siisch timeouts when using 3 of 3 backplane groups in backblaze

[stereoa]

Hi all,

I recently built a backblaze pod using an Intel s3420gplx, 16 gb of ram, a Xeon x3480, 9 5x port multiplier backplanes to 3 SY-PEX40008 PCI-e sata controllers. When I plug in sata to all 3 pci-e sata controllers I get siisch timeouts and can't boot freenas. When I unplug any one of them leaving 2 it works just fine. Any troubleshooting?

 

[b1ghen]

Did you try to use different PCI-E slots on the motherboard?
I see in the manual (http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/s3420gp/sb/s3420gp_userguide1.pdf) that this Intel board has 5 slots and some are PCI-E 1.0 and some are PCI-E 2.0 at different datawidths.

 

[stereoa]

Thanks for the response! I did try different slots. I started using these 3:

Gen 1 x4
Gen 2 x4
Gen 2 x8

Then tried moving them all down one to this config:
Gen 1 x1
Gen 1 x4
Gen 2 x4

No luck there. I'm thinking I will try moving them up to this config:
Gen 2 x4
Gen 2 x8
Gen 2 x8

I am finding now that I get non-consequential timeouts during regular operation even with 2 out of 3 plugged in, but it doesn't halt the boot like 3 out of 3 does.

 

[stereoa]

I tried every possible combinations of PCI-e ports. After pulling out every last hair on my head, I've hit a brick wall. I see that many many people have this problem with freebsd. Should I just give up?

 

[Chewie71]

Hi,

Did you ever get this figured out? Looks like I'm having the same or similar issue. I had the same problem with the default Debian install on this too.

Matt

 

[William Grzybowski]

This controller is just not well supported in FreeBSD, you might get better luck using 8.3 BETA 3. But I would just buy something else, that is well supported in FreeBSD.

 

[mrsieb]

Hi all,

I recently built a backblaze pod using an Intel s3420gplx, 16 gb of ram, a Xeon x3480, 9 5x port multiplier backplanes to 3 SY-PEX40008 PCI-e sata controllers. When I plug in sata to all 3 pci-e sata controllers I get siisch timeouts and can't boot freenas. When I unplug any one of them leaving 2 it works just fine. Any troubleshooting?

Did you also have IRQ Storms in your console?
look at my post sounds to a similar problem than i have.
http://forums.freenas.org/showthrea...ot-X-and-IRQ-Storm-on-SiI3132-SATA-Multiplier


If i running FreeBSD 8.X i get IRQ Storms if a Run BSD9.0 i get The Slot Time Outs like you.
There is still a problem using Port Multiplieres on BSD....my opinion is there is an general issu in the SIIS driver and/or IRQ handling in BSD.

can you post pls your output of "vmstat -i ?"
and "camcontrol devlist -v"

greetings