I bought a used server and it's in great working condition, but I've got a 2-part problem with the onboard raid controller. I don't have or use RAID and want to figure out how to stop or work around the onboard SATA raid controller.

First some motherboard specs.:

Arima HDAMA 40-CMO120-A800
http://www.arimacorp.com/ViewProduct.asp?View=86
The 4-port integrated Serial ATA Integrated SiliconImage Sil3114 raid controller is the problem.

Problem 1:

When I plug in my SATA server hard drive loaded with Slackware 12.2 and linux kernel 2.6.30.4, the onboard raid controller recognizes the one drive and allows the OS to boot.

Slackware gets stuck looking for a raid array and stops at this point -

md: Waiting for all devices to be available before autodetect
md: If you don't use raid, use raid=noautodetect
md: Autodetecting RAID Arrays
md: Scanned 0 and added 0 devices.
md: autorun ...
md: ... autorun DONE.

The boot process will go no further.
I did some googling to figure out where to apply "raid=noautodetect" and added the following to my /etc/lilo.conf -

image = /boot/linux
root = /dev/sda2
append = "raid = noautodetect"
label = Linux
read-only

After doing /sbin/lilo and rebooting, the problem is the same and Slackware will not boot up to prompt. It remains stuck trying to find a raid array to work with.

Problem 2:

When I add a second SATA hard drive used for backups and storage, the onboard raid controller recognizes both drives upon boot-up, but won't boot any further. I get stuck at a black screen listing hard drive 0 and 1, and an instruction that says hit Ctrl + S or F4 to enter the raid utility. Hitting Ctrl + S or F4 does nothing and I cannot exit or move forward from there.

So, at that point all I can do is turn off the power and remove the 2nd hard drive.

Please help if you can. I've never dealt with onboard raid contollers before and definitely need to get this server up and running.

Thanks for listening.

Sounds like the onboard controller has already had an array defined on it. Unplug both your drives, and go into the RAID configuration utility when the machine comes up. Remove ANY drives/references in there. Also, check the BIOS options on the machine. There may be a place in there to set the RAID controller to be OFF, and just be a normal, SATA controller.

TBone,
Thanks for your help.
I'll give it another try; this time with no drives connected.
Prior to attempts to access the raid utility by hitting F4 or Ctrl + S failed, but maybe it will work without any drives connected.

I'm also recompiling my kernel to leave OUT raid support and autodetecting raid devices on start. Hopefully this will make it possible to get the primary Slackware drive up and running.

You're welcome, and hope it helps. I don't think you should have to recompile anything, but changing stuff at BIOS/controller level, will present the drives at two separate devices. From what you describe, they're getting presented as one right now.

If the RAID controller won't let you in, maybe removing the MOBO battery will reset things, and let you get further, or maybe a BIOS update.

An update:

Cleared server CMOS and installed the recompiled kernel built NOT to autodetect raid devices.

Was able to access the raid utility after clearing CMOS.

Still no success on booting all the way to prompt. Slackware still goes through the raid device detection as originally posted, and halts at that point. {{cannot figure out how this is possible after taking raid support out of the kernel, but there you have it}}

So, I've decided to try to build a RAID 1 array using 2 HD's and see if that solves the problem. First I had to clone the Slackware server OS drive to another HD and test to see that the clone was functional.

Then I started building the RAID 1 array using the Silicon Image utility in the BIOS - copying all data from Source HD to Target HD. It's taking a painfully long time to build the array. I'm using 2 x 150 Gig. Velociraptors and the array creation has been going 86 minutes and is 80% complete according to the RAID utility. It works out to 1.395 gigs. per minute or 23.8 megs. per second.....not too snappy.

Will report back with results of server reboot on raid 1 array.
I'm guessing it still won't work and I need to learn how to make an mdadm.conf and use mdadm.

RAID 1 array successfully built.
Boot goes normally, but Slackware stops at the same place:

md: Waiting for all devices to be available before autodetect
md: If you don't use raid, use raid=noautodetect
md: Autodetecting RAID Arrays
md: Scanned 0 and added 0 devices.
md: autorun ...
md: ... autorun DONE.

And I'm stuck.

Any other ideas, TBone...or another kind and knowledgeable soul?

Those controllers on the motherboard are not true RAID. They are fake RAID. You will have to use dmraid utilities to look up the RAID array. Though I am not sure why you are using mdadm utilities when you do not have enough hard drives for RAID-0 or RAID-1.

You probably have problems with the module not loading because the module for Sil3114 is not included in the initrd. Also you do not have an initrd file, so that is another issue on top of your problem. I suggest use GRUB instead of LILO to ease setup. You can provide the same security with GRUB that LILO has.

Ahh, thanks for turning on the lightbulb.
After googling the issue of fakeraid on linux, I know see the headache I've walked into with this Silicon Image onboard controller.

Thanks for the guidance; this is going to take some work and re-shuffling the slackware boot process to deal with fakeraid.

I wanted to provide an update that may help others in the same position.

After hours of trying to understand how to deal with the new onboard fakeraid controller and reading about dmraid, etc; I began to wonder if there may be some way to simply disable controller and allow me to use the SATA ports any way I want. I called the supplier where I obtained the used server and the answer was ridiculously simple.

Paraphrasing the supplier's instructions:

When you boot and go into the Silicon Image 3114 raid utility, delete whatever RAID array is currently listed in the utility.

Remember, you're going to wipe out anything loaded on the discs by doing so.

Delete/disable the current RAID array and leave it at that; don't create or build another one. Now you can use individual SATA ports and HD's any way you want.

- - - - - -

Since, the raid utility shows upon every boot, I made an incorrect assumption that I had to supply some sort of configured RAID array to access the two SATA drives.

I've since tested by installing Slackware 13 on one hard drive and it boots and works with no interference from the onboard fakeraid controller.

Now I can move onward to installing linux software raid using mdadm; which is what I wanted all along.

Hope this is helpful for others.

Uhh...isn't that what I said in my first post?

TBone, yes sir, correct.
I did actually follow your instructions and removed the existing array, but when I didn't see any other options to turn raid "off", I thought I must have to create a new array to use the hard drives.

Just a complete misunderstanding based on confusion and inexperience.

Thanks again for your help and interest.

Hehe...no problem, and glad you got it resolved.