Boot priority on ML330 with onboard ATA-100 Raid and PCI SCSI

[Dan LaBine]

I'm trying to set up an ML330 server and having boot priority issues with it. This server has the on board (integrated) ATA-100 Raid controller and an Adaptec 29160 Ultra Wide 320 SCSI PCI card.

I'm using a single WD 80 GB ATA HDD on the ATA-100 RAID controller (Connector #17 on the board and set as the master on this connector) and a single 32 GB SCSI drive on the Adaptec SCSI card.

A DVD-ROM drive is set up on the tertiary IDE connector and works like a charm. I've been able to install OS's on it without any problems, as long as the PCI SCSI controller is disabled in the BIOS.

Both drives are configured and detected by their respective controllers and the BIOS is set to boot using the DVD-ROM drive, then the IDE drive, and finally the SCSI drive.

However, if the SCSI card is enabled in the BIOS, I can't boot from the IDE drive on the ATA-100 controller.

The basic concept here is to run the OS (Mandriva Linux 2007) from the IDE drive and to run a database from the SCSI drive to make use of it's faster I/O.

Currently, the SCSI drive is running an old version of Debian Sarge and contains a full OS, web pages using PHP and 6 small databases, so I can't risk deleting or wiping the drive, since I need to use this OS until the IDE drive can boot the system and I can move data from the SCSI drive over to the IDE drive.

Here's where it gets weird. If I disable the SCSI controller, the single IDE drive on the ATA-100 controller will boot the system with Mandriva on it, but as soon as I re-enable the SCSI controller, the server doesn't even try to boot from the IDE drive and moves immediately on to the SCSI drive and boots it up without a hitch.

I'm not seeing any errors during the POST or boot sequence at all. Somehow, the SCSI controller seems to have boot priority over the ATA-100 controller, even though the ATA-100 controller has boot priority in the BIOS.

How can I change this without damaging the data on the SCSI drive? Is there a jumper on the motherboard or the SCSI card that is controlling this?

Any help would be appreciated, since this is being used for a local school on a restricted budget and I need to get this thing behaving itself.

Thanks in Advance for any help this forum can provide.

Dan

[KarloChacon]

boot device prioroty-> is for the orden of the units A: C: CDROM - USB

and boot controller order it's for the order of the controllers when you have more than one

you have to set the ATA at top to be able to run yor OS
look in the RBSU


regards

[Dan LaBine]

Karlo,

Thanks for the quick reply. I understand about setting the boot priority, but thanks for confirming this anyway.

This system is set to boot the DVD-ROM drive, then the ATA-100 controller (with a single WD 80 GB drive attached) and then the SCSI drive attached to the Adaptec 29160 PCI controller as the last drive.

The problem is that the SCSI drive is getting boot priority over the IDE drive and the only way to boot the IDE drive is to disable the SCSI controller card in the RBSU.

To make matters worse, I'm not seeing any errors which might point me to a solution.

That's what is giving me all of my problems right now. The only way to boot the IDE drive is to disable the SCSI card or remove the SCSI drive.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know!

Dan

[Dan LaBine]

Karlo,

Thanks for the quick reply. I understand about setting the boot priority, but thanks for confirming this anyway.

This system is set to boot the DVD-ROM drive, then the ATA-100 controller (with a single WD 80 GB drive attached) and then the SCSI drive attached to the Adaptec 29160 PCI controller as the last drive.

The problem is that the SCSI drive is getting boot priority over the IDE drive and the only way to boot the IDE drive is to disable the SCSI controller card in the RBSU.

To make matters worse, I'm not seeing any errors which might point me to a solution.

That's what is giving me all of my problems right now. The only way to boot the IDE drive is to disable the SCSI card in the RBSU.

When I disable the SCSI controller, the IDE drive boots the server up cleanly, but of course at that point the SCSI drive can't be seen by the OS running on the IDE drive.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know!

Dan