Topic: Adaptec 2100s RAID Controller

[Gene Cooper]

Hi All,

I searched but find no conclusive info about SME V5 and the Adaptec 2100s RAID controller working together.  I'm looking for good/inexpensive single-channel SCSI RAID support for SME V5.

I've read rumors about better RAID support in 5.1?  Is there a timeline for that release?

I found this link:

http://edm.act.cmis.csiro.au/debian/book/Load_RAID.html

that looks like it might work.  Any opinions?

I'm about to order the RAID controller and the Adaptec 2100s is readily available and fairly inexpensive.  Opinions?

Thanks,

G

[Tom Keiser]

You're right -- it is a good controller, but it won't work AFAIK under SME 5x. It works fine under ESSG 4.1 because that uses the Red Hat Kernel from RH 7.0. But SME5 uses a later, non-standard kernel, and Adaptec provides no drivers. I've tried it and got the msg "this driver is not meant to run with this kernel" when using every combination of the latest Adaptec drivers I could download.

Until SME moves on to a more standard kernel, there will be many of these compatibility problems. Sorry.

Tom

[Robert Boerner]

SME 5.0 uses the stock kernel Redhat provides as an update for Redhat Linux 7.0. It used to be 2.2.16 (in the original release of 7.0), now it is up to 2.2.19. Check ftp.redhat.org under the updates directory. Mitel couldn't use a more stock kernel if they tried. Adaptec's latest drivers (as of 11/16/01 on their website), are only pre-compiled binaries for 2.2.16. They should update their drivers for the latest stable 2.2 series kernel release from Redhat, or release the source so the driver can be re-compiled.

[Craig]

Gene,

I have asked this same question see link below for the answers:

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=12227.msg45938#msg45938

Regards
Craig

[Gene Cooper]

Hi All,

Thanks much for the input...greatly appreciated.

Yeah, I had read those posts you mentioned Craig.  They are what prompted _this_ series...

The next-least-expensive controller from my vendor is the dual-channel AccelleRAID 352 which is twice as costly and one channel more than I need.

From the Adaptec web site:

RAID Drivers Version 2.4-2
 
Filename: dptdriver.tgz
Date: 25 July 01
Size: 1,395,676 bytes
Language: English          
Description: This is the tar distribution of the I2O RAID driver. It supports all the I2O based RAID cards. It includes prebuilt modules for RH7.1, RH7.0, RH6.2, RH6.2Oracle, RH6.1, SuSE7.2, SuSE 7.1, SuSE 7.0, Mandrake 7.2, TurboLinux 6.5, and generic kernels 2.4.6 and 2.2.19. The install script is in /usr/adaptec/i2o_driver and is called install.sh. To list the available modules use the --list_modules option. To see exactly what the install script is doing use the --verbose option. To only install the modules without creating an initrd use the --noinitrd option.

Applies to: All DPT I2O architecture based RAID cards.  
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

What about the module for the "generic kernel 2.2.19"?

Also, if the Adaptec/DPT driver is so closely tied to the kernel version, what about the Mylex driver?  Is it actually compatible with SME5 or is this, too, anecdotal evidence?

Finally, is better RAID support to be a benefit of SME 5.1?  Why?  Approx. when?

Thanks again to all...

G

[Rob Hillis]

Gene Cooper wrote:

[...]

> driver. It supports all the I2O based RAID cards. It includes
> prebuilt modules for RH7.1, RH7.0, RH6.2, RH6.2Oracle, RH6.1,
> SuSE7.2, SuSE 7.1, SuSE 7.0, Mandrake 7.2, TurboLinux 6.5,
> and generic kernels 2.4.6 and 2.2.19.
> What about the module for the "generic kernel 2.2.19"?

RedHat kernels aren't "generic" kernels - they've been patched, updated, bugfixed and enhanced.  I think you'll find that a 'generic' kernel is a plain vanilla Linus kernel.

[Craig]

Gene

I got a quote from my wholesaler on a Mylex AcceleRAID 170 and it was pretty much the same price and specs as the Adaptec 2100S. The good this is that it seems to be supported by E-Smith 5.

Regards
Craig

[Gene Cooper]

Hi Craig,

I purchased a Mylex 352 RAID controller.  It _seems_ to be recognized during the install, and proceeds with the install by creating filesystems and copying files.

At the very end of the file copy, the installer says "Performing Post
Install..." and then blows up stating "Install exiting abnormally -
received signal 11".  The display gets weird and gives a few barely
readable shutdown messages that pertain to unmounting filesystems and
finally states "you may safely reboot the system".  But it doesn't
reboot properly.

Have you successfully installed SME 5 on a Mylex RAID array?  Did you experience any problems or did the install require any special steps?

Thanks again,

G

[Craig]

Gene

I see that you have got this sorted out by disabling the on-board controller........great.

Did E-Smith 5.1.2 automatically detect the Mylex RAID controller card?

Regards
Craig