Help Error Message

[depasseg]

Technical Support
Sep 17

Hi DePasseG,

Thank you for taking the time to contact Super Micro Computer Technical Support.
Our Lab is still validating PH9 firmware, on all SMC LSI3008 product. Once it has finished without any issue, it will be released on our ftp site.
It is not recommended to update to the LSI PH9, as we do not know about any issue that may arise.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Best Regards,
Ma Xiong

Super Micro Computer Technical Support

From: DePasseG
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 10:59 AM
To: Mike Hilliard; Technical Support
Subject: LSI 3008

LSI has version 9 available (as well as 10) for their 3008 based HBA controller. The latest I see from supermicro.com is version 8 (ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/driver/SAS/LSI/3008/Firmware/3008_FW_PH8_072015.zip). When can we expect to receive the version 9 update from supermicro?

In the mean time, can I install the version 9 firmware update provided by LSI (avago) to my on-board 3008 controller (http://www.avagotech.com/products/server-storage/host-bus-adapters/sas-9300-8e#downloads)?

Thank you,

Greg

 

[eddie200112]

SO it may just be best to hold off then I suppose until SMC sends out their update?

 

[depasseg]

That's what I'm doing. And why I'm checking out their FTP site regularly.

 

[depasseg]

Phase 10 was posted today.
ftp ://ftp.supermicro.com/driver/SAS/LSI/3008/Firmware/

 

[eddie200112]

Huzzah! Thanks for the heads up!

 

[depasseg]

Grr, it looks like this is version 10. I'll put in a bug report to FN to see what they can do.

 

[eddie200112]

What's wrong with it being version 10? Not supported in freenas?

 

[depasseg]

The driver in FreeNAS is v9 and LSI strongly recommends having the driver and firmware versions match.

 

[reqlez]

Any update on this ? Like ... Is it safe to cross flash to LSI ? Or is firmware version 8 running fine for you ?

 

[depasseg]

I flashed to using the LSI v9 firmware. No issues.

 

[eddie200112]

Have they updated to support the v10 drivers yet

 

[warswe]

I flashed to using the LSI v9 firmware. No issues.

Which one did you install exactly from LSI v9?

Originally I had:
NVDATA Version (Default) : 03.05.00.22
NVDATA Version (Persistent) : 03.05.00.22
Firmware Product ID : 0x2721 (IR)
Firmware Version : 03.00.06.136
NVDATA Vendor : LSI
NVDATA Product ID : LSI3008-IR

Tried installing the IT version as recommended, but got an:
ERROR: Cannot Flash IT Firmware over IR Firmware!
Firmware Image Validation Failed!

Did you force that one and can confirm it's running fine?

Or did you install another one?

I currently have loaded this one:
NVDATA Version (Default) : 09.00.00.08
NVDATA Version (Persistent) : 09.00.00.08
Firmware Product ID : 0x2721 (IR)
Firmware Version : 09.00.00.00
NVDATA Vendor : LSI
NVDATA Product ID : SAS9311-8i


Appreciate if you could share an sas3flash –list

 

[depasseg]

I was already running in IT mode, sounds like you need to do a deeper wipe of the flash to migrate to IT mode.
Here's my output:

Code:

[root@freenas1] ~# sas3flash -list
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 10.00.00.01 (2015.06.18)
Copyright 2008-2015 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved.

        Adapter Selected is a Avago SAS: SAS3008(C0)

        Controller Number              : 0
        Controller                     : SAS3008(C0)
        PCI Address                    : 00:01:00:00
        SAS Address                    : 5001234-0-1234-4a00
        NVDATA Version (Default)       : 09.00.00.07
        NVDATA Version (Persistent)    : 09.00.00.07
        Firmware Product ID            : 0x2221 (IT)
        Firmware Version               : 09.00.00.00
        NVDATA Vendor                  : LSI
        NVDATA Product ID              : SAS9300-8i
        BIOS Version                   : 08.17.00.00
        UEFI BSD Version               : 09.00.00.00
        FCODE Version                  : N/A
        Board Name                     : SAS9300-8i
        Board Assembly                 : N/A
        Board Tracer Number            : N/A

        Finished Processing Commands Successfully.
        Exiting SAS3Flash.
[root@freenas1] ~# 

 

[solarisguy]

@warswe, the command sas2flash included in FreeNAS manipulates the firmware and BIOS. However, it cannot change between IR and IT modes (in either direction) when executed within an operating system. When executed from FreeNAS (or any other operating system) it can only change the firmware revision, but not the mode (IR or IT).

MS-DOS and FreeDOS are not really operating systems :), so SAS2FLSH.EXE can be used to change from IR mode to IT, if... your BIOS has BIOS32 extension. Many do not have it. You almost surely have UEFI BIOS, so instead of DOS you can use UEFI Shell and sas2flash.efi to perform a change from IR mode to IT mode. Does you BIOS offer direct access to UEFI Shell? If it does, then you are in the safe harbour :D If not, then.... (saga will continue :D I still need to compile my notes about booting into UEFI Shell in a readable form).

Assuming that you have only one controller, from DOS you need to execute
(from the output of the command below, write down the SAS Address)
sas2flsh -c 0 -list
sas2flsh -c 0 -o -e 6
sas2flsh -c 0 -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom
sas2flsh -c 0 -o -sasadd 0000000000000000
(in the above command, program back the SAS Address, use only numbers and letters, omit - , and do not use 0000000000000000!)

or alternatively, from UEFI shell
(from the output of the command below, write down the SAS Address)
sas2flash.efi -c 0 -list
sas2flash.efi -c 0 -o -e 6
sas2flash.efi -c 0 -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom
sas2flash.efi -c 0 -o -sasadd 0000000000000000
(in the above command, program back the SAS Address, use only numbers and letters, omit - , and do not use 0000000000000000!)

Summary:

1. Verify the controller information and copy from the output the SAS Address
2. "Clean flash (erase everything except manufacturing area)"
3. Write new flash and BIOS
4. Program the SAS Address

You should not need 7 instead of 6 in step 2. I do not know whether any other steps are then required (if 7 is used instead of 6).

 

[warswe]

Sweet guys, thanks to both of you for your very quick reply!
Your instructions were very easy to follow solarisguy. I've used the sas3flash.efi version after booting into the UEFI mode.

sas3flash -list
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 10.00.00.01 (2015.06.18)
Copyright 2008-2015 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved.

Adapter Selected is a Avago SAS: SAS3008(C0)

Controller Number : 0
Controller : SAS3008(C0)
PCI Address : 00:01:00:00
SAS Address : 5003048-0-16b3-1100
NVDATA Version (Default) : 09.00.00.07
NVDATA Version (Persistent) : 09.00.00.07
Firmware Product ID : 0x2221 (IT)
Firmware Version : 09.00.00.00
NVDATA Vendor : LSI
NVDATA Product ID : SAS9300-8i
BIOS Version : 08.21.00.00
UEFI BSD Version : N/A
FCODE Version : N/A
Board Name : LSI3008-IR
Board Assembly : N/A
Board Tracer Number : N/A

Finished Processing Commands Successfully.
Exiting SAS3Flash.

 

[Ericloewe]

They've had more major versions of sas3flash than of the firmware itself? That's reassuring. /s

 

[eddie200112]

If I install the Supermicro v10 would that work with the latest update yet?

 

[Ericloewe]

Driver is at P9, so you don't want the P10 firmware.

 

[depasseg]

If I install the Supermicro v10 would that work with the latest update yet?

Will it work - yes
Is it recommended - no

Keep the firmware version matched to the driver version (which comes directly from LSI/Avago).

Just use the LSI/Avago v9. That's what I'm running.

 

[alpaca]

Will it work - yes
Is it recommended - no

Keep the firmware version matched to the driver version (which comes directly from LSI/Avago).

Just use the LSI/Avago v9. That's what I'm running.

To be clear on the above: Are you using the V9 firmware downloaded via the 9300 HBA page?