[CentOS] LSI SATA MegaRaid & Centos 7 build 1511

[Alexander Dalloz]

Am 17.08.2016 um 20:22 schrieb John R Pierce:
> On 8/17/2016 7:46 AM, Fawzy Ibrhim wrote:
>> There's no option in BIOS to disable the RAID mode; this is NEC
>> servers !!
>
> huh.    i've never seen anyone using the lsi megaraid firmware with
> intel SATA ports, so thats two things weird about NEC, kinda glad I
> don't ever see those.

I have been working as a NEC partner and reseller and know very well 
what NEC implements in their Express 5800 server line.

They do not ship anything from LSI which is fake RAID. The onboard SATA 
controllers are Intel chip technology and can work with Windows drivers 
in fake RAID mode. Not with Linux.

On the other hand when real RAID is wanted NEC sells LSI PCI 
controllers. In the model R120b-2 it had been the LSI MegaRAID SAS 
9264-8i. That controller has a BIOS where you define all the common 
parameters which apply to a true RAID controller.

What NEC offers can easily be seen in the Configuration Guide for the 
named server model:

http://www.nec.com/en/global/prod/express/rack/r120b-2/collateral/R120b-2_CG.pdf

NEC did some Linux compatibility testing:

http://www.nec.com/en/global/prod/express/linux/r120b-2/EN_R120b-2_CentOS64.html

http://www.nec.com/en/global/prod/express/linux/r120b-2/EN_R120b-2_RH64.html

It is pretty simple: if lspci does not print out a PCI RAID controller 
card then there is simply no real RAID functionality and no LSI 
component in that server model.

NEC engineers very solid and produces very reliable server hardware. 
Many components are industry standard, as the Intel chipsets and 
processors, OEM LSI RAID controller cards, Emulex FiberChannel HBAs, ... 
NEC does not do any strange modification like implementing LSI firmware 
into Intel chips. Though their motherboards are their own design and are 
manufactured in Japan.

Regards

Alexander