I am trying to build a file server with 1 x 80 GB main drive and 4 x 500 GB SATA drives in RAID in a Supermicro 3U server. I found out the hard way that Centos 4.2 does not have a driver for the onboard Marvell H2 controller the drives are connected to.
Supermicro techs sent me aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img as an img file. I used dd to copy to a floppy and dd confirmed successful write.
I booted Centos 4.2 and chose linux dd. When prompted I inserted the floppy and the driver was loaded. However, when it came to partitioning the drives, no drives could be found. I tried loading the driver during install using F2 for "other drivers", still no go.
Has anyone had success with this process or am I doing it wrong? The img file can be downloaded from http://www.masonc.com/aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img if anyone would like to test it.
On Sat, 2006-03-11 at 08:13 -0400, Chris Mason (Lists) wrote:
I am trying to build a file server with 1 x 80 GB main drive and 4 x 500 GB SATA drives in RAID in a Supermicro 3U server. I found out the hard way that Centos 4.2 does not have a driver for the onboard Marvell H2 controller the drives are connected to.
Supermicro techs sent me aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img as an img file. I used dd to copy to a floppy and dd confirmed successful write.
I booted Centos 4.2 and chose linux dd. When prompted I inserted the floppy and the driver was loaded. However, when it came to partitioning the drives, no drives could be found. I tried loading the driver during install using F2 for "other drivers", still no go.
Has anyone had success with this process or am I doing it wrong? The img file can be downloaded from http://www.masonc.com/aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img if anyone would like to test it.
-- Chris Mason NetConcepts
Chris,
The standard 4.2 ISOs boot an i586 kernel not an i686 kernel.
Try the 4.2 single server CD and you might have better luck (it boots an i686 kernel).
The upcoming 4.3 ISO set for the i386 arch will boot an i686 kernel by default and require people to pass in i586 if they want to install on an i586 machine. This will solve the dd issue once and for all :)
How it will work:
For most users (everyone except pentium classic and VIA / Cyrix i586 users) it will be press enter as normal (or linux followed by any switches ... just like now). This will behave and use the exact same type of kernel (built from sources of course) as the upstream provider.
For i586 users ... you would do:
i586 <Enter>
The above command would boot the i586 kernel and install on an i586 machine. This is an option not offered by either the upstream provider (or many of the other rebuild projects).
For rescue it will be the same .. for normal users:
linux rescue <Enter>
for i586 users
i586 rescue <Enter>
Thanks, Johnny Hughes
Johnny Hughes wrote:
Chris,
The standard 4.2 ISOs boot an i586 kernel not an i686 kernel.
Try the 4.2 single server CD and you might have better luck (it boots an i686 kernel).
Ahh, so it was doomed to failure. Wierd. I am downloading that CD now.
Is there a way to use the img disk after the OS is installed and working? I can use the other SATA interface on the MB for the OS disk.
Johnny Hughes wrote:
Chris,
The standard 4.2 ISOs boot an i586 kernel not an i686 kernel.
Try the 4.2 single server CD and you might have better luck (it boots an i686 kernel).
The upcoming 4.3 ISO set for the i386 arch will boot an i686 kernel by default and require people to pass in i586 if they want to install on an i586 machine. This will solve the dd issue once and for all :)
That worked beautifully and the server is up with mdadm running a 4 disk raid. No errors so far.
On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 at 8:13am, Chris Mason (Lists) wrote
I am trying to build a file server with 1 x 80 GB main drive and 4 x 500 GB SATA drives in RAID in a Supermicro 3U server. I found out the hard way that Centos 4.2 does not have a driver for the onboard Marvell H2 controller the drives are connected to.
Supermicro techs sent me aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img as an img file. I used dd to copy to a floppy and dd confirmed successful write.
I booted Centos 4.2 and chose linux dd. When prompted I inserted the floppy and the driver was loaded. However, when it came to partitioning the drives, no drives could be found. I tried loading the driver during install using F2 for "other drivers", still no go.
Has anyone had success with this process or am I doing it wrong? The img file can be downloaded from http://www.masonc.com/aar81xx.rhel4qu2.i686.img if anyone would like to test it.
I would strongly recommend *not* using that SATA controller at all. Your problems with it aren't going to end once you get the install done. The driver from SuperMicro is not going to track the vendor kernel closely at all, so you'll be forced to not install kernel updates. Also, given that the driver isn't in the kernel, its performance and stability are unknown.
On my compute nodes with SM boards, I just threw a 3ware 8006-2 in each and a single drive. On my servers, I used the same controller and a pair of 74GB WD Raptors as a hardware RAID1. The 3w-xxxx driver is rock solid and has been in the kernel for a long while.
What controller are you using for the 4 drive RAID array? Would it be possible to boot off that?
Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:
I would strongly recommend *not* using that SATA controller at all. Your problems with it aren't going to end once you get the install done. The driver from SuperMicro is not going to track the vendor kernel closely at all, so you'll be forced to not install kernel updates.
As it is an internal server with the sole purpose of serving non-critical files, there won't be much need to update the kernel.
Also, given that the driver isn't in the kernel, its performance and stability are unknown.
I'll do some testing.
On my compute nodes with SM boards, I just threw a 3ware 8006-2 in each and a single drive. On my servers, I used the same controller and a pair of 74GB WD Raptors as a hardware RAID1. The 3w-xxxx driver is rock solid and has been in the kernel for a long while.
I ordered a 3ware with the server, they forgot to ship it. I may still go back and move the array to it if it ever arrives.
What controller are you using for the 4 drive RAID array? Would it be possible to boot off that?
They are on the same Marvell interface.
Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:
I would strongly recommend *not* using that SATA controller at all. Your problems with it aren't going to end once you get the install done. The driver from SuperMicro is not going to track the vendor kernel closely at all, so you'll be forced to not install kernel updates. Also, given that the driver isn't in the kernel, its performance and stability are unknown.
Well, you were right, the performance sucked. I will wait for the 3ware card to arrive.
-
Chris Mason (Lists) -
Johnny Hughes -
Joshua Baker-LePain