IBM M1015 Firmware Version?

[drwoodcomb]

Hi all,

I just bought an IBM M1015 RAID Card on ebay. I've read on several guides and forums that the card needs to be flashed to IT mode but I am unable to find information on which version of the firmware I need. The card I just ordered from ebay will arrive with the following configuration:

"It's currently on LSI 20.00.04.00 firmware in IT mode"

Is the card ready for installation as is? Or do I need to install a different version of the firmware?

Thanks

 

[Spearfoot]

Hi all,

I just bought an IBM M1015 RAID Card on ebay. I've read on several guides and forums that the card needs to be flashed to IT mode but I am unable to find information on which version of the firmware I need. The card I just ordered from ebay will arrive with the following configuration:

"It's currently on LSI 20.00.04.00 firmware in IT mode"

Is the card ready for installation as is? Or do I need to install a different version of the firmware?

Thanks

Version 20.00.07.00, release date 11-FEB-16, is available from Avago/LSI's website:

http://www.avagotech.com/products/storage/host-bus-adapters/sas-9211-8i#downloads

Some users have experienced problems with the older version 20.00.04.00, so you may want to flash your card with the updated release. I've done this w/ my M1015 and all 4 of my Dell H200's.

 

[drwoodcomb]

It's unfortunate to hear that. I've never flashed a RAID card before and am unsure how to do it. I was hoping it would be ready to go. Oh well, I'm always up for a challenge.

Thanks for the quick response.

 

[drwoodcomb]

Version 20.00.07.00, release date 11-FEB-16, is available from Avago/LSI's website:

http://www.avagotech.com/products/storage/host-bus-adapters/sas-9211-8i#downloads

Some users have experienced problems with the older version 20.00.04.00, so you may want to flash your card with the updated release. I've done this w/ my M1015 and all 4 of my Dell H200's.

I was looking at the link you provided and noticed the RAID card pictured on this link does not look like the one I bought. The one I bought is this one ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/152295386785 ).

If this does not matter I was also wondering if this is the correct file to download?


9211-8i_Package_P20_IR_IT_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows
Package_P20_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows
Version: 20.00.07.00
File Size: 1700 KB
Language: English
Read Me
MSDOS and Windows 04/04/2016



I was looking under "Firmware" and didnt see anything else with 20.00.07.00 except for this one.

All the others were version 20.00.00.00 or less. For this file would I use a program like Rufus to create a bootable FreeDOS flash drive and update that way? Sorry for all the questions, this is completely new territory for me. I still have not installed FreeNAS yet on the computer I plan installing this RAID card into. Im not really sure what the difference is between all the different downloads with different OS's but all of those ones are version 20.00.00.00 (UEFI, Solaris, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD Installer, Package_P20_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows)

 

[Spearfoot]

Chances are you can run the older version without problems.

The 9211... archive you cite above is the one with the latest version of the firmware and is the source for the firmware I use on my boards; there does indeed seem to be a discrepancy between it and the packages for other operating systems.

The IBM M1015 and LSI-9211 boards differ somewhat in appearance, but are functionally equivalent; the IBM is merely an OEM version of the LSI board.

Again, you can try using the board 'as is', provided it's running the IT version of the firmware. But note that many boards are flashed with the IR firmware and have to be flashed to IT mode before use with FreeNAS.

There are many good references here on the forum and on the internet for flashing these cards. One is located here:

https://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/

Good luck!

 

[Sakuru]

I was looking at the link you provided and noticed the RAID card pictured on this link does not look like the one I bought. The one I bought is this one ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/152295386785 ).

If this does not matter I was also wondering if this is the correct file to download?


9211-8i_Package_P20_IR_IT_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows
Package_P20_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows
Version: 20.00.07.00
File Size: 1700 KB
Language: English
Read Me
MSDOS and Windows 04/04/2016



I was looking under "Firmware" and didnt see anything else with 20.00.07.00 except for this one.

All the others were version 20.00.00.00 or less. For this file would I use a program like Rufus to create a bootable FreeDOS flash drive and update that way? Sorry for all the questions, this is completely new territory for me. I still have not installed FreeNAS yet on the computer I plan installing this RAID card into. Im not really sure what the difference is between all the different downloads with different OS's but all of those ones are version 20.00.00.00 (UEFI, Solaris, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD Installer, Package_P20_Firmware_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows)

Yes, that is the correct file. You can flash that within FreeNAS.

Code:

sas2flash -f Firmware/HBA_9211_8i_IT/2118it.bin

 

[Stux]

Do you have the link to your software set on this forum?

Last I checked the STH instructions, the links were broken.

Edit: yup, still busted.

 

[drwoodcomb]

Yes, that is the correct file. You can flash that within FreeNAS.

Code:

sas2flash -f Firmware/HBA_9211_8i_IT/2118it.bin

Thanks for the info, I think this will help me out a lot. I have just one question though.

Do i use sas2flash found in the directory 'sas2flash_dos_rel'?

I see sas2flash also in a directory called 'sas2flash_win_x64_rel'. Since my computer has a 64bit cpu but no operating system installed can I use that one?

I also forgot to mention. This card is already in IT mode using version 20.00.04.00. I think this firmware I am downloading is for 20.00.07.00 but I think I read somewhere that the command I need to use is different depending on which mode I am switching to.

I plan on making a bootable freeDOS flash drive and then extracting the content of the download onto it.

Then should I do the following?

cd sas2flash_dos_rel/
sas2flash -f Firmware/HBA_9211_8i_IT/2118it.bin


Im also confused as to why the tutorial I read says to type:

Convert LSI9211-IT or IR to LSI9211 IR or IT
Type in the following exactly:
Megarec -cleanflash 0
<reboot, back to USB stick>
sas2flsh -o -f 2118ir.bin -b mptsas2.rom (2118it.bin = IT mode Firmware, change according to which way to flash)
sas2flsh -o -sasadd 500605bxxxxxxxxx (x= numbers for SAS address)
<reboot>
Done!

I dont see Megarec anywhere in the download.

 

[Stux]

To convert an ibm m1015 to an lsi2111 9211 involves a bit of hackery to erase its oem label.

But once that's done it is a 9211, and standard fw flashing should work.

 

[Spearfoot]

Thanks for the info, I think this will help me out a lot. I have just one question though.

Do i use sas2flash found in the directory 'sas2flash_dos_rel'?

I see sas2flash also in a directory called 'sas2flash_win_x64_rel'. Since my computer has a 64bit cpu but no operating system installed can I use that one?

I also forgot to mention. This card is already in IT mode using version 20.00.04.00. I think this firmware I am downloading is for 20.00.07.00 but I think I read somewhere that the command I need to use is different depending on which mode I am switching to.

I plan on making a bootable freeDOS flash drive and then extracting the content of the download onto it.

Then should I do the following?

cd sas2flash_dos_rel/
sas2flash -f Firmware/HBA_9211_8i_IT/2118it.bin


Im also confused as to why the tutorial I read says to type:

Convert LSI9211-IT or IR to LSI9211 IR or IT
Type in the following exactly:
Megarec -cleanflash 0
<reboot, back to USB stick>
sas2flsh -o -f 2118ir.bin -b mptsas2.rom (2118it.bin = IT mode Firmware, change according to which way to flash)
sas2flsh -o -sasadd 500605bxxxxxxxxx (x= numbers for SAS address)
<reboot>
Done!

I dont see Megarec anywhere in the download.

See the discussion in the "Where is the megarec utility to crossflash M1015 to IT mode?" thread. In post #6 there, I posted a zip file with the complete fileset I used to flash my M1015 to P20 (20.00.07.00) of the IT mode firmware, using a bootable USB flash drive. I also give fairly comprehensive instructions further down, particularly post #9.

Good luck!

 

[drwoodcomb]

Do you have the link to your software set on this forum?

Last I checked the STH instructions, the links were broken.

Edit: yup, still busted.

I am not sure if this is what you are asking for but here is the firmware i was talking about and the one I think I am supposed to install on my

To convert an ibm m1015 to an lsi2111 9211 involves a bit of hackery to erase its oem label.

But once that's done it is a 9211, and standard fw flashing should work.

I dont suppose you know how to do that or know of a good guide you could point me to? Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Stux]

I am not sure if this is what you are asking for but here is the firmware i was talking about and the one I think I am supposed to install on my



I dont suppose you know how to do that or know of a good guide you could point me to? Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I was asking spearfoot :)

He replied: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ibm-m1015-firmware-version.47580/#post-327429

 

[drwoodcomb]

See the discussion in the "Where is the megarec utility to crossflash M1015 to IT mode?" thread. In post #6 there, I posted a zip file with the complete fileset I used to flash my M1015 to P20 (20.00.07.00) of the IT mode firmware, using a bootable USB flash drive. I also give fairly comprehensive instructions further down, particularly post #9.

Good luck!

Thanks, I will check it out. Do you know if this will work for a card that is already flashed to IT mode?

I think I might be confused about something and only now realizing it. Is there something fundamentally different about a m1015 firmware and an lsi 9211 firmware?

From what you are all telling me I get the impression that there is a firmware the card originally came with (m1015 firmware) and the firmware I am suppose to be installing (lsi 9211 firmware). The m1015 being ibms and the lsi 9211 being oem. Is that about right?

Seems to me i need to determine which firmware is on the card now and then figure out if i can directly install lsi 9211 firmware or if I first need to switch from the m1015 firmware to the lsi 9211.

The card was supposed to arrive in the mail today (usps tracking says its was delivered 3hrs ago) but i just got home and its not here. So Ive got considerably more challenges to flashing the card. I imagine its even easier when the card is actually in my possession lol. Fml

 

[Jason Hamilton]

@drwoodcomb did you get this done? I just flashed mine tonight since it finally came in the mail as well.

 

[drwoodcomb]

@drwoodcomb did you get this done? I just flashed mine tonight since it finally came in the mail as well.

Yea I did. It took me a little while to understand how it works but so far its been running in my freeNas Box for over a month without any problems

 

[Stux]

Yep, there is a procedure to wipe the m1015 firmware so that you can install the lsi firmware.

Once the lsi firmware is installed the card believes it's an lsi card.

 

[Jason Hamilton]

I was so happy that all 12 of my drives came across without an issue. I migrated from a 3ware card with all the drives setup as single disk. When the server booted up and I watched the messages say initializing the pool and all the drives started to flash a sigh of relief passed over me. The only issue I have is one of the drives showed up in freenas as a multipath so I'll start a new thread on what to do about this one disk. I've read some posts about deleting it but I'm unclear on this.