Tyan s7076 - Server Essential 2012 R2

[Curtis K]

Hey all, I am new the the group, but just built a dual xeon system..
I start installing and almost immediately windows stated it needs missing drivers. None of the Tyan drivers work to solve this issue.

I also find it odd that I have no Bios option upon boot to build the RAID arrays.

Anyone got this board or had similar issues?

Thanks Curtis

[Paul]

The driver list is pretty thin. There is a section
in the menu for Server 2012. So they may have thought
about it.

http://www.tyan.com/support_download_drivers.aspx?model=S.S7076

I just can't tell in a quick glance, whether the list is
complete.

*******

I looked at both the Tyan manual for your board

http://www.tyan.com/manuals/S7076_UG_v1.0.pdf

and at the manual for a SuperMicro LGA2011-V3 board with
C612, and *neither* manual has a RAID section. So that
means I'm missing something about the build process...

You would want to make sure any RAID module in the
BIOS is enabled, bare minimum. Sometimes, that is used
to give a "fail" or "degrade" warning during POST.

*******

Some RAID products support "migration". Set BIOS to AHCI
or RAID. (Preferably RAID if you know the system will always
be RAID-dependent.) Connect one disk drive as a JBOD drive
(i.e. don't enter a BIOS screen and enter array details
or anything). Install the OS. Install the RAID driver.
Install the RAID Management panel software.

Now, shut down. Connect two more blank drives. Boot the OS.
Enter the RAID Management panel in Windows. Select the "migration"
function to take the system from a single disk C: to a
RAID5 three-disk array with the same C: on it. The build of the
RAID5 (migration stage) can run while the system is up.
Both Intel and NVidia supported that, maybe seven years ago.

So it is possible to "do your RAID", entirely in the OS level.
Just make sure the RAID product supports "migration". Not
all "migration" types are possible. It's important to examine
the from-to table of migrations, to see if your desired
migration is supported. This beats the hell out of building
an array with the stupid motherboard sitting at BIOS level.
Especially as some RAID products are slow at doing builds.

*******

On desktop motherboards, once the RAID BIOS code module is
enabled and the ports are in RAID mode, pressing "control-I"
in the BIOS brings up the Intel RAID Management. Each
company uses a different hot-key sequence. And the hot
key is not always the first letter of the company name.
For example, Promise Raid does not use "control-P",
it might be "control-F" or something.

But since neither of the two manuals I looked at, mentioned
any of that, I have to conclude they're doing something
different now.

Watch the BIOS screen during POST. Use your "Pause" key
on the keyboard, if you need time to read something on
the screen. Maybe you'll see a prompt when the RAID code
module loads and does a status check on the disks.

Paul

[Curtis K]

Paul;

I will run through the scenario, the main issue is I cannot get past the initial missing drivers screen to even build windows itself! I find it weird that there does not seem to be a RAID bios built into the motherboard (CTRL-H for LSI)like I would normally expect when booting a motherboard with RAID built in. That would concern me as boards sold with Fake RAID or hybrid raid lack true hardware level mirroring.

In presales, I got direct emails to Tyan engineers. They have been responsive in answering questions on this new board, I already have a email in to them both. Something is fishy here, there may need to be a bios update or "certified Windows 2012 drivers" issued.

Even Intel is slim on the 612 chipset and drivers, I found data, but no drivers even there!

Well, we will see what happens here over then next day or two.

Thanks for the advice, Curtis