending on your setup you may need to use DOS or UEFI

but if you've already flashed the card you should know the procedure

 

[ethereal]

M1015 -> 9211-IT


This is for dos access - if you get "unable to initialize PAL" need to use efi shell - see other guide.



Boot from the USB drive you created as per the first post in this thread
Enter the following at the command prompt


megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin

megarec -cleanflash 0


Reboot your PC (CTRL-ALT-DEL) and boot back onto the USB stick


sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom

sas2flsh -o -sasadd 500605b0xxxxxxxx (replace the xx's with the SAS address from your card)


Reboot your PC (CTRL-ALT-DEL)
DONE!


Don't use any dashes or spaces when using the SAS address

 

[ethereal]

this is what i used because my m\b wanted uefi and i needed P16 - the name of the bin file is always the same make sure you download the version you need and add it to the flash drive.

1. Items needed: DOS-bootable USB flash drive with MEGAREC.EXE and its dependency DOS4GW.EXE, EMPTY.BIN, sas2flash.efi, and the firmware version P16 of 2118it.bin.

2. Put the files on the DOS USB drive and boot the server with it.

3. Save original sbr (serial boot rom) by typing: megarec -readsbr 0 backup.sbr (put this backup in a safe place once you're done with the whole process).

4. Write an empty sbr file to controller: megarec -writesbr 0 empty.bin

5. Erase controller flash: megarec -cleanflash 0

6. Reboot into UEFI Shell (through F11 Boot menu).

7. In the SuperMicro UEFI Shell, you can see devices with map. Adding -b to most commands stops from scrolling off the screen.

8. fs0: takes you to the first filesystem (should be flash drive). Now ls will work to see files.

9. Erase the firmware and bios (not sure this is needed since I did it with megarec, but it didn't hurt): sas2flash.efi -o -e 6

10. This will say the controller is not operational, then ask for a firmware version, this is the file 2118it.bin. The erasure takes time.

11. Flash the controller to the new firmware: sas2flash.efi -o -f 2118it.bin

12. Put SAS address in where 500605b********* is the code on the green sticker on your card (no hyphens or spaces):
sas2flash.efi -o -sasadd 500605b*********

13. Verify success with: sas2flash.efi –list

14. In the list will be a Firmware product ID. If that ends with (IT), you should be good.

 

[ethereal]

sas2flsh is for dos

sas2flash.efi is for efi

 

[ethereal]

you need to download - 9211_8i_Package_P20_IR_IT_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows.zip from the link given to you. this has the 2118it.bin in there. add the 2118it.bin to the flash drive.

you've just downloaded the Installer_P20_for_FreeBSD which is not what you need. there is no firmware in it !!!

 

[Darren Myers]

If you need the P16 firmware for IT more, it is found here. I posted a direct link to the download. https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/first-time-m1015.35313/#post-214104

 

[paradoxiom]

you need to download - 9211_8i_Package_P20_IR_IT_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows.zip from the link given to you. this has the 2118it.bin in there. add the 2118it.bin to the flash drive.

you've just downloaded the Installer_P20_for_FreeBSD which is not what you need. there is no firmware in it !!!

Thank you. First person to notice my mistake, this is the solution.

Edit: oh all those other posts are you too.. ok. well, thanks :) going to attempt to flash it now.

 

[paylesspizzaman]

So I flashed my M1015 to the IT firmware version 16, and when I run sas2flsh -list under firmware product ID it says 0x2213. There are no letters at all. Is that okay or did I screw something up?

 

[theshadow27]

Sorry to bump an old thread... I'm on 9.3-STABLE-201512121950 and am getting the "firmware 15/driver 20" message after following the guide linked in the sticky to crossflash a m1015. Per the above I assume that at some point 9.3 stable went from v16 to v20? (That doesn't sound stable to me;))

Anyway the LSI link above is dead, and I can't find the referenced file (or anything related to 9211_8i) on the new site (avagotech.com/support/download-search). Any tips on where to find the v20 files?

BTW I'm itching to play with 10 alpha, is that v20 too?

 

[Mirfster]

You mean this? http://www.avagotech.com/products/server-storage/host-bus-adapters/sas-9211-8i#downloads

Once there look under "Firmware" Section.