Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:28:01 +0200 From: "Hartmann, O." <ohartman@zedat.fu-berlin.de> To: "Gavin L. Bates" <gavin.bates@pcorp.com.au> Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Dell Poweredge 1950 III (PE_SC3): replacement SAS controller to acceess drives >= 3TB Message-ID: <4E97BA51.9060305@zedat.fu-berlin.de> In-Reply-To: <003f01cc8a08$ce5d6360$6b182a20$@com.au> References: <4E96BA63.3040001@zedat.fu-berlin.de> <003f01cc8a08$ce5d6360$6b182a20$@com.au>
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Hello Gavin. In our case, we use a 750 GB drive to boot the system, the 3 TB drive is a ZFS volume with a underlying GPT partition. This is the last state we used, prior to that we tried a ZFS-only without any underlying partitioning, which also gave us not the expected 3 TB, but 2,2 TB. The 3TB drive has been "initiated" on another box equipted with a ordinary Intel ICH10R controller, which didn't have had any problems using the whole 3 TB of the disk. Installing that drive on the Dell PE 1950III and importing the ZFS volume failed. It worked only in the case of initiating/initialising the drive on the Dell and its SAS-6 controller (LSI SAS 3000 type, 1068E-4port), but in this case, only 2,2 TB were visible. I was digging for a replacement BIOS/Firmware for this SAS controller, since it was very common that time and SuperMicro also used a similar type, which was capable of using storage > 2,2 TB - but it seems that is depending on the revision of the HBA's board or controller type. Earlier this year I asked for a solution in this forum, but it came out, that the Dell box uses an earlier type of that LSI controller which isn't capable of addressing more than 2,2 TB. I don't dare to flash the Firmware with an alternative, it's too dangerous since I've got no spare part in case of failure. The pitty is that those SAS boards seem to be custom size, so it's not even easy to simple replace the Dell card with a value LSI alternative, as your links revealed. I hoped to find someone who had already faced this problematic situation but I see, there is obviously no solution. Best regards, Oliver On 10/14/11 02:32, Gavin L. Bates wrote: > Hello Oliver, > > Checking with the Dell website suggests that the only RAID cards they have > that supports 3TB drives with are the H200/H700/H800. See the following > for some point of reference: > http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/servers/f/906/t/19309039.aspx > > Dell also have a pretty decent document about using > 2TB drives... > http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/HDD+Support+for+2.5TB,+3TB+Drives+and+B > eyond > > Note that there seems to be some confusion as the standard BIOS (i.e. not > a EFI) using an MBR partition table will not recognise space beyond 2TB. > The above link suggests using the controller to create a "virtual logical > drive" that is small enough for the operating system to reside on and fits > inside the MBR partition table. Once the operating system has booted, it > can then recognise the GPT table on the larger than 2TB disks/virtual > logical drive. > > In my mind, seeing as you have a Dell PowerEdge 1950III - I would suggest > you buy yourself a suitably sized USB flash key and install this on the > internal USB socket (specifically designed for booting operating systems). > Install the operating system on the flash key and use this to boot off. > Once the OS is booted, the machine should be able to understand GPT and > allow you access to your 3TB+ hard disks. > To me this seems less messy than setting up virtual logical drives and may > even allow you to use a cheaper SAS/SATA card. > > I use this method (with an external USB memory key) to boot VMWare ESXi > 4.1 on a Dell PowerEdge 840 - it works great. > > This also allows you to do other funky things, like try new operating > system setups by simply replacing the USB flash key. New version of the OS > is no good? Plug the old memory key back in and reboot. > > One caveat: I have never attempted to get FreeBSD to read a GPT... is it > supported yet?? > > Enjoy, > > Gavin. > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org > [mailto:owner-freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of O. Hartmann > Sent: Thursday, 13 October 2011 19:46 > To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG; freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org > Subject: Dell Poweredge 1950 III (PE_SC3): replacement SAS controller to > acceess drives >= 3TB > > Hello out there. > > We run a Dell PowerEdge 950 III (PE_SC3) Server with FreeBSD 8.2-STABLE. > This Server is equipted with a SAS controller, residing, as far as I > could observe, on a PCIe slot. > Its kernel message is: > > mpt0: <LSILogic SAS/SATA Adapter> port 0xec00-0xecff mem > 0xfc4fc000-0xfc4fffff,0xfc4e0000-0xfc4effff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci1 > mpt0: [ITHREAD] > mpt0: MPI Version=1.5.14.0 > mpt0: Capabilities: ( RAID-0 RAID-1E RAID-1 ) > mpt0: 0 Active Volumes (2 Max) > mpt0: 0 Hidden Drive Members (14 Max) > > The pciconf -lcv output is as: > > mpt0@pci0:1:0:0: class=0x010000 card=0x1f101028 chip=0x00581000 > rev=0x08 hdr=0x00 > vendor = 'LSI Logic (Was: Symbios Logic, NCR)' > device = 'SAS 3000 series, 8-port with 1068E -StorPort' > class = mass storage > subclass = SCSI > cap 01[50] = powerspec 2 supports D0 D1 D2 D3 current D0 > cap 10[68] = PCI-Express 1 endpoint max data 256(4096) link x4(x8) > cap 05[98] = MSI supports 1 message, 64 bit > cap 11[b0] = MSI-X supports 1 message in map 0x14 enabled > ecap 0001[100] = AER 1 0 fatal 0 non-fatal 0 corrected > > This controller obviously isn't capable of handling 3TB harddrives and I > need it to be replaced - but I do not know what type and brand of > controller is suitbale for the Dell PowerEdge III. We already contacted > our support, but they rejected support, since the BIOS of this server > isn't capable of booting off 3 TB harddrives due to the 32bit > limitations. Well, I need the controller to attach 3 and 4 TB drives, we > still boot off from legacy BIOS capable < 2,2 TB drives, so I see no > issue to replace the SAS controller. > > I'm a bit afraid of buying something "out of the blue" since the > dimensions of this little controller board seems small. I hope someone > already made a decission to buy such a replacement for their similar or > exact the same system and can help me out. > > We do not need RAID, nor SAS 2.0 capabilities, just JBOD. Thanks a lot > in advance, > > Oliver > > P.S. Please also reply to my email, I'm not subsribing "questions" in > case you reply. Thanks. > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hardware > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-hardware-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hardware > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-hardware-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"
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