LSI drive spindown

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I have a Windows 7 workstation, using a LSI 9280-4i4e card, with a 4 drive RAID5 volume.
MegaRAID controller policy is set to idle drives after 30 minutes.
The OS power policy is set to spin the drives down after 30 minutes.
This works fine, drives spin down when not in use.

I built a new Windows 8 workstation, using a LSI 9271-8i card, with a 4 drive RAID5 volume and a 4 drive RAID10 volume.
MegaRAID controller policy is set to idle drives after 30 minutes.
The OS power policy is set to spin the drives down after 30 minutes.
The drives never spin down.
The same happens on multiple machines, and with Server 2012.

I found a LSI KB that says that Dimmer Switch III DS3 has been removed from newer controllers and firmware:
http://kb.lsi.com/KnowledgebaseArticle16590.aspx

LSI has not released any drivers for Windows 8 or for Server 2012, but the inbox drivers included with the OS install appears to work.

It is very important that all drives spin down when not in use.
If LSI truly removed this ability, I will need to find a different RAID manufacturer.

Any insight into why drives don't spin down on Win8 and W2K12?

P.
 

mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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Last know firmware to include Active drive spin down for the SAS2108 (LSI9280) was 12.12.0-0048 (LSI/Intel)
It was after this that Dimmer switch was removed.
I think LSI removed it as it was talking too long to spin up large arrays and causing issues.
I would have prefered that LSI kept it with a warning, so we had the choice.

There will then be no chance of spindown for your very new LSI9271

Windows treats the drives attached to LSI controllers as SCSI and there for the power down settings don't work.
 

mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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Very nice first name ;)

Have a look in the 'M5015 experiences' thread, in the first post is a link to my website where I host some firmware and also the latest Win drivers.
Grab the zip extract it somewhere.

I'm pretty sure I uploaded the Win8/Server 2k12 drivers that LSI pulled from their site.
Have a play with these to see if you have any luck with spindown here.

The drivers I would not recommend as keepers but you should be able to test spindown with them.
You'll need to remove them and tick the remove SW box when doing so, to restore the Win built in drivers.

Let us know how you get on with the adaptec, windows will treat the drives the same, but the driver may allow the powerdown commands.
Or Adaptec may have built in spindown into it's firmware.

Non 24/7 systems would benefit so much from active spindown.
 

mobilenvidia

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I had big issues with the driver and Cachecade = dropping the array and just causing unstability (ie lockups)
Seemed to work fine with non CC setup.
 

odditory

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Dec 23, 2010
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Let us know how you get on with the adaptec, windows will treat the drives the same, but the driver may allow the powerdown commands. Or Adaptec may have built in spindown into it's firmware.
I'd be surprised if that Adaptec card didn't support controlled managed spindown -- theyve historically supported it, at least RoC based Adaptecs like the 5-series.

LSI's decision to strip controller-managed spindown sounds like a react from noise on the enterprise front - some big client or OEM that made big enough waves, but theyve had spindown on their RoC based controllers a long time so its baffling that they strip it now after so many years, unless its temporary stopgap measure.

I had high hopes that Win8/Server2012 would pass ATA SLEEP to SCSI devices with at least the native MS driver - haven't had a chance to test myself but I have a hunch it won't. Linux people don't have this headache - only us windows people. I've always got my eyes open for a "better raid controller" but no matter how far LSI seems to push the envelope in their latest/greatest offerings they always seem to come with one or two major dealbreakers which pushes me right back to Areca. I won't stop considering LSI controllers - I'm sure their 12G offerings early next year will be absurdly powerful but its always two steps forward, one back with them.
 
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mobilenvidia

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Sep 25, 2011
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Agreed, LSI seem to be pushing the envelope technology wise but lack in software support (Firmware with features)
Why not have the active spin down feature but default it to disabled.
LSI's support full stop seems so old school, there is no forum, just a collection of KB's to wade through after you pend ages finding the right place.
Driver support also a bit lack luster, the Win8/Server 2k12 driver that came and went but nothing since, must have caught them off guard and obviously not being looked at till their next quarterly update.
Getting to the point where LSI have the best technology which is no use if nothing actually works.