LSI 9211-8I IT mode stuck during loading

[pricklypunter]

You would only really need an external efi shell if your mainboard didn't already have one included in the firmware. It doesn't make much difference how you get to the shell, whether that be by launching the mainboard firmware or by launching an external one, only that you can get to the shell, mount the usb filesystem and access the flash tools and files

 

[amarshonarbangla]

I need a couple more clarifications. After flashing without the ROM, would it be possible to get into the card's BIOS? Also, I am guessing there won't be an LSI loading screen like there is usually before booting to Windows?

Thanks everyone for the support so far. I really do appreciate it.

 

[pricklypunter]

Once you remove the ROM load, you cannot access the card from the bios boot screen using the Function keys. You are correct in your guess that the boot loading screen for the LSI ROM will also no longer be there. The LSI bios ROM is no longer being loaded, therefore there's nothing to show. The disks will then be presented to your OS as independant disks, with no raid functionality.

 

[amarshonarbangla]

Once you remove the ROM load, you cannot access the card from the bios boot screen using the Function keys. You are correct in your guess that the boot loading screen for the LSI ROM will also no longer be there. The LSI bios ROM is no longer being loaded, therefore there's nothing to show. The disks will then be presented to your OS as independant disks, with no raid functionality.

Without the ROM, can I boot from a disk plugged into the card?

 

[whitey]

Without the ROM, can I boot from a disk plugged into the card?

Indeed

 

[canta]

Without the ROM, can I boot from a disk plugged into the card?

Yes or No.
this is depends on motherboard BIOS

of BIOS allow to make priority on HBA Card, you are good

the reason I prefer ROM on HBA card IT, I can force to tell "hey override booting, and make sure you load the HD in your side, Not on motherboard"

Try on your motherboard, and see the result withuot ROM

 

[pricklypunter]

Without the ROM, can I boot from a disk plugged into the card?

Yes, providing your mainboard can see the LSI, it can boot from any drive attached to it.

 

[canta]

Yes, providing your mainboard can see the LSI, it can boot from any drive attached to it.

I has one motherboard can not boot from HBA card. need to look the model#.
the BIOS, skipped HBA card and goes to on-board sata.
the only solution was to install ROM and force the HBA is bootable, Done!


as I said, as long as motherboard BIOS provide the list devices and can boot on one of the list. Life is good

 

[xrampage16]

I apologize in advance for bumping an old thread. I have a Dell C6220 II with the following
controller type: SAS2008
BIOS version : 7.21.00.00
Firmware version: 11.00.00.00

The following disk configuration exists
Disk 1 : SSD - OS drive with 3 parition
Disk 2-4: 3x1TB xSATA - RAID 5 configuration (/dev/md0)

/dev/md0 has been filled to 100%, and now during the boot proces, the system is stuck on the following screen (see attachment) where it just says

Initializing../

I have been looking into methods of mounting the raid so that I can clear off space, but I am not able to boot with those drives plugged in, as it is hung. These screens also pop up before being able to jump into bios. If the 3 SATA disks are ejected, and I reboot, I can access the bios and boot into the OS drive, which is running linux.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[xrampage16]

Also, additionally, the RAID controller is in the state SAS2008-IR. Based on what I've read earlier in this article, most people would suggest flashing to SAS2008-IT, but then I do not believe I would be able to boot into the OS drive any longer, which is the Crucial 512GB drive listed

 

[pricklypunter]

@xrampage16 I answered your pm

About the only time I ever mention hardware raid at all now, is when you are stuck using an old constrained CPU, something really light weight that can't do xor particularly well. Pretty much all modern CPU's wouldn't even break a sweat doing the xor calcs for parity raid now, also software based raid has come a long way and is certainly reliable and fast enough for most production deployments. Software raid works best when you have direct control over each individual disk, and that is where the IT mode on those controllers comes in to play, as it offers up those ports directly to the OS to use as you like

 

[xrampage16]

Gotcha. For all new servers that I deploy, I pretty much use Software RAID, and do either RAID 1 or RAID 10. This is an older server built by someone else and was built as a RAID 5 with the configuration listed.

From what it seems, I am pretty much SOL at the moment, and should just one day ship back to my location and bring the servers back up somewhere else.

 

[pricklypunter]

Certainly having the disks at a remote location presents a challenge. I guess the easy, quickest and likely cheapest way, would be to get someone there to image the disks for you, stick them on a 4TB drive and post it to you. As I mentioned in my PM, if the data is important, working with disk images is really the only way to ensure you don't lose anything

OK, I wasn't going to mention it, but this is where your back-up plan was supposed to save yer a$$

 

[xrampage16]

A majority of the data can be backed up, but the backups on some are a few days old. I have already restored a few of the servers while waiting for NOC to get back to me, and restoring some accounts from backup.

But, lesson learned. Nightly backups, and IPMI are key

 

[swagler]

I have exact problem as amarshonarbangla.

I just bought a new LSI SAS 9211-4i from Amazon. Had to wait addition 6 days to get breakout cable. It was already flashed with latest bios and IT firmware. But, it's stuck just like first post screen shot. I can access LSI bios and configure to boot SSD, it detects drive and halts at message "Successfully installed ROM...." It can't access motherboard bios at all with card installed. Did removing ROM fix this problem? And, why does it happen?

Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI Premium

I should add, my system has a 1.44mb floppy. I was prepared to flash if need to IT Mode. I realized firmware was to large, was trying to figure a 2 disk flash. Waiting on breakout cable I tested, and it halted like does now. I thought it may have been because no drives were attached. I don't think even floppy can boot with LSI card installed, LSI bios starts immediately. Appreciate any help. I have to fix, or return card.

 

[pricklypunter]

If I were to make an educated guess...I would say it's likely a mainboard BIOS issue. Perhaps their SMBUS implementation is getting in the way, maybe another ROM being loaded and running out of memory for it or PCI-e interrupts or timing going wonky?

Try booting from the onboard SATA ports and see if you can configure the card from your OS instead

Oh and disable/ remove absolutely everything that you don't essentially need, add stuff back one piece at a time after you get it working.

 

[nthu9280]

Remove the card. If there is an option in MB bios to disable PCIe Option ROM do that. Add the card and see if you can boot.


Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[swagler]

Thanks for quick replies guys. I have everything disabled in bios I don't use. I read a blog referenced on first page to tape pins 5 & 6. I tried it, the motherboard boot screen appeared, but pressing delete still wouldn't enter MB bios. I toggled boot & OS, boot, OS, none, in LSI bios, nothing helps, still pauses after ROM message. I don't think I have; "disable PCIe Option ROM". This frustrating, I have read a pile of technical data, getting bios and drivers prepared... My objective was to utilize all 4 v1.1 lanes to obtain 550mb/s connecting only (1) Samsung 840 Pro 512.

edit: I tried disabling "boot from add-on card" in MB bios menu after removing all onboard drives, but couldn't, it remains.

 

[pricklypunter]

If the mainboard boots with the card installed normally, taping the smbus pins 5&6 won't make any difference. It could be the reported interrupt 19 hook issue. Have you tried the card in different slots? Have you enabled sli in the bios? If not, remove the card, and boot into the bios and enable it before adding the card back in

The biggest problem of course, is that it's a mainboard from yesteryear (albeit a good one) with a really outdated bios that knows absolutely nothing about modern hardware or how to assign resources to it in a way that modern hardware will likely expect

Just as a caution, I used to have an A8N32 board myself, but don't ever trust your data to that half baked silicon image/ promise raid controller, or you'll be back here asking how to recover your data

 

[swagler]

pricklypunter- After reading mass posts, looks like interrupt 19 hook issue. There are posts confirming A8N-SLI working with several types of controllers i.e. Asus U3S6, older LSI, but I don't think they had a ROM like 9211. Putting 9211-4i card in SLI slot, knocking 7800GTX down to 8 lane defeats the purpose of upgrade. I have 20 lanes, 9211-4i fits perfect in 4x slot, problem most be ROM.

Now, will Motherboard recognize 9211-4i flashed without ROM? amarshonarbangla never posted results.