IBM M1015 Experiences

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mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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M1015 with LSI 20.10.1.0061 FW
C:\Program Files (x86)\smartmontools\bin>smartctl -a sdc -d sat
smartctl 5.42 2011-10-20 r3458 [i686-w64-mingw32-win7(64)] (sf-win32-5.42-1)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: OCZ-SOLID3
Serial Number: OCZ-JMVY052CY854YF72
LU WWN Device Id: 5 e83a97 f1b1ebc34
Firmware Version: 2.15
User Capacity: 60,022,480,896 bytes [60.0 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: ACS-2 revision 3
Local Time is: Sun Dec 04 10:08:57 2011 NZDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
Last test possibility.
This is with JBOD mode.

Pity the 9240 does not allow to passthrough 'Unconfigured Good' drives
 

mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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Weird, I'm seeing what you're seeing. I have to pass in the "-d sat" argument to get any data out of it if the hard drive is on the M1015s, but if it's plugged into my motherboard port (My OS drive is), it works fine.

Is getting the OS to see the SMART data behind a SAT layer something I can do at the driver level so software like StableBit Scanner can read it? Or do I need to get with the developer to add that support in?
I'm going to quickly check this, I've become used to typing in the -d sat option.
It shouldn't be needed in IT mode you would think.

My last BIOS flash for today, getting a little over flashing now :)
 

mobilenvidia

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Confirmed

LSI9211/9240, no matter what mode/FW you run, the drives are behind a sat layer :(\

Here are my other Mobo controllers:

Intel IHCR controller
"C:\Program Files (x86)\smartmontools\bin\smartctl.exe" -a C:\

smartctl 5.42 2011-10-20 r3458 [i686-w64-mingw32-win7(64)] (sf-win32-5.42-1)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Western Digital AV SATA
Device Model: WDC WD3200AVJS-63B6A0
Serial Number: WD-WMAT16120461
LU WWN Device Id: 5 0014ee 056410b70
Firmware Version: 01.03A01
User Capacity: 320,072,933,376 bytes [320 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is: Sun Dec 04 10:28:51 2011 NZDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
Enabled status cached by OS, trying SMART RETURN STATUS cmd.
SMART support is: Enabled
No additional layers

Marvel 9128 Controller
"C:\Program Files (x86)\smartmontools\bin\smartctl.exe" -a G:\

smartctl 5.42 2011-10-20 r3458 [i686-w64-mingw32-win7(64)] (sf-win32-5.42-1)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Fujitsu MHV
Device Model: FUJITSU MHV2100BH
Serial Number: NW9GT67281G2
Firmware Version: 0085002A
User Capacity: 98,522,403,840 bytes [98.5 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 7
ATA Standard is: ATA/ATAPI-7 T13 1532D revision 4a
Local Time is: Sun Dec 04 10:31:38 2011 NZDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
Also no additional layers to get in the way.

You'll need to find SMART monitors that can allow for the Sat layer to get past.
Also it looks like Temperatures are also part of the SMART info.
 
Last edited:

mobilenvidia

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Added very latest IBM firmware to the M1015 flashing page over here

ServeRAID M1015 SAS/SATA Controller Firmware Update

Adapters Supported: ServeRAID M1015 SAS/SATA Controller (46M0831)

NOTE TO SERVICE - Reference RETAIN #N/A


Version 20.10.1-0069- Suggested
-------------------
Enhancement:
- ServeRAID M1015 Dimmer Switches are disabled by default.

Fixes:
- Fixed issue where enabling security causes the configuration to be
missing, and a configured FDE array to be seen as foreign on reboot.
- Fixed issue where WebBIOS gives garbled message when enabing FDE on
an existing Disk Group
- Fixed issue where the logical Unit ID (VPD page 0x83) changed after
foreign import.
- Fixed issue where the LDBBM entries are incorrect after foreign import.
- Fixed a problem where firmware was taking to long to complete the PCI
config read. Causing the system to generate an NMI.
- Fixed issue where the controller does not work with pci set to nomsi in
kdump kernel.
- Fixed issue where the LED behavior is incorrect, wrong drive will blink
activity.
- Fixed issue where the configuration becomes foreign after the firmware
fails multiple attempts to access raid key during boot.
- Fixed firmware issue where a replacement drive is not seen if the
replacement is added during power cycle.
- Fixed an intermittent RAID key failure during power-on.
 

marcusone

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Feb 26, 2012
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mobilenvidia - great thread, thanks!
I have a couple of questions:
1. I have 2 120G SSDs - currently running on LSI firmware in RAID0 mode (set in M1015 bios). speeds are good, but it looks to me you experinced the best speeds by flashing to IT or IR mode and using Windows Software raid, correct?

Couple other noob questions:
What is "ATTO" when you state speeds "using ATTO"?

MSM tool - (MegaRaid Storage Manager i presume)... I can't get it to run on my Windows 7 Ultimate x64... any tips? I get it installed, but when I log in all I get is a thinking circle.

Thanks again!
 

mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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mobilenvidia - great thread, thanks!
I have a couple of questions:
1. I have 2 120G SSDs - currently running on LSI firmware in RAID0 mode (set in M1015 bios). speeds are good, but it looks to me you experinced the best speeds by flashing to IT or IR mode and using Windows Software raid, correct?
I run my SSDs in LSI9211 IR mode, in LS9240 mode any other drives attached have to be set to JBOD, in IR mode any other drives just passthrough to the OS

Couple other noob questions:
What is "ATTO" when you state speeds "using ATTO"?
ATTO is a bench marking app, it measure the max possible speed a SSD can perform at under ideal conditions, SSD manufacturers use ATTO results to market their devices, it's not real word performance just max possible.

MSM tool - (MegaRaid Storage Manager i presume)... I can't get it to run on my Windows 7 Ultimate x64... any tips? I get it installed, but when I log in all I get is a thinking circle.
The very latest version doesn't work for me either, version 11m06 did work with Win7 x64
But I'm having issues with uninstalling the newer version (it won't)
So I can't install 11m06 :(
 

marcusone

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Feb 26, 2012
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Thanks again mobilenvidia!

Do you put the M1015 in IR mode just for the pass-through of 'regular' drives, or do you also find that faster for the SSD RAID0?
 

dswartz

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Jul 14, 2011
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I've only used the freebsd and opensolaris smartctl, but I did have to specify the device interface as sat (e.g. sata). No idea if this could be germane here.
 

NME

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Apr 7, 2011
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@mobilenvidia I want to use M1015 with esxi 5.01 and set Raid1 for 2x1Tb sata drives. From the info gathered i have 3 choices:
1. crossflash M1015 to LSI9211-IR(the LSI site show version 13.00.00.00, dated Feb 17, 2012)
2. crossflash M1015 to LSI9240-8i(last fw from LSI site 20.10.1-0077, dated Jan 30, 2012)
3. flash M1015 to the latest firmware on IBM site(v20.10.1-0091, March 26, 2012)
In your opinion, what is the best performance for HW RAID1 in this situation?
 

mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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Any of the above will give similar performance.

BUT I would go with the LSI9211-IR FW option and possibly not install the OptionROM to help with boot up speed.
As long as you can set the RAID in an OS with LSI MSM, you don't need the OptionROM

I see there must have been some more FW releases since my updates last week.
I'll get them up as well.
 

NME

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Apr 7, 2011
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The 9211 has the mpt2sas driver in esxi, 9240 and M1015(not crosshflashed) both have megaraid drivers. I don't know if i can access the 9211 because on LSI site I don't have the *.vib file(9240 has VMWare SMIS Provider VIBCertified). I am also reading that the card has very poor performance even in RAID10 mode(20mb/s) link. How can I enable write cache without the BBU?
 

mobilenvidia

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The write cache setting is for the cache on the drive not the cache on the controller, why the only options are enabled/disabled
Best to leave this turned off with SSDs, doesn't seem to make any difference with HDD what its set to.

Controllers with cache have the option for Write through, write back and write back with BBU

I think some folk are getting confused with the drive cache and controller cache

The M1015 ofcourse has no cache and hence no write back, in reality only write through

RAID 10 on my M1015 in Win7 is 963MB/s read and 704MB/s write (4x SSD's)
If esxi slows it up somewhere it's not LSI's fault.

I would not be surpised if you get 20MB/s write when in RAID5 on a M1015 (with adv feature key)
 

SantaSCSI

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May 22, 2011
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Anyone here who uses this card in a 2U enclosure by the way? I bought a Norco RPC-2208 but I'm not sure whether i need angled SFF8087 or just the normal ones.
 

mobilenvidia

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Get 90deg cables make sure you get forward cables not reverse. (look identical)
You'll have a better time with 90deg cables as the normal cables will need bending plus they'll look better
 

SantaSCSI

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May 22, 2011
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The RPC-2208 has a backplane so its 8087-8087 but thanks for the angled tip ;). The cables do look pretty stiff from pictures.