LSI, LSI, how badly you SUCK.

[jgreco]

Sorry, just had to vent.

Installing ESXi 4.1 on an E3-1230, 32GB, LSI SAS2008 (M1015->IR) supplying local datastore. We have others of these, but stuff like the BIOS tends to get out of date, so since this is being rebuilt I decided to start a fresh everything. Firmware upgrades, requires the usual goofy stuff but not too horrible.

The LSI MegaRAID Storage Manager won't work with the new firmware. ($#!+). Okay, well, that MRSM is real old. Let's update that too. For anyone who hasn't seen it, you're supposed to set it up MRSM on a machine that's on the same network as your ESXi management interfaces. That's right, you need a separate machine to manage your RAID card.

Build a replacement OpenSUSE image. Can't get it to work.

Build a new Ubuntu image. Can't get it to work.

Build an OLD Ubuntu image. Can't get it to work. (Put the old MRSM on. That works. But is useless, that's where we started). Can't even figure out why it won't work.

LSI's documentation doesn't tell you what version of ANYTHING they've used; they just talk about Debian or Ubuntu and if you're lucky they give you some oblique reference to figure out. You can find occasional stories of success with older versions out there on the 'net, but no one seems to be having success with more recent ones.

Oh. My. God. Am I actually going to have to install this on a Windows VM? What does LSI think, no one wants to check their RAID controller?

I mean, really, now. I can see a large data center wanting centralized management of all their RAID arrays, and MRSM can do stuff like that. But requiring an entire setup just so you can talk with the RAID controller while the system is up and online? You would think they could just supply a simple client.

AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bollar]

I find the only way to update the LSI firmware on my systems is through an EFI loader that I couldn't find on the LSI site.

 

[jgreco]

Oh don't get me started. On our Supermicro X9 boards it just won't work, and if you spend some time researching, eventually you get to a trite little notice buried over at LSI that says "oh this doesn't work on some Supermicro X9 boards, use a different board."

The EFI updater didn't work either so you're not missin' nothin.

 

[cyberjock]

That's what you get for buying LSI(looks at his Areca). :D

 

[jgreco]

I'm sure I'd get reported for my one word retort. But it's a combination of the technology used to monitor the health of SATA drives, and an anagram of the letters of the drive attachment technology your Areca uses.

 

[cyberjock]

Honestly I have no personal experience with LSI at all. I bought my Areca 1280ML-24 because it was on sale for almost 1/2 price. I've read good things about LSI and if their card had been on sale I probably would have bought that instead.

 

[Stephens]

I'm sure I'd get reported for my one word retort. But it's a combination of the technology used to monitor the health of SATA drives, and an anagram of the letters of the drive attachment technology your Areca uses

That's making us work for it. SMARTa**.

 

[cyberjock]

I'd rather be that than a dumba**. :D

 

[ECCfrenaslover]

Is it that hard to flash the lsi card? I am having a heck of a time creating a booting USB. Should had found this post before going out to get a new one from China! Arrrrrg!!!

 

[cyberjock]

"hard" is relative. I find it as hard as flashing a BIOS update.

 

[jgreco]

Yes it can be. Some of us are fortunate enough to have benchboxes sitting around for this sort of crud.

 

[ECCfrenaslover]

So where are you? I am ready to send you my two cards since you have the tools... Lol. I have Macs in my network. Is there an easy way to create this USB under Mac? Google has yielded a lot I'd windoze how to...


The "hard" part for me is creating the USB and hoping that I will be able to flash the card on a newer mobo.

 

[cyberjock]

I'm near Chicago IL. If you want them flashed and are willing to include a return shipping label I can do it for you. PM me if interested.

Keep in mind I don't guarantee anything as there's always that slim chance the card fails to update and becomes trash. I've done more than 10 of them for myself and friends so I do know how to do it properly. ;) I actually keep the files on my DOS boot USB stick because I seem to do it so often I don't see a point in deleting them.

 

[Z300M]

I find the only way to update the LSI firmware on my systems is through an EFI loader that I couldn't find on the LSI site.

I had no trouble finding the UEFI version on the LSI Web site.

 

[ECCfrenaslover]

cyberjock,

I am finally back home. Was away for the holidays...

I seem to have made some progress (by my standards...lol). I have followed instructions from this site http://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/

I am stuck at the c:\> prompt. I try to follow and copy the commands listed on how to flash it to IT mode from the site above but when I type the first line, I hit return and the system says bad command.

I tried looking in youtube for a video on how to do it but no luck. Can you share some input on how to proceed please? C: is the bootable usb when I reboot the server...

Please keep in mind that I am a new at ms dos stuff. The few commands I new when I was young (a long time a go) I can't recall anymore. I am too old but I am willing to flash this card or at least try every possibility before I pm you for you to do it. I just can't give up.

Thanks for your time and help.

 

[gpsguy]

Just use the commands listed in the "Convert LSI9240(IBM M1015) to a LSI9211-IT mode" section.

When I did it for a forum user, I created 4 batch files, one for each command. For example, a file named 1.bat, contained the line below:

megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin

Then type 1 (from the command line) and see what happens. Rinse & repeat for the remainder of the lines.

 

[ECCfrenaslover]

gpsgys,

Are you referring to these lines:
Convert LSI9240(IBM M1015) to a LSI9211-IT mode
Type in the following exactly:
megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin
megarec -cleanflash 0
<reboot, back to USB stick >
sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom (sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin if OptionROM is not needed)
sas2flsh -o -sasadd 500605bxxxxxxxxx (x= numbers for SAS address)
<reboot>
Done!


If so, that is exactly what I DID! The errors started coming up after the first reboot and entering the sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom (sas2flsh -o -f 2118it.bin if OptionROM is not needed) followed by the next line. I took a bunch of pics as the messages popped up on the screen. Tried several times and then I started experimenting... I did follow the first 3 lines from the instructions above and then I did follow the commands from this set:
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 ended up with what I believe a card in IT mode! I am able to see all the HDDs with their serial numbers. Right now is running and I am testing the setup by transferring multiple large files...

I am not familiar with creating batch files. Perhaps you could share your knowledge or lend me a copy of what you did? I still have to flash another card but it's still in transit from overseas.

Do I have to use the latest firmware from the LSI site? or can I just go with the files from the link I posted back in post #15?


By the way, the OP was right! LSI does SUCK!

 

[cyberjock]

You have to "cd" to the directory where you put your files and run them appropriately per that guide. That's all the help I can give you unfortunately because you know what you saved and where you saved it.