Server does not recognize hard drives

decosoced · 04-22-2021, 11:03 AM

Trying to set up a server for the first time, working on installing Ubuntu on it, everything works until I get to the "select drive to install on" stage, none of the drives I've stuck in are recognized. Since I've had similar problems with building computers, I figure the problem is I've got drives without partitions, but I don't have a way to hook the drives up to a system to partition them. Any suggestions?

Emerson · 04-22-2021, 11:10 AM

Ubuntu will partition your drive, if it cannot see your drives then something else is wrong. Are the drives seen in BIOS setup? Are they set in AHCI mode?

jsbjsb001 · 04-22-2021, 11:17 AM

Are there any drives that show up if you boot a live system off of a USB stick or similar?
Are the data and power cables connected firmly?

Check for any loose cable connections, and if you can, try the same drive(s) in another machine and see if you still have the same issue.

michaelk · 04-22-2021, 11:23 AM

In addition, what is the make/model of computer?

As posted if you select automatic install the 1st drive will only be partitioned and used. If you want multiple drives you will need to select something else manually configure each drive and assign a mount point.

Ser Olmy · 04-22-2021, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decosoced

Trying to set up a server for the first time, working on installing Ubuntu on it, everything works until I get to the "select drive to install on" stage, none of the drives I've stuck in are recognized.

What's the make and model of the server?

Quote:

Originally Posted by decosoced

Since I've had similar problems with building computers, I figure the problem is I've got drives without partitions,

That's probably not the case.

decosoced · 04-22-2021, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

Ubuntu will partition your drive, if it cannot see your drives then something else is wrong. Are the drives seen in BIOS setup? Are they set in AHCI mode?

The server rack it's in has a setup with a card I don't recognize (again, first time setting up a server) which connects via cable to a board in front that the SAS drives slot into. all of the cables there are connected. The drives are not in AHCI mode, and in BIOS, only slot 0 is registered as having anything in it, which I think is the card itself.

Emerson · 04-22-2021, 12:00 PM

OK, then you have some hardware RAID controller? What's the PCI ID of this controller?

decosoced · 04-22-2021, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

In addition, what is the make/model of computer?

As posted if you select automatic install the 1st drive will only be partitioned and used. If you want multiple drives you will need to select something else manually configure each drive and assign a mount point.

Intel S5520HC Dual LGA 1366
Additionally, the BIOS is from 2010, would attempting to update that help?

Emerson · 04-22-2021, 12:06 PM

We need to see the PCI ID of this controller, then we can check with cateee.net kernel driver database if Linux has driver for it, and if it does then what kernel version is required.

http://cateee.net

michaelk · 04-22-2021, 12:15 PM

I agree with Emerson, the builtin RAID controller might not be recognized by Ubuntu. I suggest switching the mode in the BIOS to AHCI.

The only linux distributions mentioned in the documentation is RedHat or SuSE.
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/su...vice_guide.pdf
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...el-61X-Chipset

Ser Olmy · 04-22-2021, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decosoced

The server rack it's in has a setup with a card I don't recognize (again, first time setting up a server) which connects via cable to a board in front that the SAS drives slot into. all of the cables there are connected. The drives are not in AHCI mode, and in BIOS, only slot 0 is registered as having anything in it, which I think is the card itself.

So you have a proper server with hot-pluggable SAS drives. And it seems you've never seen such a thing before.

You need to define a RAID Array before any drives become visible to the OS. Use the RAID controller's built-in configuration utility (accessible during POST) or, if applicable, the software that came with the server.

Ser Olmy · 04-22-2021, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

I agree with Emerson, the builtin RAID controller might not be recognized by Ubuntu. I suggest switching the mode in the BIOS to AHCI.

I'm sorry, but that's not good advice.

This server is equipped with SAS drives, which implies a SAS controller (obviously), which means AHCI does not apply. And even if it did, why would one want to bypass an expensive high-performance RAID controller?

Emerson · 04-22-2021, 12:22 PM

Right, to make it clear, Ubuntu does not need to see the drives, it needs to "see" the controller.

Edit: And fastest way to find out what we are dealing with is using PCI ID and kernel driver database, as I wrote up here.

michaelk · 04-22-2021, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ser Olmy

I'm sorry, but that's not good advice.

This server is equipped with SAS drives, which implies a SAS controller (obviously), which means AHCI does not apply. And even if it did, why would one want to bypass an expensive high-performance RAID controller?

Your correct I was looking at the wrong information. However, builtin linux support is still only with RedHat or Suse.

It does appear there is a native SAS mode without RAID using the SAS mpt driver.

Ser Olmy · 04-22-2021, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

Your correct I was looking at the wrong information. However, builtin linux support is still only with RedHat or Suse.

That's what the vendor officially supports, yes.

However, that has nothing to do with whether or not the controller is supported by the Linux kernel. The fact is that RAID hardware support has been excellent for over two decades.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

Right, to make it clear, Ubuntu does not need to see the drives, it needs to "see" the controller.

Actually, it's probably the other way around. Sort of.

There's an excellent chance that the kernel/initrd used by the setup routine includes the mptsas driver (because why wouldn't it), but if the OP hasn't defined a RAID array and at least one logical drive, the driver will have nothing to report.