SMART array 642 does not boot from internal channel

[Samshen]

Hi,
I have two controllers in my server ML350 G4. The first is SMART 641 controller and I have connected three disks to it that are used as boot storage (this controller is selected as boot device).
The second is SMART 642 controller and in the port1 (External port) I have connected the external storage (MSA30).
I have to remove the first controller (SMART 641), so I have connected the disks on the internal channel (port2) of SMAT 642 and choose that controller as the boot device.
The problem is that the server tries to boot from the storage, not from the disks that I have connected on the internal channel.
I tried also through SMART Start CD to reconfigure the server, but it recognize as boot partition the partition which resides on the external storage.
Please help me how to choose as boot partition the partition which resides on the storage connected to port2 (internal channel), not to port1 (external channel).

Thank you.

P.S. A temporary solution I found is to shut down MSA, server boots OK from internal channel, after Windows is booted I power up online MSA. From Array configuration Utitily I recreate the external array, create logical drive (with 5 external HDDs) and it knows perfectly the partition that has been before.
But when I restart the server, it attempts again to boot from external storage, so I have to repeat this procedure every time I restart the server.

[Pieter 't Hart]

in boot.ini is pecified the bus/controller/disk/partition to boot from.
as the controller wich first was controller-1 is removed the bootpartition needs a different reference.

Create a windows boot floppy on another system ( as described by MicroSoft with ntldr, ntoskrnl boot.ini, the driver for the array controller etc...)
change the boot.ini to a lot of different options with different controller/disks/partition configurations (see attachment).
experiment wich option works and change the boot.ini on the system disk accordingly.

Pieter

[Attila Szabó]

Dear Samshen,

I think there is a first step, before you try to edit boot.ini. First, go into BIOS (press F9, when prompted, at the and of Power-up sequence) and check the "boot controller order", as I remember, there will separate options for Port1 and Port2. And if Port1 is the first, it will boot from there (or stop), if there is any disk (logical drive), but when you power off MSA, it will not detect anything on that port, so it will go to the next one in boot controller order list, and it will boot from Port2.
So first, check it, and tell us, what you find.
There is only one think what you need to know about Rom Based Setup Utility (RBSU):
MPORTANT: RBSU automatically saves settings when you press the Enter key. The utility does not prompt you for confirmation of settings before you exit the utility. To change a selected setting, you must select a different setting and press the Enter key.

regards,
Attila

[Samshen]

Hi,
Actually I have to reinstall the server from the beginning for other reasons.
From SmartStart it recognize only the external channel as boot drive.
I checked from RBSU, but it gives only options for selecting the whole controller as boot controller, it does not gives any option to specify the port.
Please help me how to specify a specific device connected to a specific port as a boot device.

Sorry for my delayed reply.

[Pieter 't Hart]

You cannot select on the controller wich device to boot. I don't think you can select wich port to boot.

the controller scans one by one from low to high (port/scsi-id) if it has a disk with a valid bootsector. This bootsector (with a windows disk) is a program thatreads ntldr, ntoskrnl, and boot.ini.
boot.ini has to point to the location where windows is installed!
As you moved the original bootdisk to port 2, and removed a controller, the reference oin boot.ini (to the first partition of the first disk of the first controller) points now to the data-disk.
So you have to adjust these reference in boot.ini. to the second disk of the first controller. Then it can find the windows installation and continue loading windows.

Pieter

[Samshen]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
But I have to reinstall Windows from the beginning. So I start with SmartStart CD and in the screen that displays information about hardwdare it is automatically selected the external storage. I do not have any option to choose the internal device to install Windows. Where can I choose it?

Thank you.

[Pieter 't Hart]

So your system is not ready for booting yet?
You try a new OS installation with smartstart and this only gives you the option to select the external drive?

You should look for an option to modify your diskconfiguration. you have to add the disks in the internal storage to an array (or create a second array), and create a logical volume on this array before this is presented as a partition to install the OS.
If not possible through SmartStart you may look for an option at boottime to configure the arraycontroller (press F8 or ctrl-A?)

Pieter

[Samshen]

Hi Pieter,
Yes, I have created two arrays: One Internal with 3 disks and one logical drive and one external with 5 disks with one logical drive.
External array alway take A letter (Array A) and internal one is B. I tried to delete/recreate the internal array, but alwas the internal takes the B letter (I do not want to delete external array, as it holds database data. I want just to reisntall OS and database software which are residing on internal disks). I tried both from F8 prompt of ORCA and from SmartStart.
Please help me where to make a change in configuration.

Thank you.

[Pieter 't Hart]

Yes the letters for the array are assigned is order of creation, so if you do not delete array-A the second array created will be array-B.
But this should not influence the abaility to select a volume on the second array to install the OS?
Maybe this is an unknown feature in the smartstart version used.
Try a windows installation without smartstart and see if you can select the other volume for installation (maybe need "f6" to add driver for the 642 controller).

[Samshen]

Hi Pieter,
But in general, if I have several ports in a SMART array and I have created several logical drives, how can I choose from SMART Start where to install my OS?
Let's propose one scenario:

I have a 6404 SMART Array (port 1,2 external, port 3,4 internal). I have created two logical drives for the disks connected to internal port 3 and two logical drivers for the disks connected to internal port 4.
I want to choose to install OS in the second logical drive which is connected to port 3.
How can I choose it from Smart Start?

Thanks.