Enable Intel RAID ROM on ML 110 G4?

[saxa]

Hello,

is there a way to enable the ICH7 native RAID support instead of Adaptec's one?

Adaptec's ROM has serious performance problems...

[Ryan Goff]

you would have to purchase a pci raid controller if you don't like the one that comes with the system.

options are listed in the quickspecs here in the storage section:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12577_div/12577_div.HTML

[saxa]

Ryan, certainly.

Though, please, could you answer my question: is it possible to enable Intel OpROM on the ML 110 motherboard?

[Ryan Goff]

There is only one raid controller built into the systemboard in this model. There is not a second one you can enable.

[Ryan Goff]

Page 36 gives instructions on how to enable the onboard raid controller:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00260539/c00260539.pdf

If you wish to use a different type, as I mentioned in the first reply, you will need to purchase an additional controller.

As you said though, the RAID controller uses an adaptec driver but is an Intel chipset, there is no way to enable an Intel raid controller on this system, it's made by Adaptec.

Your only other option is to leave Raid disabled and rely on Raid within the OS itself, a software Raid setup.

[saxa]

Hello Rian, thank you very much for your answer.

Please let me explain from the beginning.

The 110 ML G4 server is based on Intel's 3000/ICH7 chipset.

Here is the official description: http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/3000_3010/index.htm

ICH7 south bridge supports from factory the Intel Matrix Technology, a type of (soft)RAID config I'm asking about.

The RAID logic, or, let's say, firmware is saved by the Intel's factory in the ICH7 chip. The chip is sold to the motherboard vendor; here it is HP or it's suppliers.

The vendor produces the motherboard and creates the BIOS code for it. The BIOS can present the ICH7's RAID code as itself. Or, the board vendor can add some other code and present it as something else.

E.g. my customers have some Supermicro and Tyan boards, on which you can even select, which RAID code will be used: Intel or Adaptec. We call it OpROM.

HP "closes" the ICH7 RAID code for us completely and presents it as Adaptec HostRAID. Maybe because Intel Matrix Storage Technology doesn't work on Linux.

On some older ML 110 G4 BIOS versions was the Intel OpROM enabled, but HP says, it's not supported and want these servers to be upgraded.

[Ryan Goff]

Yes, I'm familiar with how this chipset works, but what you're trying to do cannot be done.

[saxa]

Ryan,

>>Yes, I'm familiar with how this chipset works, but what you're trying to do cannot be done.

A thing I didn't understand: This answer should be the first one.

Is it typical for this forum: "it's not supported", "it's not possible", "read the manual"?

[Timur S Lukovkin]

Everything is possible, but you need to know that HP products are design for specific hardware...is up to you the use of additional hardware...should work, should not...

[saxa]

Timur,

OK, and how could I accomplish that?