S2600CO & pass-through disks

[idata]

Greetings,

I'm trying to install Debian Wheezy and the SAS/SATA connected hard disks are not being detected during the installation process. Below is the hardware I'm working with:

1) 2600COE server board (no C600 upgrade key)

4) 1 Tbyte Seagate Barracuda drives connected to the SAS/SATA ports

1) 120 Gbyte SSD attached to the SATA port

1) DVD attached to the SATA port.

I want to manage the disks through the operating system not via RSTe or ESRT2(LSI*), so the disks should just pass-through. I've tried all the settings under

BIOS SAS/SATA Capable Controller

without any luck. I've read about needing Redhat or Suse drivers but I'm installing Debian. Any thoughts?

Todd

[Edward_Z_Intel]

The SAS/SATA ports operates at either RSTe or ESRT2 mode. RSTe supports pass through, but I believe you'll still need to load driver for OS to see the HDDs.

Perhaps you should go for a board with 6 AHCI SATA ports like S2600CP.

[idata]

Thanks, I'll try loading the driver first. If you had to choose between the Redhat or Suse driver which one would you try?

[idata]

It appears from the Intel documentation that I don't need a driver.

From the "Intel Server Board S2600CO Family Technical Product Specification"

Section 3.3.3.2 Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RSTe)

"Open Source Compliance = yes (uses MDRAID)

MDRAID supported in Linus (Does not require a driver)"

Through the BIOS Setup Utility I've tried disabling the software RAID and using RSTe and ESRT2 without success. I should be able to plug the drives into SAS/SATA ports 0-3 and go. What am I missing?

Todd

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Well if no additional driver is needed, that because the driver is embedded into the OS already.

The Linux SCU driver (isci) has been upstreamed to the Linux kernel since kernel version v3.0.

[idata]

Harman, Did you find a solution to this? I have the same issue.

Thanks

Dave

[FPOTA1]

Hello,

In fact I have the same problem.The BIOS does not detect any disk drive on the SAS/SATA ports 0 - 3 whatever settings.

The only working ports are the two SATA 6 Gb/s (white connectors).

This problem occurs after a BIOS update to 02.01.0002 for Xeon E5-2600 v2 support. Previously with the original BIOS, SAS/SATA ports 0 - 3 where working but only with hard disk and curiously DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drives were not detected at all.Currently this issue limits the storage configuration to two devices (1 DVD + 1 DVD).

Any ideas or undocumented BIOS setting ?

/Paco

[Edward_Z_Intel]

How are your SAS/SATA ports configured in BIOS? RSTe or ESRT2? What kind of hard drive are you using?

[FPOTA1]

From BIOS menu : Advanced tab -> Mass Storage Ctrl Configuration :

=> AHCI Capable SATA Ctrl Configuration [Enhanced] tried also [Compatibility] & [AHCI]

=> SAS/SATA Capable Ctrl Configuration [Intel RSTe]

Bios display (when drive & dvd connected to SATA port)

SATA Port-0 HL-DT-STDVD-RO ATAPI (DVD-ROM drive)

SATA Port-1 WDC-WD10EADS-2 (1000.2 GB) 3.5" Western Digital 1 TB SATA HDD

or WDC-WD5000BPKT (500.1 GB) 2.5" Western Digital 500 GB SATA HDD

If HDD connected to SAS/SATA (pass-through mode) no devices are detected on those 4 ports (blue)

Tried to connect just 1 HDD on a SAS/SATA port without any devices on the 2 white SATA, same issue.

Normally BIOS should display any detected HHD devices attached to those 4 blue SAS/SATA port ?

Thanks

/ Paco

[FPOTA1]

In addition to Re.8 using the following setting in the Mass Storage Ctrl Configuration menu :

=> AHCI Capable SATA Ctrl Configuration [Enhanced]

=> SAS/SATA Capable Ctrl Configuration [Intel RSTe]

and with the "Western Digital 500 GB SATA HDD" connected to SAS/SATA Port-0.

In fact this drive is detected by the BOOT menu via that is confusing because

not detected by the "Mass Storage Controller Configuration" section as it should be.

Anyway for the DVD connected on the SAS/SATA Port-1, the Boot menu takes more

than 30 secto show up and the DVD drive is not dectected.

To make the story short, 1 DVD and 1 HDD on the 6 Gb/s SATA ports 0-1 and up to

4 HDDs on the SAS/SATA ports 0-3 in pass-through mode.Regards, Paco

[Edward_Z_Intel]

BIOS will only display drives connected to SATA port.

Suggestion:

Connect DVD-ROM to SATA port).

Connect HDDs to SAS/SATA connectors (the blue ones).

Load RSTe driver for OS installation.

[FPOTA1]

Hello,

Windows XP x64 successfully installed with a disk connected on SATA (White) port.

When trying to install XP x64 on a disk connected to one of SAS/SATA blue port (0-3), we have a problem with the floppy disk containing the required SAS/SATA driver.

The Windows installer complains about corrupted "iastorA.sys" & "iastorS.sys"files ?

Intel Server Board CD contains drivers for "W2003-x64" flavor, not sure if those are compatible for XP x64. So Upload "RSTe_Windows_DRV_v3.8.0.1111" (29oct2013) kit and I retry a fresh XP x64 installation with disk on SAS/SATA without success.

Also try to install W7-x64, W2008 R2 and Linux OpenSuse with those SAS/SATA blue

port without success. W7 and W2008 found the system disk but fail to create disk partition and Linux did not found any valid disk.

As workaroud, I have just installed a SATA 6 Gb/s 2-port Internal PCIe MSI option

using a Marvell SE9128 host controller chip in order to connect additionnal disks.With that MSI option: XP-x64, W7-64, W2008 R2 and Linux Suse could be installed without any problem as on the 2 SATA 6 Gb/s S2600co on-bord "white ports".

I think that there is still a problem with those 4 SAS/SATA blue ports when you dont

have any additionnal RAID option installed. For this default SAS/SATA pass-throught mode, it would be usefull to have a BIOS Storage sub-menu that display and enabled the SATA devices connected.

We have other LGA 2011 systems: Asus Rampage IV Gene & MSI X79MA GD45

and we do not have issues with the 6 SATA ports (2 x 6Gb/s & 4 x 3Gb/s) on the Intel X79 chipset whatever operating systems used.

Beyond I will investigate with a RAID SAS RAID Controller with Write-Back cache

in order to have high performance RAID 10 (6 to 8 SAS disks) using this S2600 board.

Regards, Paco

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Most likely your issue is related to this:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-023203.htm Server Products — Failure to load driver during installation from some USB floppy drives

Possible workaround:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-026606.htm Server Products — Utilizing a USB floppy to install an operating system

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-029550.htm Server Products — Slipstreamed install required for Microsoft* Windows

Infromation from Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916196 A connected USB floppy disk drive does not work when you press F6 to install mass storage drivers during the Windows XP installation process

[DCust1]

Hi

is there any solution?

I have the same problem....update to latest bios but nothing....on white port they see HDD on blue not.

TNX

Darko

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Some information about the blue ports:

1. By default only four ports out of eight are enabled, and only SATA devices are supported. RAID Upgrade Keys are available to enable features like all eight ports, SAS support, and RAID 5. See http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-033461.htm Intel® RAID Quick Reference Guide for details.

2. Those ports work in either RSTe mode or ESRT2 mode. in either mode, HDDs are controlled by RAID FW, so you don't see them in BIOS.

3. Driver is needed during OS installation.

So this is not a problem, but expected behavior. To use the blue ports, you need to:

1. Choose RAID mode in BIOS (RSTe or ESRT2).

2. Configure RAID.

3. Load driver.