Hello everyone,

I recently got 6 IBM servers.

xSeries 346
8840
EDG
Ultra 320 RAID Controller (Adaptec)

http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/x346.html

Distribution: Slackware 11

I have 2 hdd IBM SCSI 10K 73GB, then I enabled HostRAID, made the RAID1 setting but slackware sees both drives... and not the RAID array.
I've tried all kernels from the Slackware 11.0 DVD, including huge26.s and nothing... still both hdd.

For now I did a software RAID1 but I need hardware RAID1, kernel running adaptec.s (2.4.33.3).


I seached Google and I found nothing about Adaptec RAID controller.

How should I see the RAID1 array for making partitions and installing slack? /dev/sda?


Please slackers, please... help another slacker, I really need your help to make Slackware see my hardware RAID1.

Tell me what informations do you need for resolving this problem.

Thanks!

Linux is strong but it can't see thorough hardware RAID. If Linux sees separate HDD's then there is no RAID.

"HostRAID" seems to be IBM's term for what's commonly termed FakeRaid. I found the following quote on another forum:
To add to this, if you have data already on it, you might try installing the dmraid package and running "dmraid -tay". If it gives you a non-null response, then run "dmraid -ay" and look in /dev/mapper for your array devices. I see the IBM HostRAID listed in dmraid as "asr : Adaptec HostRAID ASR (0,1,10)", so your device for partition #1 will be something like "/dev/mapper/asr_xyzabcdef1".

OTOH, if you don't have any data on it, then you would be better off by installing mdadm and using that to configure your array. In this case, first disable the array in the HostRAID BIOS configurator and if there's a "passthrough" setting, set each disk for that.

I didn't look up the specs on what you have, but I work with a lot of IBM equipment. Out of the box, their raid adapters are basically shut off. You have to download and run the Servraid manager cd on them. Do a search on IBM's site, it's a linux cd with their custom app on it. Boot with that and it'll walk you through what ever level of raid you want that the hardware supports.

You should. It's IBM's version of FakeRaid. There are drivers for the 2.4 kernel. They're not useful/not needed on the 2.6 kernels.

I tried that boot cd from IBM and it see the RAID array...
It's a driver problem, as I seached Google i found something about a320raid that I must include in a kernel and something like this..
I didn't find that a320raid (Ultra 320 Raid Controller) anywhere and even if I'll find it I don't know how to include it in a kernel.
Also found on Google is that the same raid works on Red Hat Enterprise and Suse Enterprise

Try to think clearly now. Yo do not have hardware RAID there. This IBM disk probably reads settings from BIOS and displays them. This is how a fakeraid works. Software reads settings from BIOS and configures software RAID accordingly. If you had an h/w RAID no OS could see separate disks - by RAID definition.
This is up to you how to deal with it now, mdadm Quakeboy suggested is the best solution.

So... why is it working on Red Hat Enterprise and Suse Enterprise??
So at least why some people say it works?

Why don't you take the truth? AFAIK Red Hat is using dmraid, this is a software RAID developed by them, I think SuSE does the same.
Operating system cannot see disks thru hardware RAID. Is this simple logic over your head?

Got it... got it...
So I need to remain with Software RAID
Okay then, thanks Emerson

I know, lots of people using Windows or some commercial version of Linux will never know their h/w RAID is a fake. If you google you'll find plenty of articles where folks seriously discuss how great their "hardware" RAID works.
So why are manufacturers doing this, why they deceive their valued customers? Google for "hardware vs software RAID" and you'll see nowadays there is no big difference between two performance-wise. In most cases there is no difference whatsoever. But there is a steep difference in price.

To configure the hardware raid for an IBM x346 server, you will need to use IBM's ServerRaid Support cd to configure the raid controller.

Check out this link. I believe the support CD should apply to your raid controller model (the specs indicate ServerRaid 7k). If not, search IBM's support site for your raid card model's support CD.

GL

@Saritul

See? Exactly what I said. Lots of people even don't know this not hardware RAID. Marketing and advertising are stronger than logic and knowledge.

hi.

let me just clear something out. I spent all day trying to figure raid on this ibm x346.

It has an adaptec scsi controller and it has HW raid.

There is a java software for linux (ibm's serveraid manager, or adaptec's store manager -- they are the same) that allows you to interact with the controller to set your raid arrays. there is also the ipssend tool.