Firmware Bios vs. Operating System

[BVerd]

Hi!

can i get help from someone? are firmware in bios different from operating system like for instance windows software?

How about if i was reformatted a new hard drive which has an operating system of windows server 2008 and use the intel server s1200bts that works with ESRT 2 and RST in bios mass storage controller, now to a new server that was reformat when i set bios to mass storage controller and set to RAID and press F10 after rebooting and back to bios but first i disable quiet boot, after all it came back again to AHCI and I cannot create A raid for ESRT 2 on mass controller storage, do i think i erase the driver for RAID when i reformat it to a new O.S? or the driver for RAID ESRT 2 & RST matrix are still there in the firmware? i have don't have an idea whatsgoing on and cannot create RAID...I'm badly needed to configure my RAID for 4 DRIVES for RAID 10 array..since we have large file to run an application and need a RAID to perform large reading and Writiing....

anyone could help me so that i can turn it on to work the ESRT 2 & RST onboard RAID controller on BIOS.

appreciated much for your attention to this matter. I'm very thankful if some could help to this technical issue..

thank you again.

Seann

[Daniel_O_Intel]

Hello, Seann -

The operating system software should be completely separate from the BIOS settings, for the most part. If you are enabling ESRT2 RAID, that normally would delete anything on the hard drives, if they were not ESRT2 RAID already.

If you enable it in the BIOS, save the changes, and reboot - are all your changes lost? If so, you may need to reflash the BIOS and other firmware on the motherboard. That should not be happening.

[BVerd]

Yes it lost..it cannot save ESRT 2 in mass storage controller, it all come back again in AHCI default when rebooted, and booted in OEM windows server 2008. How can I reflash the BIOS of Intel server board s1200bts? i do have an Intel server Deployment Toolkit 4.1, when i reinstall the windows server 2008 the driver of 2k8-x86_v.14.00.0110.2011 in usb included it couold not recognize the drive for ESRT 2, How will i enable the ERST 2 or RST in BIOS? what are the exact drive to recognize the driver for ESRT 2? second option i made for RAID-5 in server manager where i create a RAID-5 of 3 drives? i worried about because it does not have an interface to rebuild in times of drive failure...i hopeless in ESRT 2 to create in bios...it does'nt work to create a RAID..

What will i do sir...?

[BVerd]

it doesn't change when i set mass storage controller to RAID and press F10 to save and quit but it all detects the hard drive in mass storage..when booted it always go to windows server 2008, i repeated several times...all are the same it will back again to AHCI in mass storage controller.

I think i'm hopeless i cannot create a raid in ESRT II or RST in BIOS..it cannot post on the BIOS...when i disable the quite boot and go to mass storage controller and set to RAID then i press F10,

nothings change when booted.

[BVerd]

i dont have any adapter or RAID controller attached on PCIe just using the embedded RAID onboard only to create a RAID array..

[Daniel_O_Intel]

Seann -

You can reflash the BIOS using this download - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=22493&keyword=s1200bts&lang=eng Download Center

If the board still isn't saving your settings, it might be worthwhile to double-check to make sure you don't accidentally have a jumper set for CMOS clear or something. It's jumper J1H3 on your board, see page 110 (122 of 158) in the http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-032382.htm Server Products — Technical Product Specification

[BVerd]

Sir Dan_0,

I think i accidentally set the jumper set for CMOS clear, what will i do to bring back the settings to normal so that i can use the RAID ESRT2 in BIOS? and how can i use the reflash of the BIOS? what are the steps to do the reflash the BIOS?

Seann -

[Daniel_O_Intel]

Seann -

Check the links in my last message. The first link is a download that has instructions on how to flash the BIOS. The second link has a PDF that tells you where the jumper is located on the motherboard, and what position it is supposed to be in.

[BVerd]

Thank you sir Dan_0 for very informative and technical support, now i see the link.

appreciated much for your technical support.

Seann

[BVerd]

Hi sir Dan_0,

I set CMOS clear by using the jumper J1H3 and I initiated the ESRT II in the Bios. I did not do the reflash in the BIOS because I did initialize to configure ERST II. I set the configuration DWC( disk write cache ) to turn off and read on set to on. I perform to make RAID O for operating system and RAID 10 for SQL data files.

Do you think sir it is right to turn off the disk write cache? Am I right in my configuration in RAID 0 and RAID 10?

Anything you advice technically to perform well for RAID? One more question sir, which I do prefer ESRT II or RST (matrix) for our Intel server board s1200bts and I using HGST ultrastar 1TB for RAID 10 in SQL data files and RAID 0 for operating system.

Thank you so much appreciated much for your technical support.

Seann -