Two (2) simultaneous SAS controllers

[vicmarto]

Hello.

First time working with SAS controllers. Just installed two (2!) SAS controllers to a Supermicro X10SLM+-F and the systems don't boot past the SAS firmware check. The cards are:

• LSI SAS 9212-4i4e
  
• LSI SAS 9211-4i

If I only use one card at a time, all is OK.

Still stock firmware in both cards.

Please, is this the expected behavior? Can only be used one (1) SAS card simultaneously? Thanks.

 

[CraigD]

You can use more than one SAS Controller, I use three

Code:

root@freenas:~ # sas2flash -listall
LSI Corporation SAS2 Flash Utility
Version 16.00.00.00 (2013.03.01)
Copyright (c) 2008-2013 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved

		Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

Num   Ctlr			FW Ver		NVDATA		x86-BIOS		 PCI Addr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

0  SAS2008(B2)	 20.00.07.00	14.01.00.08	07.39.02.00	 00:01:00:00
1  SAS2308_1(D1)   20.00.04.00	14.01.30.16	07.39.00.00	 00:02:00:00
2  SAS2008(B2)	 20.00.07.00	14.01.00.08	07.39.02.00	 00:07:00:00

		Finished Processing Commands Successfully.
		Exiting SAS2Flash.

Have Fun

 

[Chris Moore]

First time working with SAS controllers. Just installed two (2!) SAS controllers to a Supermicro X10SLM+-F and the systems don't boot past the SAS firmware check. The cards are:

First. do one card at a time and get them on IT mode firmware. Then try with both cards in the system. You don't need the card to have the 'BIOS' or 'UEFI' portion of the firmware unless you are trying to boot from the card. You only need the base firmware. If you only have that, you can still boot from the SATA or USB on the system board. The cards will only be HBA capable, but that is all FreeNAS needs.

 

[Scharbag]

First. do one card at a time and get them on IT mode firmware. Then try with both cards in the system. You don't need the card to have the 'BIOS' or 'UEFI' portion of the firmware unless you are trying to boot from the card. You only need the base firmware. If you only have that, you can still boot from the SATA or USB on the system board. The cards will only be HBA capable, but that is all FreeNAS needs.

Also, removing the BIOS will speed up the boot process!!

I also use 2 SAS controllers with 33 connected SATA drives in 2 separate enclosures:

Code:

LSI Corporation SAS2 Flash Utility
Version 16.00.00.00 (2013.03.01)
Copyright (c) 2008-2013 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved

	Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2) 

Num   Ctlr			FW Ver		NVDATA		x86-BIOS		 PCI Addr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

0  SAS2008(B2)	 20.00.07.00	14.01.00.08	  No Image	  00:04:00:00
1  SAS2008(B2)	 20.00.07.00	14.01.00.08	  No Image	  00:1b:00:00

	Finished Processing Commands Successfully.
	Exiting SAS2Flash.

 

[vicmarto]

Thanks all for your help!

Followed Chris's advice and all is ok now, luckily.