>> Hello.
>> I am trying to install Debian Squeeze on a IBM x3550 M3. The server
>> has this 3 disks:
>> IBM 600GB 10K 6Gbps SAS 2.5" SFF Slim-HS HDD

>> The RAID controller is a LSI 9240-4i

>> I have tried with a RAID 5 to install debian-amd64 but the
>> installation hangs up when it starts to format the disks.
>> After that, I tried with only one disk and non-raid configuration, and
>> the result is that the installation doesn't recognize the disk. It
>> gives me a list of the controllers that I have to choose, but the disk
>> is not recognized.

>> The server has all the firmwares updated, I know that because I have done
>> it.

>> After all that, I have tried with Debian Testing and the installation
>> works just fine with no errors.
>> My question is, do I have to load some drivers for that kind of disks
>> during the installation?
>> What can I do? Should I try some other Debian installer like i386?

> You mean you installed Debian Wheezy on that IBM x3550 M3 without any
> problems? Why not go with that?

> The RAID controller is a LSI 9240-4i

> I have tried with a RAID 5 to install debian-amd64 but the
> installation hangs up when it starts to format the disks.
> After that, I tried with only one disk and non-raid configuration, and
> the result is that the installation doesn't recognize the disk. It
> gives me a list of the controllers that I have to choose, but the disk
> is not recognized.

> The server has all the firmwares updated, I know that because I have done it.

> After all that, I have tried with Debian Testing and the installation
> works just fine with no errors.
> My question is, do I have to load some drivers for that kind of disks
> during the installation?
> What can I do? Should I try some other Debian installer like i386?

>>> The RAID controller is a LSI 9240-4i

>>> I have tried with a RAID 5 to install debian-amd64 but the
>>> installation hangs up when it starts to format the disks.
>>> After that, I tried with only one disk and non-raid configuration, and
>>> the result is that the installation doesn't recognize the disk. It
>>> gives me a list of the controllers that I have to choose, but the disk
>>> is not recognized.

>>> The server has all the firmwares updated, I know that because I have done
>>> it.

>>> After all that, I have tried with Debian Testing and the installation
>>> works just fine with no errors.
>>> My question is, do I have to load some drivers for that kind of disks
>>> during the installation?
>>> What can I do? Should I try some other Debian installer like i386?

>> You mean you installed Debian Wheezy on that IBM x3550 M3 without any
>> problems? Why not go with that?

> Yes.
> Because I have some servers with Xen and Ganeti with Debian Squeeze
> and I need to migrate them to this new servers and I wanted to keep
> the same versions.

> The RAID controller is a LSI 9240-4i

> I have tried with a RAID 5 to install debian-amd64 but the installation
> hangs up when it starts to format the disks.

> After all that, I have tried with Debian Testing and the installation
> works just fine with no errors.

> I would first try to use Gparted and see what happens.

>> On a completely side note, have you considered in using a different
>> RAID level (e.g., RAID 1)? I think it would be a better option for
>> holding the operating system.

> The hardware RAID level has no bearing on this problem.

> Correct.  I don't speak/read Spanish, but you responded multiple times
> regarding the 9240-4i on the Debian Spanish list, regarding the same IBM
> X Series server.  Thus when I started reading your responses here I
> assumed you had the answers the OP needed. :)

>> On 12/28/2011 3:16 PM, Camaleón wrote:

>>> On a completely side note, have you considered in using a different
>>> RAID level (e.g., RAID 1)? I think it would be a better option for
>>> holding the operating system.

>> The hardware RAID level has no bearing on this problem.

> Yes, that's why I said "On a completely side note..." ;-)

> I was more pointing to the decision of setting up a RAID 5 instead RAID 1
> for holding the OS. Yes, I know there are 3 hard disks in place but a
> RAID 5 array can take more time to rebuild the 1.2 TiB volume and the
> chance for a second drive to go off when rebuilding process is active
> increases.

> (...)

>>> Hum... this is interesting. It points to some sort of problem with
>>> Squeeze's installer :-?

>> Correct.  I don't speak/read Spanish, but you responded multiple times
>> regarding the 9240-4i on the Debian Spanish list, regarding the same IBM
>> X Series server.  Thus when I started reading your responses here I
>> assumed you had the answers the OP needed. :)

> IIRC (I've been out for 3 days) the user asked two different questions at
> the Spanish mailing list. I replied to the first one that was about the
> installer not recognizing the hard disks which was already solved. After
> that, another problem (this) arised.

> Greetings,

>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried Debian
>> Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them worked.

> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

> Uh, how is that? You did not say the server "restarted" but it stalled at
> the installation part when making the partitions and formatting the
> disks... did you finally install Squeeze or -put it in another way- when
> is that "restart" happening?

> Hum... there is no kernel xen (or I can't see it) from backports.

> Squeeze's stock kernel should support your raid controller card and hard
> disks as I told you on the Spanish mailing list, I can't see what can be
> failing here.

> Try with the latest version of Gparted (LiveCD), this can be indeed a
> problem within Squeeze installer (not the kernel) and using Gparted you
> may be able to bypass it.

> Wheezy will be freezed on June 2012, there is still a long way until it
> gets released but if you can deal with the usual problems coming from
> testing, well, then go on :-)

> --
> Camaleón

>> As I said before, in my opinion, there is a problem with the kernel
>> and the disks. But it's just my opinion based on all the tests I've
>> done.

> The problem is with the kernels and modules you are using, and remotely
> possibly teh 9240, not the disk drives.

> Is BBWC enabled on this 9240?  Is the cache is write-back mode?  If so
> disabled the cache or change its mode to write-through.

>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried Debian
>> Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them worked.

> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

>>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried
>>> Debian Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them
>>> worked.

>> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

> Camaleon,
> I created a partition of 10 GB with Gparted. Then I started to install
> Squeeze but when is installing the base system it hangs up at 17% with
> the following errors catched from the dmesg:
> megasas: RESET -4637 cmd=2a retries=0
> megasas: waiting for 1 commands to complete
> megasas: failed to do reset
> megasas: cannot recover form previous reset failures

> And other errors of the I/O type.

>> 2011/12/29 Camaleón <noela...@gmail.com>:
>>> On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:31:28 -0300, Mauro Sánchez wrote:

>>>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried
>>>> Debian Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them
>>>> worked.

>>> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

>> Camaleon,
>> I created a partition of 10 GB with Gparted. Then I started to install
>> Squeeze but when is installing the base system it hangs up at 17% with
>> the following errors catched from the dmesg:
>> megasas: RESET -4637 cmd=2a retries=0
>> megasas: waiting for 1 commands to complete
>> megasas: failed to do reset
>> megasas: cannot recover form previous reset failures

>> And other errors of the I/O type.

> Ugh... that sounds like the RAID controller is hanging/resetting very badly
> or the driver is behaving weirdly :-(

> It can be then a bug in the megasas kernel module and Google finds *lots*
> of similar errors for that same driver, and curiously, xen kernels:

> http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en#hl=en&tbo=1&complete=0&s...

> I wouldn't discard this is still happening on wheezy... although the
> installer can succeed, what will happen once the system enters into
> high load? Will the driver experience the same problems?

> --
> Camaleón

>> http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en#hl=en&tbo=1&complete=0&s...

>> I wouldn't discard this is still happening on wheezy... although the
>> installer can succeed, what will happen once the system enters into
>> high load? Will the driver experience the same problems?

> Hello Camaleon.
> I have installed debian testing and then installed xen-linux-system and
> boot from its kernel. Till now everything just works fine. What kind of
> tests would you suggest me for high load activity with the controller?

>>> As I said before, in my opinion, there is a problem with the kernel
>>> and the disks. But it's just my opinion based on all the tests I've
>>> done.

>> The problem is with the kernels and modules you are using, and remotely
>> possibly teh 9240, not the disk drives.

>> Is BBWC enabled on this 9240?  Is the cache is write-back mode?  If so
>> disabled the cache or change its mode to write-through.

> Hello Stan.
> The disk cache is Disabled and de write mode is write through.
> About BBWC I don't know where to check it.

>>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried Debian
>>> Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them worked.

>> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

> Camaleon,
> I created a partition of 10 GB with Gparted. Then I started to install
> Squeeze but when is installing the base system it hangs up at 17% with
> the following errors catched from the dmesg:
> megasas: RESET -4637 cmd=2a retries=0
> megasas: waiting for 1 commands to complete
> megasas: failed to do reset
> megasas: cannot recover form previous reset failures

> And other errors of the I/O type.

>> I have installed debian testing and then installed xen-linux-system
>> and boot from its kernel. Till now everything just works fine. What
>> kind of tests would you suggest me for high load activity with the
>> controller?

> Bonnie++, IOzone, FIO, etc.  Anything with a high random IOPS workload.
>  Just running a huge sequential write/read with dd probably won't cause
> any problems to surface.

>>>> Camaleon, the configuration with one disk uses JBOD. I have tried Debian
>>>> Stable with only one disk, RAID 1, RAID 5 and LVM. None of them worked.

>>> Did you try to partition and format the disks from Gparted?

>> Camaleon,
>> I created a partition of 10 GB with Gparted. Then I started to install
>> Squeeze but when is installing the base system it hangs up at 17% with
>> the following errors catched from the dmesg:
>> megasas: RESET -4637 cmd=2a retries=0
>> megasas: waiting for 1 commands to complete
>> megasas: failed to do reset
>> megasas: cannot recover form previous reset failures

>> And other errors of the I/O type.

> This is all brand new hardware isn't it?  I've been working under that
> assumption.  If it is used, or refurb stuff, scratch my previous
> statement about the drives, as they could very well have problems, or
> anything else in the chassis for that matter.

> New/used/refurb, the first thing I would do, given those errors, is
> check/replace the 8087 cable connecting the 9240 to the drive cage
> backplane.