Cannot install Ubuntu 12.04 on HP Proliant DL380e with 1TB SAS Drive

[jgtumusiime]

I have an HP Proliant DL380e with a 1TB SAS Drive and I am trying to install ubuntu server 12.04 on it. I have created a RAID array using Array Controller Utility and had a RAID0 logical volume configured on that array. I also set this logical volume as the primary bootable device. Having done this, I believe installing ubuntu on the created volume should be as smooth as it can be.

However, it seems I am so wrong... During the installation process, the installer does not detect my SAS Drive. When the installer gets to partitioning disks, it only avails the option to "Configure iSCSI Volumes". When I checked the /var/log/syslog file. I see that the installer tries to detect SATA Drives but finds none.

Are there any custom configurations I need to make to get the installer to successfully detect my SAS Drive? I can't quite figure out what I need to do get the installer to detect my SAS Drive. Thanks in advance.

[BSeklecki]

The CISS driver in Ubuntu 12.04 may not support the HP Smart Array P420 in the Gen8.

Switch to a virtual console and type:

dmesg | egrep -i 'css|hpsa'

lspci -v | egrep -i 'css|hpsa'

dmidecode

Send the results.  Also is it booting v3.2.0-38?

If it _IS_ finding the controller, but not the logical scsi volume attached to it, then that is another issue altogether.

[Jimmy Vance · Accepted solution]

A few things here.

The standard DL380e Gen8 ships with a B320i Smart Array. Like the rest of the "B" series Smart Array controllers, this device is a software based RAID controller. A driver enables the RAID function. The driver is close source and is available for Red Hat (CentOS) and SUSE.  The driver is called hpvsa

The second item is to use the B320i withSAS drives you need the license key to enable SAS support. Out of the box the controller supports SATA drives.

If you disble the B320i RAID function in systems ROM so the systems treats the controller as a standard disk controller you can use either SATA or SAS drives.

To support Debian/Ubuntu on this sysem using a RAID controller you would need to install a supported "P" series Smart Array controller that uses the inbox hpsa driver.

[jgtumusiime]

There is no output for both commands:

dmesg | egrep -i 'css|hpsa'

lspci -v | egrep -i 'css|hpsa'

and  i wonder if you meant 'ciss|hpsa' instead of 'css|hpsa'. Either way there is no output.

What does this imply? And what options do I have?

Also dmidecode command is not found.

And the smart array controller is B320i (v3.10.0) not P420, unless I am mistaken about something.

It is a Gen 8 server like you mentioned.

I read here http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/linux/supportmatrix/ubuntu/exceptions/ubuntu-exceptions.html that the Dynamic Smart Array Controller B320i is not supported for ubuntu 12.04.

Again, what does this imply and what options do I have?

Thank you.

[jgtumusiime]

Thank you. This is really informative. So my options are to... Either disable RAID support in system ROM or install 'P' Series Smart Array controller? Can you please clarify this for me?

[jgtumusiime]

I just disabled the RAID Controller and set my current controller to the SATA Drive Controller. And there is still no difference. The Ubuntu installer still does not detect the SAS Drive; still behaves as described before. Please advice.

[Jimmy Vance]

I just tested with 12.04 and got the no disk message. I then tested with 12.10 and it found the disk. I guess 12.04 doesn't have a driver that recognizes the LSI controller.

[BSeklecki]

Yes thank you for your concise reponse.

However, that is really depressing news to hear about a low-end RAID option out there.

To the original poster: yo're probably better off using AHCI mode with SATA drives, do your mirroing in your LVM2, or even better: ZFS on FreeBSD (RAID-Z)

AIX and Solaris systems have been running LVM RAID in medocrity for decades :)

SoftRAID = Taint.  Lost sleep.  No Nagios monitoring plugins.  Blesch.

~BAS

[jgtumusiime]

I disable the RAID Controller and worked perfect with ubuntu 12.04. I was doing it the wrong way at first. To disable RAID I initiated the ROM Setup. Go to System Options->HP Dynamic Smart Array Controller Options. Thank a lot. Will do away with RAID Support.

[cpw83]

A question for clarification:

I'm aware that the B-Series Hostbased-/"Fake"-RAID-Controllers don't work with Ubuntu at the moment, hpvsa is just for RHEL and SLES, the Ubuntu version is still closed beta.

What about the P420/1G in a DL360e Gen8 (optional) or DL360p Gen8 (default)  -  can someone confirm that this controller works with Ubuntu 12.04(.3)? If so: Out of the box?