RAID cards: Intel vs Adaptec.

[Barry Munro]

In case anyone else trips over this gotcha . . .

Has anyone had this happen to them yet?

 

Bought SRCU31 Intel RAID card, put in 128  mb ram (ECC, registered blah, blah ~),

RCU saw it was all fine, SBS2000 setup can't see the RAID array,

went to Intel web site, saw that W2K 2000 SP1 can't see earlier version of I20 driver,

downloaded newer driver, OK - it sees it, installation rattles on, away we go.

Keep on with migration, all pigs fed & flying, all cool. No dramas.

2 days later, down the server to put rest of tech-rack together, server won't start, can't see the RAID array again, seems it's lost it's firmware.

But, no array, no SBS, no data, all gone.

Find dark corner, slash wrists while drinking Jameson rum.

Gather up bits of old server, get data off it again.

Do install of everything again, uploading overwrite of firmware in card.

 

3 days later, error rate in SBS logs through the roof, server misbehaving strangely, get data off this time, BEFORE downing the server. Restart, no array, no SBS, no nuthin'.

Card lost it's firmware again.

Whole tech-rack has an online UPS a panel shop could run MIG welders at 100% duty cycle with, UPS logs during all of this show no dramas with domestic supply or it's own output.

 

Great Aunt is sure I am remedial now, because:

why, oh, why, did I turn my back on Adaptec?

Adaptec tech smirks knowingly, says: " . . it happens all the time, we sell a sh--t load of cards cozza this, we are more expensive but our cards work, when Intel wake up, well - guess we have match price point then . . . . ." ??

Welcomes me back with good deal on 3210S Adaptec.

Server installed up to rollout in less than 4 hours.

4 days later, still running, restarts every time, using it for this very msg, till I have confidence to get rack transported into client's.

 

Intel 0.

Adaptec 1.

No contest, drink rest of Jameson. Great Aunt drives off, still mumbling.

 

Can anyone say where I went wrong?

And anyone who gives the wrong answer want a RAID card, in it's box, even has updated drivers?

 

Regards, Baz.

[Graham]

I have also used SRCU31 RAID cards with Windows 2000 Server (several) and
providing you take note of the advice below they work fine.

"Martin Henley" <Mar...@nospam.saintsprint.com> wrote in message
news:997699652.15304.0...@news.demon.co.uk...
I have the INTEL RAID controller and there are two known issues both of
which are addressed by white papers on the INTEL site. I ran the fixes and
everything has been hunky dory for 2 months. The fix is a registry hack,
I've attached Intels registry update file. This registry hack should be
applied before updating to SP1. So this means getting hold of a vanilla copy
of W2000 server installing doing the registry update rebooting and then
loading SBS which will then update to SP1. Sounds complex but it seems to
work. Without it SBS hangs.
You will also need a new miniport driver which can be downloaded from:
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/srcu31
or
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/srcu31l
if your controller is the low profile card

Be further warned that if you try and run the srcu31 from a 64 bit PCI
channel and there is an Eicon Diva server BRI2 ISDN card in a 32 bit slot
then the machine won't even boot.

"Barry Munro" <b...@peace-of-mind.com.au> wrote in message
news:Ooxt7I2IBHA.1300@tkmsftngp02...

[Barry Munro]

Thank you Graham,

I did get all of that, the new minidriver, reg changes, etc.

Being a brand new box, bit of time on hand (a full bottle of Jamesons), I tried over 15 ways of installation, all of them I wouldn't let out the door.

 

I remain extremely sensitive to other cards on the bus, even on a split bus.

This was a boring L440GX+ , not a flash new ST type.

Are you saying it is SBS 2000's build that defeats ordinary installation of an Intel card?

Advanced server seems to have the same drama. And it starts off life before SP1.

These were watched attempts 10 through 15.

 

Ice wall climbing, 90 mile offshore fishing, violin lessons, these are valid Jameson excuses.

 

2 months you say the Intel has worked for . . . . . ?

What floats your boat, when SP2 comes along?

 

Remaining humble, in the site of my peers,

regards, Baz.

[Alex B]

AMI Raid ... two years - solid as a rock.

"Barry Munro" <b...@peace-of-mind.com.au> wrote in message news:u43Bs5DJBHA.1388@tkmsftngp03...

[Martin Henley]

Barry

 

It may be a motherboard problem, I have installed two of these adapters onto ST motherboards taking the steps outlined in my previous posting (I don't really mind being called Graham really). But certainly I would remove all other cards from the PCI bus and before you even begin to load windows 2000 you must follow the installation steps provided by Intel. But additionally you will need to upgrade the firmware during step one, and don't create the mini port driver off the CD onto the floppy, use the new one that you have downloaded from the web. Remember to install the integrated RAID software off the cd and then reboot immediately after.

Give it one more try and if it doesn't work then you may need to contact Intel.

 

Martin

"Barry Munro" <b...@peace-of-mind.com.au> wrote in message news:u43Bs5DJBHA.1388@tkmsftngp03...

[Barry Munro]

Hi Martin (losing the Graham),

Yep, did all that, even went so far as to load the OSM off the CD, but before rebooting, updated with the OSM update from Intel web site, so as NOT to overwrite the newer temp I2O minidriver, which brought on BSOD's too.

 

After a time (that old German fella said time dilates or dilutes or sumfin), off goes the Health Monitor, squealing & squirting msg's about the place, restart the thing, no nuthin, no card, no array.

If an Adaptec RAID card fails, at least you just put in another Adaptec card, it picks up the array info off the HDD's, away you go again, no messing with new versions of Veritas IDR.

This does work, I bought more than one (more jobs coming), pulled a working RAID card out, put in the next new card, cool. Now I know . . . .

 

No mate, card's in it's box, maybe it's NBG, maybe this problem is inherent.

Discussion on it's return authority begin.

If it ain't KISS principal, no worky, no buy.

I won't stray again for a while.

 

Glad to hear ST type motherboards work OK, got one coming up next week.

 

BTW. lookit this:

 

In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and
unhelpful Microsoft error messages with Haiku poetry
messages. Haiku poetry has strict construction
rules. Each poem has only three lines, 17 syllables:
five syllables in the first line, seven in the second,
five in the third. Haikus are used to communicate a
timeless message, often achieving a wistful, yearning
and powerful insight through extreme brevity - the
essence of Zen (and watercolor, n'est ce pas?).

-------------------------------------------
Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
-------------------------------------------
The Web site you seek
Cannot be located, but
Countless more exist.
--------------------------------------------
Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
-----------------------------------------------
Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
------------------------------------------------
Windows has now crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
--------------------------------------------------
Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.
---------------------------------------------------
First snow, then silence.
This thousand-dollar screen dies
So beautifully.
---------------------------------------------------
With searching comes loss
And the presence of absence:
"My Novel" not found.
--------------------------------------------------
The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao-until
You bring fresh toner.
-------------------------------------------------
Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
---------------------------------------------------
A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.
---------------------------------------------------
Three things are certain:
Death, taxes, and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.
---------------------------------------------------
You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
---------------------------------------------------
Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.
--------------------------------------------------
Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.
-------------------------------------
Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank

So smooth (sigh)

 

Seeya, Baz.

 

"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."