Crossflashing of LSI 9341-8i to LSI 9300-8i. Success (but no SMART pass through)

[T_Minus]

@skavan have you tried the LSI 9311-8i firmware?

SAS 9311-8i Host Bus Adapter

 

[canta]

As far as I know, the IT mode firmware only works on SAS2008 and SAS3008 chipsets, and the SAS2108 and SAS3108 chipsets used in the higher end LSI RAID cards with cache RAM and connectors for BBUs / flash backup cannot use the IT mode HBA firmware, only MegaRaid firmware. That said, I have never tried it - does anyone else know for certain in the SAS2 world if the older SAS2108 based cards and their higher end equivalents - 9260 / 9261 / 9265 / 9285 can take HBA firmware?

Real Hardwre Raid Card never be changed to dummy HBA IT.

get SAS2008 or SAS3008 card for making a dummy HBA IT

 

[skavan]

@skavan have you tried the LSI 9311-8i firmware?

SAS 9311-8i Host Bus Adapter

Yes .. and I get the following error:
I tried applying the SAS9311_8i_IR.BIN to the Intel RS3DC080 and I get the following:
...
Firmware Image compatible with Controller
...
ERROR: NVDATA Image does not match Controller Device
Device ID - NVDATA:0x97 Controller:0x91.

 

[skavan]

So, let's break this into pieces.
#1. Does anyone know of a way I can extract the firmware from a stock LSI 9361-8i?
#2. Does anyone know of a way to circumvent the "Image does not match Controller Device" error listed above?
With these two questions answered, I would then be able to properly attack the Intel-->LSI crossflash process.

 

[canta]

So, let's break this into pieces.
#1. Does anyone know of a way I can extract the firmware from a stock LSI 9361-8i?
#2. Does anyone know of a way to circumvent the "Image does not match Controller Device" error listed above?
With these two questions answered, I would then be able to properly attack the Intel-->LSI crossflash process.

1 -> you need to use sas3flash(sas2flash on 6g card) , run sas3flash for help. you would see :
-ufirmware x: Upload the current firmware to file x
-ubios x: Upload the bios area to file x

2 ->, as I know, since your card is megaraid, you need to use megarec to flash dummy(empty) sbr ( as I know in flashing 6g to lsi 9260, need to check the detail on my note), after that you can flash with sas3flash your fw and bios.
* search on old mobilnvidia thread. you can understand the steps. this is 6g lsi card. I would assume nothing change on 12g lsi card expect only the flasher and megarec program changes.

I do not know on Intel card due on they mostly force their card to work on their (intel) motherboard.

 

[skavan]

1 -> you need to use sas3flash(sas2flash on 6g card) , run sas3flash for help. you would see :
-ufirmware x: Upload the current firmware to file x
-ubios x: Upload the bios area to file x

Thanks. I have tried this but on the 3X08 based cards there's a gotcha that I haven't been able to figure out a way around. sas3flsh doesn't recognize the presence of a 3x08 card unless one bridges a jumper on the board. When one bridges that jumper, it recognizes the card but won't run the -ufirmware -bios commands. It will run the firmware update command but errors on the device ID mismatch (listed above). I don't know how to circumvent the problem! Maybe there's a path using linux or UEFI?

2 ->, as I know, since your card is megaraid, you need to use megarec to flash dummy(empty) sbr ( as I know in flashing 6g to lsi 9260, need to check the detail on my note), after that you can flash with sas3flash your fw and bios.
* search on old mobilnvidia thread. you can understand the steps. this is 6g lsi card. I would assume nothing change on 12g lsi card expect only the flasher and megarec program changes.

I do not know on Intel card due on they mostly force their card to work on their (intel) motherboard.

Firstly, the Intel card is motherboard agnostic. I have it running in other machines just fine. It's absolutely identical (ex-firmware) - to the 9361-8i. Second, megarec doesn't seem to see the card in any of the configurations above (jumpered, non jumpered). So I'm stuck!

 

[T_Minus]

Yes, my intel 6Gb/s External cards work in every board I've tried so far (HP, SuperMicro). I haven't tested the 12Gb/s internal ported card yet as it is, but would ideally like to flash like @skavan will eventually right!! Figuring this out

 

[canta]

[QUOTE
="skavan, post: 70412, member: 3700"]Thanks. I have tried this but on the 3X08 based cards there's a gotcha that I haven't been able to figure out a way around. sas3flsh doesn't recognize the presence of a 3x08 card unless one bridges a jumper on the board. When one bridges that jumper, it recognizes the card but won't run the -ufirmware -bios commands. It will run the firmware update command but errors on the device ID mismatch (listed above). I don't know how to circumvent the problem! Maybe there's a path using linux or UEFI?



Firstly, the Intel card is motherboard agnostic. I have it running in other machines just fine. It's absolutely identical (ex-firmware) - to the 9361-8i. Second, megarec doesn't seem to see the card in any of the configurations above (jumpered, non jumpered). So I'm stuck![/QUOTE]

use linux or uefi.
I doubtly there is uefi version of sas3flash or I could be wrong

for sas2, I use uefi version and 100% successful rate. the + side, I do not have bootable DOS USB key..

device ID mismatch is correct, due on ID card is different
the question on your card is megarec not mptXsas firmware/bios.
you need to have sbr from 36.. card, and put back the sbr after you are done flashing firmware and bios, as I mentioned before..
a longggggg time in the past, lsi did not block crossflashing, and put the block since 2010...(my assumption) when many were flashing OEM card with lsi firmware/ios

try to get megarec for sas3 model...

I do not have sas3 card on my hands . this could be later when needed.. sas2 still give me enough B/W ....

good luck!!!

 

[skavan]

I can't find a megarec for sas3. I know that a megaoem.exe exists for sas3 controllers....but can't find it:
http://mycusthelp.info/LSI/_cs/Answ...973237XBSTIXBBBYHZJVSANKMDKEITEWEMDT&inc=8352

The link in the article above is invalid. Someone, somewhere must have it!

 

[Kristian]

I can't find a megarec for sas3. I know that a megaoem.exe exists for sas3 controllers....but can't find it:
http://mycusthelp.info/LSI/_cs/Answ...973237XBSTIXBBBYHZJVSANKMDKEITEWEMDT&inc=8352

The link in the article above is invalid. Someone, somewhere must have it!

I guess it is because you are looking in the download section for the RAID cards!
You would have to look in the HBA download section.
There you will find the SA3 tools.

Perhaps this is what you are looking for?
9300_8i_Package_P10_IR_IT_FW_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows.zip

 

[skavan]

[QUOTE="Perhaps this is what you are looking for?
9300_8i_Package_P10_IR_IT_FW_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows.zip[/QUOTE]
@Kristian -- I have tried that package...but unless I am being very dense (which is quite possible)...the only "tool" in that package is the sas3flsh.exe.

Now, your comments are particularly important, because you seem to be the only person who has cross-flashed an Intel SAS3XXX card into its LSI equivalent.
Could you walk me through the steps you went through.
a) Did you only use SAS3FLSH.EXE?
b) Did you encounter the DeviceID mismatch, and if so, how did you circumvent it? If not, it suggests that my problem is a Firmware mismatch and the only way I'm gonna get round this is to extract the firmware (pre-boot) from a stock 9361 (which I have) -- but I can't find a way of doing this.

 

[Kristian]

Now, your comments are particularly important, because you seem to be the only person who has cross-flashed an Intel SAS3XXX card into its LSI equivalent.
Could you walk me through the steps you went through.
a) Did you only use SAS3FLSH.EXE?
b) Did you encounter the DeviceID mismatch, and if so, how did you circumvent it? If not, it suggests that my problem is a Firmware mismatch and the only way I'm gonna get round this is to extract the firmware (pre-boot) from a stock 9361 (which I have) -- but I can't find a way of doing this.

Well first of all: Sorry but I did not take notes.
I will try to remember how I did the crossflashing.

After reading the initial post I thought: Hey lets try this with my Intel card.
So I downloaded all the stuff that was mentioned in the first post (so basically the files I linked above)

In a first step I tried to do something I did with a Intel RS25SB008 RAID Controller.
With this card I installed the LSI MegaRAID utility and just installed the LSI 9296CV-8e firmware.
Well: this method was not working with the Intel RS3UC080.

So I tried to work along what vorticity_flux worte in his first post:

Be carefull. I took NO notes, so its all a product of my NOT GOOD memory.

[LIST=1]
[*][LIST=1]
[*]Prepare a bootable DOS flash with:

[*]sas3flsh.exe – flash utility
[*]SAS9300_8i_IT.bin – firmware file
[*]mptsas3.rom – bios rom file
[*]mpt3x64.rom – UEFI bios rom file (optional)
[/LIST]
[*]Short the TP12 jumper on the board near the SAS connectors.
[*]Boot the system to the DOS mode.
[*]Flash the firmware:
[LIST]
[*]C: \> sas3flsh.exe -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin
[*]The system will hang on the resetting the board after flashing. This is normal, the flash utility is waiting for the board to boot and the board will never boot as the flash recovery jumper is shortened. You can try to add the -noreset flag to prevent this but I have not tested it.
[/LIST]
[/LIST]

BUT: I instantly got the error: "ERROR: Failed to initialize PAL. Exiting program" After some research I found out that this was because all the mainboards I tried to use had a have a limited "option ROM": Because of that it was not possible to flash the LSI HBAs firmware from DOS.
The alternative was to not use the SAS3FLSH.exe, but the sas3flash.efi from the uefi firmware package.

With the uefi version I could proceed.
And I think what I did was that:

I went into the config utility and noted the sas adress (noticed later my card had a sticker with the adress, but not all cards have)

1. Power on the system and with the jumper shortened.
2. Boot to UEFI Shell
3. # I skiped the backup vorticity_flux is proposing.
   # It is probably not a good idea to do that but well it wont do anything bad to the process, if you do!
   # so decide on your own... Commands are in the initial post. If you are using the uefi method just
   # insert sas3flash.efi instead of sas3flsh.exe!

If you need help on how to proceed in the UEFI environment:
Firmware Update of LSI 9xxx HBAs on H8 / X9-motherboards - Thomas-Krenn-Wiki

mount the usb stick
change to the usb stick with fs0:
go to the directory containing the files (if any)

1. Erase the full flash:
   • fs0:\> sas3flash.efi -o -e 7
2. Flash the new firmware again with ROM
   • fs0:\> sas3flash.efi -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin -b mptsas3.rom
3. Flash the UEFI bios is necessary
   • fs0:\> sas3flash.efi sas3flsh -b mpt3x64.rom
4. Set the SAS address
   • fs0:\> sas3flash.efi -o -sasadd <full_sas_address

reboot.

Be carefull. As I mentioned earlier: I took NO notes, so its all a product of my NOT GOOD memory.

If this method is not working: Try it with the jumper not shortened.

Good luck my friend.

 

[sfu420]

Here is my tutorial How to crossflashing an Intel RS3UC080 to LSI 9300-8i:

Based on the original thread of vorticity_flux. Many THANKS for it!!!

I have used these files:
sas3flash.efi --> SAS3 Flash Utility v11.00.00.00 (2015.08.04)
Installer_P10_for_UEFI (394 KB)

SAS9300_8i_IT.bin --> MPT Firmware 10.00.00.00-IT
mptsas3.rom --> MPT BIOS v8.25.00.00 (2015.08.06)
9300_8i_Package_P10_IR_IT_FW_BIOS_for_MSDOS_Windows (1950 KB)

mpt3x64.rom --> MPT UEFI BIOS rom (2015.08.06)
ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/driver/SAS/LSI/3008/Driver/UEFI/PH10-12.00/UEFI%20BSD.zip

0.) Note the SAS Address of your card. You can find it on the back side of the board, or in the Adapter BIOS Utility.
1.) Copy these files to the Pendrive

sas3flash.efi – flash utility
SAS9300_8i_IT.bin – firmware file
mptsas3.rom – bios rom file
mpt3x64.rom – UEFI bios rom file (optional)​

2.) Short the TP12 jumper on the card
3.) Power on, and boot the system in UEFI mode
4.) Flash the firmware:

C: \> sas3flash.efi -noreset -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin​

5.) Power off, and remove the jumper
6.) Power on, and boot the system in UEFI mode
7.) Erase the full flash:

C: \> sas3flash.efi -o -e 7​

8.) Flash the new firmware again with ROM

C: \> sas3flash.efi -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin -b mptsas3.rom​

9.) Flash the UEFI bios is necessary

C: \> sas3flash.efi -b mpt3x64.rom​

10.) Set the SAS address

C:\> sas3flash.efi -o -sasadd <full_sas_address without ":" of your card>​

11.) Reboot and install the driver if necessary.

 

[Kristian]

Glad you had succeess

 

[Davíð M]

Followed the original step by step to crosflash my 9341-8i to an 9300-8i IT (not without problems , was scared as shit that I have bricked it for a few hours) but got it working and works good.
Updated today to firmware en EFI to P11 without problems through MegaRAID Storage Manager but still no SMART pass trough. That is something that I would really want. Any ideas to tackle that problem?



Edit.
Ok spoke too soon, updated HD Sentinel to 4,71 and all drives show up.
Can´t narrow it down to update of firmware (I think is more plausible) , update of drivers or update of HD sentinel.

 

[whitey]

Updated my 9340-8i to P10 firmware IT mode no issues, reporting as an LSI 9300-8i now, wooohoo!

 

[roswellian]

I flashed my LSI 9340-8i to 9300-8i iT today. The process is smooth and has no problem.

However the card cannot detect any attached hard drives, just showing 9300-8i IT during the POST. Anyone has seen this before?

 

[Zac_K]

I flashed my IBM N2215 to LSI 9300-8i IT today. Your guide worked flawlessly (J6 Jumper shortned). Many thanks.

 

[Aldoszx]

Attached megarec for sas3 cards.
Tested on M5210.

Can you please extract the SBR and SPD from your 9361-8i card and post them here?
I woud like to try to write the original 9361-8i SBR to my M5210 card.
Thank you.

 

[Aldoszx]

So, let's break this into pieces.
#1. Does anyone know of a way I can extract the firmware from a stock LSI 9361-8i?
#2. Does anyone know of a way to circumvent the "Image does not match Controller Device" error listed above?
With these two questions answered, I would then be able to properly attack the Intel-->LSI crossflash process.

I think you should extract SBR file from 9361-8i with megarec.
MegaRec -readsbr <n> <image>
and probably SPD
MegaRec -readspd <n> <image>

9361-8i firmware is on Broadcom website.