Topic: SME and SCSI Raid

[Dave]

I've been playing with SME for a while, I had it as my main email for a while then I decided to go all the way and use it as my gateway/web server/email server.  I was using 3 different machines for this and now I have it all in one.  A GREAT product!!

Here's the question:

I recently purchased a 'bundle' of 20 gig SCSI drives, I wanted to set up a RAID5 array.  SME won't do it with software, and I agree with that.  I have a number of RAID cards, one is a Adaptec 131U2, I have another that's similar but 2 channel and I have a Compaq SMARTarray 2/DH card.  The other ones are dual use, can be used as a RAID and as a single device card, the SMART card is an array only card.  After setting up the 131 card, whether or not I created an array using the Adaptec array config utility, SME would see all the drives individually.  I tried a raid5, SME found the individual drives and used only one of them (I could tell because only 1 of the drives lite flashed during access).  I tried mirroring with 2 drives, same thing.  I tried software mirroring, that worked for a time but then things would lock up while doing configurations and I would have to do a hard reboot.  SME would then produce an error message stating something that I interpreted as a device overlap, partition 3 had regions that overlaped with partition 1.  At any rate, I set up the compaq card as a RAID5 array, loaded SME and it worked like a champ.  I see all drives in the array become active when I do any file copies, web admin access, etc.

It's up and running now with the old Compaq card but can anyone tell me why the newer ones wouldn't work?

Thanks,
Dave

[Kelvin]

Hi Dave,

Without knowing what you did precisely step by step, I would say that you "probably" did not setup the RAID5 pack correctly. If you did, the controller should only present 1 drive to SME (the pack) and the individual physical drives would be hidden to the os (this happens at hardware level so SME should not be able to only use one of the drives instead of the RAID pack).

Kelvin

[Dave]

I've used these raid cards in various configurations, the one in particular is the 131U2 card.  I've had it working with WinNT 4.0 and Win2K, under both server and workstation.  I've used as a striped set, a mirror and a RAID5 array.  The raid 'pack' is set up the same regardless of OS being used, there's a separate utility diskette that is used to define the array.  You select the drives, define the array type, name it and initialize it.  I know you're having to guess that I did something wrong with it but I'm quite confident that I didn't.  I've set that card up many times and I am very familiar with it's capabilities.

I'm thinking the linux driver being used by SME can see through the card's bios and can communicate directly with the hardware (meaning the drives themselves).  At least that's what appeared to be happening.  After defining a hardware array and loading SME, it was using only the device 0 (SCSI ID 0).

It'd be nice to know if there's something specific about this card or some quirk related to Linux, the driver it uses and the card.  It works now but I'd like to be able to use this card with my linux test box.  Lots more to learn.

[Kelvin]

Hi Dave,

Didn't mean to imply that you did not know what you were doing. Just a guess because sometimes we overlook / miss a step or two even when working (or perhaps more so when working ?) with things we are familiar with.

Anyway, have you tried the pack on a stock RH 7.0 / 7.1 installation ?

Kelvin

[Dave]

In the last 4 or 5 months I've been trying every linux distribution I could get my hands on.  I know I've tried Redhat, I had other issues with it that their support couldn't help me resolve (I actually bought a retail box for RH that included direct support).  I finally gave up after about a dozen attempts (reloads).  The 131 was being used in my web server at that time so I know I didn't use that one.  The other one is a Mylex card (I think), a BT542?  It's a dual channel card, I don't remember the exact model.  I know I've tried that card with different distributions of linux and the driver had recognized the drives independently.

I'm thinking the problem may be that the cards I've been using are SCSI cards that can define arrays.  The one that ultimately worked is a true SCSI array card.  I can put the 131, the mylex card or an adaptec 2940 card in a box with SCSI drives attached and it will work with individual drives.  The compaq card won't recognize the drive(s) until an array is defined.

I was hoping someone could tell me that I've got to do some manual configurations somewhere that would resolve the problem.  I'll keep reading about and 'playing' with linux, maybe I'll stumble across something that just expected to be common knowledge.

[van]

I am using Compaq DL360 Server with Smart Array 535 Raid Card
it is work in SME5.12 and SME5.5
But you should use the Compaq System Boot Disc to bootup the system and config. the Harddisk to be Raid5
Remember create the Compaq Diag. Utility Partition and Save the System ROM.
than....start the SME setup, the SME Kernel can delect the RAID and start the installation.

Main Point : Must use the Compaq Utility CD to bootup system and config. RAID card.
don't use SME Raid Utility

[Dave]

Thanks for the input, right now the compaq card is working like a champ.  I've used compaq servers and other hardware in the past, the best hardware I've seen for servers.

BTW:I don't have it in a compaq box, it's in a generic dual PII box that I put together from bits and pieces.  The compaq config CD won't boot this system so I had to use a different way to define the array: I loaded Win2K on a separate IDE disk and used Compaq's Win2K array configuration utility from there.  I created the array and let it do the background initialization - I did NOT create a partition under Win2K.  Once the initialization completed I brought the system down, removed the Win2K IDE disk then booted the install CD for SME 5.5.  It found the array as a single disk and proceeded with the installation.  I configured it for my users and websites, it's working great so far.  I completed the install sunday afternoon and it's been up since.  It's serving as firewall/gateway/email/web server.

May be the long way around but this was my last attempt to make Linux work as my web server.  I'd gone through 2 previous raid cards and another motherboard (an athalon).  Each install came up with different problems but the drive problem remained regardless of configuration.  I wanted to do something with it (linux) besides play and tinker.  I know too many people are using it without problems for me to give up (I've been a microsoft hack since the days of DOS 2.1 - I'm tired of MS's constant security issues, among other things).

[Kelvin]

Hi Dave,

This has got me interested.

I pulled out my Mylex DAC960 and set it up as normal (3 drive RAID-5 pack) and then proceeded to boot SME 5.1.2 from the CD.

The installation proceeded exactly as expected with all 3 drives working as a RAID-5 pack (the driver for the DAC960 came directly from the SME boot CD).

Sorry, don't have one of the other model cards you have so I can't test those.

Kelvin

[Dave]

Hmmmm....  

Will that card work without having to define an array?  In other words, can you put a single drive on the card, not run any initialization procedures specific to setting up or defining an array and do the same install?

I appreciate your input here, this is something that's bothered me for a while.  I've used the card with RH and Mandrake installations.  I honestly figured the mylex card I was using was a cheapie or something.  I didn't pay much for it, got it off ebay for like $25 or $30.  I've been torn between using IDE and SCSI drives in my server.  IDE is cheap but begins to show it's limitations in a server environment where there's multiple users accessing data.  SCSI is more expensive, typically louder, but is better in this environment.  I went and bought a box of 20gig drives, refurbs, they were decent price and was going to use the Adaptec card but it was doing the same thing.  The adaptec card isn't top of the line or anything but that one I bought retail, close to $500.  I figured it should work the way I want but it did the same thing (I didn't try the adaptec card under RH or Mandrake... yet).  I've always had good luck with Compaq hardware and I took the chance.  Was a hassle to configure but it's working great right now.  I don't think I'll be doing any reconfiguring with this box any time soon.  None of it's new but I'm optomistic that it'll become my most reliable system...

[Kelvin]

I will try it without an array later and let you know. Since it's up, there's a bunch of hardware I've been putting off testing that I will do now that I have a test server available.

Kelvin

[Dave]

Like I say, I do appreciate the input.  Thanks for doing the test, I have another box I need to complete for the same reason.

[robert]

Hi,

For what it's worth, I run SME 5.1.2 on a Dell 2300 with hardware raid 5 and an adaptec card (forget the type, though I can check when I'm in the office), and I had to flash the bios before SME would work with that card. Once the bios upgrade was done, no problem at all.

Robert

[Dave]

Thanks for the input...  I'll check bios versions.

I know this should work, I'm certain I set the array up properly, must be something like a config,  maybe the bios IS out of date, I haven't checked in quite a while.