SR2600URLXNA - HOW TO ENABLE HW RAID ?

[idata]

Hi,

I have configured

Mfr# SR2600URLXNA

with AXXRAKU42E (Battery) & AXXMINIDIMM512 (RAM) & RAID BD AXXRAKSAS2 (RAID KEY)

I have 5* SAS 15krmp drives installed.

I updated bios with SROMBSASMP2_HWRAID_Firmware-v1.20.62-0545.zip

I still can not see any screen/ bios configuration to configure RAID 5

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[idata]

Hi there,

Assuming that you have the Active Midplane 2:

In order to enable Hardware Raid, you need to make sure that you have these:1) Activation Key: AXXRAKSAS22) Memory: AXXMINIDIMM512.

Check the document below to make sure that you have the right product

http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/s5520ur/sb/s5520ur_config_guide_rev_13.pdf http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/s5520ur/sb/s5520ur_config_guide_rev_13.pdf

Midplane: FALSASMP2 892611 735858198110

Memory: AXXMINIDIMM512 897046 735858202015Activation Key: AXXRAKSAS2 891290 735858194739

Download the EFI package again

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/confirm.aspx?httpDown=http://downloadmirror.intel.com/17968/eng/SAS_FW_v.2009.06.26_ph16p3.zip&agr=&ProductID=3068&DwnldId=17968&strOSs=&OSFullName=&lang=eng http://downloadcenter.intel.com/confirm.aspx?httpDown=http://downloadmirror.intel.com/17968/eng/SAS_FW_v.2009.06.26_ph16p3.zip&agr=&ProductID=3068&DwnldId=17968&strOSs=&OSFullName=&lang=eng==========================Update instructions:==========================

1. If present, remove RAID Activation Key AXXRAKSAS2 and RAID DIMM

2. Copy contents of update package to USB flash drive, CD or other bootable media.

3. Boot to EFI Shell and change to the directory where update files are located.

4. Execute the command: falsasmp2upd.nsh

5. Reset system, and verify IR Option ROM comes up during POST with no error messages. (step # 4 also updates HWRAID FW) If you wish to upgrade to HWRAID mode, shut down system and insert RAID Activation Key AXXRAKSAS2 and RAID DIMM.

Go into the Bios

Disable Quiet Boot

If you are not using the sata controller,you can disable it or configure it as ide so as not be confused.

Save and Exit

Reboot and check if you can enter the raid bios, it must be the Ctrl + G for hardware raid.

All the best,

Regards,

Aryan

[idata]

In order to enable Hardware Raid, you need to make sure that you have these:

1) Activation Key: AXXRAKSAS22) Memory: AXXMINIDIMM512.

Hi

Do you need to have the Activation Key and Memory for Raid 1, I thought this was only needed for Raid 5.?

How would one set up the basic hardware Raid1 feature on the made board

[GStua1]

If anyone comes upon this question, like I did after days of scouring the 'net, trying to find ANYTHING about how to enable RAID in SR1600UR SR1600URHS SR1625UR SR1625URSAS systems, on S5520UR boards, ignore the advice provided years ago, above (the links provided now lead nowhere and just get you going down ratholes). Here is what you need to do if you have the Activation key and the memory:

Update the BIOS to R0069. That at least is still available on Intel for Download if you search on S5520UR. Pay very careful attention to the update instructions since IT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DOWNGRADE ONCE YOU HAVE UPGRADED.

Install the Key and the memory Chip. The memory card is hard to install; it doesn't clip in easily - you have to press one side in, so that it snaps into place, then the other other side. If you try to press it in "flat" it just will not go in.

Now, if you bring the system up and your BIOS upgrade is fine, and you enter the BIOS using F2, you will find that no drives will come up - 3 days it took me to figure this out. No matter what you set in the BIOS, the SATA array in the Mass Storage Configuration Screen will remain empty, and no drives will appear as boot options. No OS install will "Find" any drives to install on.

What you need to do to be able to use ANY drive when the RAID hardware installed, is activate the controller; and the instructions above definitely won't help with doing that . Until the RAID controller is activated, you cannot choose it as a boot device - except, how do you choose it, if it doesn't show until it's activated! The system makes no sense but it is what it is.

Here is what you do to activate it:

Bring the system up, with no USB's or peripherals, (so that it will eventually boot into the EFI Shell), continually pressing CTRL-G. You will see nothing, only be presented with the regular Boot screen allowing you to enter the BIOS etc. Keep pressing CTRL-G. What will then happen is that if you will go through to the EFI shell.

Now type Exit and Voila! the RAID BIOS Console will finally appear.

Now you will be able to see the disks you have installed etc, activate the Controller and and configure the drive(s) using the Console.

Once you have configured the RAID controller and disks, reboot, and then enter the BIOS with F2.

Go to the Boot options screen and there you will finally see the RAID controller as a Boot option.

Choose it as the 1st device, and you will finally be able to access your drives.

Hope this helps anyone who may want to use these boxes with the add-on, and hopefully it will save you the 3 days of head-scratching and scouring the 'net I wasted on this.

C'mon Intel - just because something is out of support doesn't mean you should just wash your hands of providing decent instructions!