Intel L440GX+ and Adaptec ARO-1130U2 - Can't create Array
Paolo
Chassis: Intel Astor II + hotswap backplane
Motherboard: Intel L440GX+
SCSI Raid: Adaptec ARO-1130U2
Processor: Intel Pentium III 800 Mhz
OS: MS Windows 2000 Workstation SP4
HDD: 3xMaxtor 37GB
CDRom: Plextor (SCSI) Ultraplex 40 TS
This configuration worked great for 4 years. One day when I powered up
the
server I get an error from the BMS, about something wrong
in the log. A few days after my server stopped to shutdown properly
closing windows. To shutdown the server I had to pull the power cord!
The
two buttons on the chassis (reset and power) doesn't worked anymore,
only power
button pressed once starts up the server. No shutdown pressing for 4-6
secs.
After abouth two months working with this problems I decided to change
te
hard drives (an operation that I scheduled by time).
So, here starts my odissey! I updated ALL the firmware on the
mainboard,
backplane and raid controller, all in the correct order as described
by
adaptec and intel, with the latest versions. (HSC, BMS, FRU/SDR, Raid
BIOS, Board, BIOS).
I installed three new disks (Maxtor) and launched the Array Creation
Utility, that toke about 15 hours to complete! (the disks have a
capacity of
37GB, in raid 5 = (37+37+37)/2 ). All seemed to be ok when I started
windows
2000 installation directly from boot cd. After firmware upgrade of all
the
peripherals the buttons (reset and power) turned to work correctly!
Launched
installation, Pressed F6 to give ARO drivers to windows and.. when
the installation procedure interface should change from text to
graphic mode
the machine hangs with a black screen and a blinking cursor on top
left
corner.
Turned off and on the server, repeated these steps, same result. I
know that Win2k with this board may have ACPI problems, so I tried
installation giving to win2k a "pc standard" profile (pressing F7
during early setup) but this has not been useful, 'cause server is
still hanging. Ok, I try
to access the array in another way. I Installed succesfully dos 7 on
the array, installed and removed a boot manager, made file transfer,
all seemed to work!! Once I deleted all partition created during this
tests I launched another time windows 2k installation and.. it hangs.
From that time I reloader older firmware version, same result. I tried
a
firmware upgrade updating the boot block code of any chip too. Tried
to
install windows 2k.. doesn't hangs.. BUT now it recognises three scsi
disk,
not an array!? I entered the array config utility.. the array was
vanished!
Ok, I recreate the array, but now the array creation procedure is very
fast and hangs at a certain percentage! I'm not able to recreate the
array! I read something about problems with acpi regarding the array
creation too, but this mainboard doesn't allow acpi disabling and..
if the acpi is the problem, why before boot block update i was able to
create the array?
too much problems, I don't know what to try anymore.. if anyone has
some
suggestions..
thanks in advice
Paolo Roversi
Logika Computer Service
Brescia -ITALY-