Server board S3420GPLC does not boot after enabling EFI optimized boot

[SWrig6]

I am trying to setup 2 x WD2002FAEX 2TB drives in RAID 0 to run Server 2008 R2 Enterprise and install the Hyper V role so I can run multiple OS for server labs testing. I have previosly had it setup but it was slow and running out of drive space so I upgraded hard drives and want to setup RAID 0 for performance where I had RAID 1 before but I now want RAID 0.

CPU Intel Xeon X3440

RAM 16GB Kingston KVR1333D3D8R9S.

Hard drives WD2002FAEX 2TB Black Edition

RAID 0/1/10 Intel ESRT2 with embedded software RAID technologyll

Matrix RAID for 0/1/10/5

Happy to use the onboard RAID but I have a Silicon FG-SA3114 4 port RAID card I would prefer to use as it has more funtionality and reading a lot of posts people recommend hardware RAID.

Anyway not using the card at the moment just want to resolve my issue.

The hard drives are blank brand new no data as it's all backed up on backup drive.

Both drives are connected to SATA ports 0 1.

Boot into BIOS

Setup RAID 0 and get total 3723.4GB.

I understand this is the logical drive size of the RAID VD

I want to convert the logical drive to GPT and boot using the EFI optimized boot option so I get the advertised disk space

When I enable this in the BIOS save and reboot system does not boot.

I get all the beep codes but no display. I end up having to use the clear CMOS jumper to get it back up.

What am I doing wrong?

Also when I enable the EFI optimized boot option I go to Advanced > Mass storage controller configuration and the RAID options are gone.

Only see Enhanced, Compatability & AHCI option.

Maybe what I am trying to acheive is impossible.

In the meantime I will download latest BIOS firmware and see if this resolves issue.

Please advise.

[SWrig6]

I notice when Matrix RAID is enabled EFI boot option is available.

Will this enable EFI boot?

Also what if I use hardware RAID card I mention in OP?

If no RAID mode is selected in BIOS will this enable booting EFI boot?

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Latest version of RST does support UEFI boot, but not on this board (requires later chipset and RST OROM 10.5). Hardware RAID should be OK, see http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-031158.htm http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-031158.htm for details.

AHCI mode should also support UEFI boot, but you wouldn't need to do that unless you're using 3TB or larger physical disk.

[SWrig6]

Once I configure the RAID0 with the 2 x 2TB drives I see 3726GB so I am over the 3TB I will need to set the AHCI mode UEFI option ROM yes?

I then boot to the shell and run a command from the shell using the drivers from the download centre.

File name: S5500_UEFI_4_5.zip

Is this correct?

If not please advise.

[Edward_Z_Intel]

AHCI is non-RAID mode.

[SWrig6]

It seems I didn't explain that very well.

To resolve this issue and move forward.

I want to create a RAID drive on this board and boot from the shell to the windows PE, create a GPT disk using diskpart then install Windows server 2008 R2 Enterprise so I can use the full 3.726TB.

In the BIOS under mass storage controller configuration it shows the AHCI option ROM.

It states "For AHCI capability in EFI, the AHCI legacy option ROM should be set to [Disabled].

I had this set to "Disabled" and I was able to boot from the shell prompt Fs0: using the following command.

\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI

This launched the windows DVD in the optical drive.

What I want to know is can I use diskpart and convert the VD that I created with the Intel MATRIX RAID or using the Silicon 3114 hardware RAID card to a GPT disk so I can then install Windows?

Do I have to set the EFI optimized boot under boot options?

I understand if I set this it disables the onboard RAID wich you have already stated RST is not compatible with UEFI on this board.

Keep in mind I am trying to do this NOT on a single physical drive but on a RAID set VD.

Would it be easier to just partition the VD and forget converting to GPT?

Do these BIOS options only apply to a single physical drive over 2TB and not over a RAID set?

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Here's the thing:

1. Only GPT supports drives (either physical drive or RAID VD) lager than 2TB.

2. You must enable EFI optimized boot to boot from a GPT disk.

3. When EFI optimized boot is enabled and you boot the Windows DVD from \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI, Windows installation will create GPT partition automatically. So you don't have to boot from WinPE and use diskpart to create a GPT disk before installing Windows.

4. I don't know if Silicon 3114 can recognize the VD created from Matrix RAID, or if Silicon 3114 supports UEFI. But you can give it a try. At the same time, Intel hardware RAID cards support booting from GPT disk. Here is a very detailed white paper: http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/CS-031158.htm Intel� RAID Controllers — Using GPT (GUID Partition Table) with Intel� RAID Controllers. Except for RAID configuration, other OS installation steps should apply to other RAID/disk controllers

Did that answer your question?

[SWrig6]

Yes that pretty much covers it.

I think I was not clear on the functionality of the EFI modes on this board.

From reading other posts I understood I had to convert the disk to gpt using diskpart.

Looks like I have successfully created the gpt partiton on the RAID card but it wont boot.

Changing it to EFI boot in the BIOS makes no difference it does not see the Sil Raid0 as a bootable partition.

I may have to stick with mbr and create a another partiton in order to get the left over drive space.

[Edward_Z_Intel]

You'll need to create a second VD, instead of another partition. A Disk (from OS point of view, which could be either a physical disk or a RAID VD) is either GPT or MBR. You can't have one MBR partition and another GPT partition on one disk.

[SWrig6]

Thanks for the tip. I may end up investing in a RAID card that supports UEFI or upgrade the server board.

You mention creating another VD.

If I create the second VD in the RAID configuration console will it still be available for use in the OS?

I would think not if it is MBR.

I cannot create another MBR partition in the OS or would this work if the extra drive space was created as a VD?

[Edward_Z_Intel]

The second VD will appear as a second disk in the OS, not partition. So you can install Windows on the first VD (MBR) normally, and if the second VD is larger than 2TB, you can format it as a GPT disk.

[SWrig6]

I could not create a second VD on that card unless I use the other 2 drives and I have plans for them.

Could I create a second VD if I used the embedded RAID ESRT2 or MATRIX RAID?

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Yes. When you create the first VD, specify the size of the VD so that it doesn't use all the disk space. Then you can create a second VD. You can do that with either ESRT2 or Matrix RAID. With ESRT2, the two VDs are in same RAID level. With Matrix RAID, they can be in different RAID level.

[SWrig6]

Sweet. I'll give that a try and post results.

[SWrig6]

Everything is working as close as I can get using the maximum disk space.

Matrix RAID0 with 2 VD's created to take advantage of extra partition.

Installed Server 2008R2 64bit and recoverd all my virtuals from backup.

Setup other two 2TB drives in RAID1 for data.

One problem though is when I install the Nvidia card HD6450 and boot up the Matrix RAID console is not in the boot order and I cannot boot from volume 0.

It's still set in the BIOS but does appear during the POST so no boot unless I remove video card.

I tried disabling the onboard video in the BIOS but Matrix RAID still a no show during POST

Also no Volume 0 or 1 on the BIOS boot order.

What gives?

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Seems there're some conflicts between Matrix RAID OROM and your video card.

First of all, do you mean Radeon HD 6450? This card is not validated on this board, so I won't be able to give you a solid answer. Just several general suggestions:

1. Update BIOS/Firmware to latest version if you haven't done so

2. Go to BIOS => Advanced => PCI Configuration. Change the settings of "Maximize Memory below 4GB" and "Memory Mapped I/O above 4GB"

3. Does the ESRT2 ROM work with this video card?

4. Try a different video card.

[SWrig6]

Yes I meant Radeon.

The last card I used worked fine it was an Nvidia 8500 but fan failed so I went to passive card.

The Radeon was working in the previous system using ESRT2 so the card works with board just seems not with MatrixRAID.

I have already updated BIOS to latest.

Will follow your other suggestions and post back.

[SWrig6]

You mean change these settings to disable yes?

I also disabled onboard video as seems like an obvious choice but when I made these three changes it would not boot at all with the card installed so I had to reset bios.

Any other ideas?

Might have to change card to a supported type.

It's strange though when card installed MatrixRAID is still set in the bios but no RAID console or volumes in the boot order.

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Why don't use ESRT2?

[SWrig6]

But that will mean starting from scratch won't it?

Won't I lose my current RAID config?

RAID 0 2 partitons Volume 1 & 2

RAID 1 Data Volume 3

I have Hyper v and virtuals restored.

Lots of work to redo it all again would prefer to avoid.

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Oh I see... I thought you were setting up a new system...

Then it seems the only solution is to use a different card.