Cross-flashing M5015: The latest working LSI-firmware?

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Rhinox

Member
May 27, 2013
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First, greetings to all forum-members from passer-by!

I just obtained IBM M5015 controller and was scared by terribly long boot-time, so I started looking for some info and found this forum by chance. I have a few questions, but please be patient with me, because I'm complete noob concerning cross-flashing, never done this, and never heard about it untill now...

I would like to flash the latest LSI-firmware (4.10 p2, 12.13.0-0154), but I have read somewhere on this forum some versions can not be flashed on M5015, they simply do not work (oem-controller is detected, or something like that). So my question is:
Q1: which is the last LSI-firmware version working with M5015?

Q2: what the hell is "SBR" (or is it SRB)? I have read it must be wiped out and new loaded. Where can I find the new/latest one?

Q3: That "megarec" tool used for cross-flashing, is it a part of standard LSI-tools (MegaCLI or StorCLI)? If not, where can I find/download it?

Q4 (which should be probably Q1), please be honest with me and tell me: is there some serious danger I could do something wrong and render the raid-controller completely irreversibely unusable? Did this ever happen to someone?
 

mobilenvidia

Moderator
Sep 25, 2011
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New Zealand
You can flash any LSI9260 FW to the M5015, who ever says otherwise is wrong.
But this will not solve the slow boot.
You need to flash the SBR from the LSI9260 to the M5015 fooling it into thinking it's no longer a M5015 with slow boot.
SBR are the OEM settings for the card, it has the card name and some other specific OEM settings
The SBR cross flashing was locked quite a few versions ago.
But you can get around this by clearing the flash first then writing the SBR as per below

How to flash the SAS2108 based cards:
Make a bootable DOS USB disk (Google it)
Place the above files on the USB

Boot to DOS USB stick
Megarec -cleanflash 0 (0 = if only one LSI card in computer, you'll need to work out which number to flash if more than one)
Reboot to USB
Megarec -m0flash 0 0xxx_yyy.rom (xxx= version number, yyy= OEM version)
Megarec -writesbr 0 sbrzzzzz.bin (zzzzz= Card type you are trying to flash to, only really needed with M5014/5015)
Reboot
Done
I keep the SBR and other files over here

You'll need to grab what ever FW you want, I've simply had no time to update the files.
 
Oct 21, 2015
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Italy
www.opensupport.it
i try to flash my two ibm M5014 controller with last LSI firmware (because they are different release)
i read this post and using this bootable image (SAS2108 (LSI 9260) based firmware files) and the last LSI firmware from lsi site (12.15.0-0239).

i change sbr with LSI and all step is ok, no display error on all controller card, but i have a question:

when i enter in webbios config i see model of controlle is M5014 but i aspect that is 9260...but firmware pkg/version is ok upgraded with LSi version number, is correct or my flashing procedure is wrong?? apparently controller work...

but before using it in production I would be safe..

help please!
 

canta

Well-Known Member
Nov 26, 2014
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the card always says M501X after cross-flashing. this is hardcoded(HW identification) in the card.
Cross-flashing or not is not a matter on M501X. the card still slows during booting.

just take two steps: pick IBM(now is lenovo) M501X firmware update or cross-flashing with LSI.
 
Last edited:
Oct 21, 2015
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www.opensupport.it
Ok i use SAS2008.zip and add last LSI firmware and flash with this after write with Lsi9260 sbr in the zip image..

i don't use IBM because i don't have again SysOp installed (win o linux) and dos boot disk save me with this operation, and second point LSI is more update


This operation with LSI firmware in this exemple is cross-flashing for me... (or I did not understand what you mean - Sorry i'm italian :D )

Make a bootable DOS USB disk
Place the above files on the USB
Boot to USB
Megarec -cleanflash 0
Reboot to USB
Megarec -m0flash 0 0xxx_yyy.rom
Megarec -writesbr 0 sbrzzzzz.bin
Reboot
no errors.

Is all done...Controller work an boot the disk, i think is ok....
but i don't notice a big difference high speed startup... (better is better...)
 

canta

Well-Known Member
Nov 26, 2014
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Lsi or IBM firmware onyour card is not matter. The card always slow during booting with lsi or IBM firmware...
Your card always say 5014 with lsi firmware since this is coded in hardware inside the card.
 

GabrieleV

New Member
May 31, 2015
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Please not that latest LSI firmware doesn't allow to crossflash sir, it shows successful but sbr still remains IBM one.

Check what card model is shown at initialization, initialization times are really different between IBM and LSI.

You need an older version of firmware, if I remember correctly should be .192
 

canta

Well-Known Member
Nov 26, 2014
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Please not that latest LSI firmware doesn't allow to crossflash sir, it shows successful but sbr still remains IBM one.

Check what card model is shown at initialization, initialization times are really different between IBM and LSI.

You need an older version of firmware, if I remember correctly should be .192
follow mobilenvidia suggestion.
basically. sbr cross-flash is no permitted, you need to play hide and seek to do that

booting msg is different between ibm (oops Lenovo) and lsi..

the card always recognize as M501X with or without cross-flashing
 
Oct 21, 2015
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Italy
www.opensupport.it
Last edited:

ZicZac

New Member
Jan 25, 2016
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the card always says M501X after cross-flashing. this is hardcoded(HW identification) in the card.
Cross-flashing or not is not a matter on M501X. the card still slows during booting.

just take two steps: pick IBM(now is lenovo) M501X firmware update or cross-flashing with LSI.
In my case the M5014 is controller 0 (the only one) in the system.
You can speed up the initialisation in 3 simple steps:

MegaOEM -AdpSettings Write -f MyM5014.ini -a0

...reads MFC_DEFAULT structure and creates an INI file. Inside the INI search for "delayPOST" and change the value. Possible coded values: 0 to 7, which gives a value of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 seconds.

MegaOEM -AdpSettings Read -f MyM5014.ini -a0

...reads INI file, forms MFC_DEFAULT structure and sends it to the FW.
 
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bearhntr

New Member
Feb 29, 2016
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I have followed these steps from this URL: SAS2108 (LSI 9260) based firmware files - Projects, Tools, Utilities & Customized INFs

LSI 9260 based controller Firmware page.

Here all the latest LSI SAS2108 based FW can be found.
It includes FW from LSI, IBM, Dell, Oracle, SuperMicro, Fujitsu and Intel.

sas2108

How to flash the SAS2108 based cards:

Make a bootable DOS USB disk (Google it)
Place the above files on the USB

Boot to USB
Megarec -cleanflash 0 (0 = if only one LSI card in computer, you'll need to work out which number to flash if more than one)
Reboot to USB
Megarec -m0flash 0 0xxx_yyy.rom (xxx= version number, yyy= OEM version)
Megarec -writesbr 0 sbrzzzzz.bin (zzzzz= Card type you are trying to flash to, only really needed with M5014/5015)
Reboot
Done

Latest BIOS from Firmware Package 12.12.0-0124
BIOS 3.25.00_4.12.05.00_0x05180000.00 7/25/20

Use Megarec or Megacli or MSM to flash to controller, nothing else will be updated only BIOS

==========================================[end]

I have an IBM M5015 controller which was not seeing any HDDs installed in my X3500 (7977) server. I installed a longer cable from the backplane to the controller, and disabled the ONBOARD SAS - as nothing was attached to it. None of the HDDs were seen in the Web Setup tool, although they all lit up on boot up. The server has an IBM ServeRAID 8k-l controller - which is like a DIMM (server does not boot without it installed).

I was told this was because the HDDs were not IBM and the controller was looking for specific drives. It was suggested that I flash the controller to the 9260-8i. I found the steps above, and performed them exactly.

Now when I boot the server I am no longer getting the BIOS information for the controller card. I get nothing at all.

Did I kill my controller? Can it be fixed?

Please help.

*BH*
 

bearhntr

New Member
Feb 29, 2016
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OK ... UPDATE.

I was able to get my controller to start showing on the boot up....but I am still not seeing my (4) 4TB and (1) 160GB HDDs (when I press CTRL+H) on that prompt; which are on the hotswap backplanes connected to the controller with MINI-SAS to MINI-SAS cables. I had to buy longer ones as the ones which went to the system board were not long enough.

Any ideas?
 

lowfat

Active Member
Nov 25, 2016
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In my case the M5014 is controller 0 (the only one) in the system.
You can speed up the initialisation in 3 simple steps:

MegaOEM -AdpSettings Write -f MyM5014.ini -a0

...reads MFC_DEFAULT structure and creates an INI file. Inside the INI search for "delayPOST" and change the value. Possible coded values: 0 to 7, which gives a value of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 seconds.

MegaOEM -AdpSettings Read -f MyM5014.ini -a0

...reads INI file, forms MFC_DEFAULT structure and sends it to the FW.
:eek:

Worked like a charm. Went from one minute for the card to initialize to about 5s.