VMware Cloud Community
The-Kevster
Contributor
Contributor

SATA Support Clear as Mud!?

From the updated I/O sheet this is what's mentioned on supported SATA controllers....

Supported SAS/SATA Dual Controllers

ESX Server 3.5 supports selected SATA devices connected to dual SAS/SATA controllers. This support is limited to ESX Server 3.5. It is not included with ESX Server 3.0.x.

The supported dual SAS/SATA controllers are:

  • mptscsi_2xx (PCIE) ‐ LSI1078*

  • mptscsi_pcie ‐ LSI1068E (LSISAS3442E)*

  • mptscsi_pcix ‐ LSI1068 (SAS 5)*

  • aacraid_esx30 ‐ IBM serveraid 8k SAS controller*

  • cciss ‐ Smart Array P400/256 controller*

So what is the best PCIE card for me to put into my S5000PAL server that will use the above driver, if only someone could make a list :smileygrin:

Thanks,

Kev

Reply
0 Kudos
342 Replies
rpartmann
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

well there was you output (attachment) but not in my mail client ... sorry for that.

Are you using any LinuxBootCD or the ServiceConsole only boot option?

It seems that you shell has problems with that script....

bye,

reinhard.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
Reply
0 Kudos
excelsi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

I thoght my output was lost ;-).....no problem

I'm only using the Service Console....how I sad: before some weeks there was no problems at executing the script.

But now I will try your last suggested way.

Did you also look at vmfs3queuetool.log?

BR

Michael

Reply
0 Kudos
excelsi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

I tried your last suggestion.

I changed last "037e" to "037f" in sata_nv.xml and think this was correct.

lspci brought following output:

first one nvidia mcp ide controller 037e

then three nvidia mcp ide controller 037f

then i execute esxcfg-pciid, esxcfg-boot -r and esxcfg-boot -b

But the next reboot in normal mode was not sucessful: Many different errors in esxcfg-boot and other things (network doesn't start etc).

At the end esx hangs up at starting system logger.

Then i try to start the Service Console to correct the things back to default, but the console also hang up and esx reboot automaticly.

At the end the debug mode started, I changed back to "037e", execute esxcfeg-pciid but esxcfg-boot commands doesn't work.

Then reboot and the Service Console boots still with failure messages in esxcfg-boot and so i cannot execute esxcfg-boot commands anymore at the moment.

I hope you can overview my problems.....Questions everytime Smiley Wink

PS: The last two days i tried the esxi u2 booted from an usb stick.

What about I'm wondering: There gives absolutely no problems with my hard drives at sata onboard.

After booting from usb and basic configuration, I only had to format my hardrives with VMFS3 Filesystem from VI Client.

BR

Michael

Reply
0 Kudos
rpartmann
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

hmm weird, what PC are you running on?

Mine is hp ML115G1.

kind regards,

Reinhard

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
Reply
0 Kudos
rpartmann
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

yes now ;-D

mind is empty

bye,

Reinhard.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
Reply
0 Kudos
excelsi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

my PC:

Mobo: Asus M2N AM2 Socket

CPU: AMD Opteron 1220 2,8 GHz Dualcore

RAM: 4GB DDR2 667 ECC

2 x 200GB Hitachi SATA Hard Drives

I cannot understand why the gosata script don't work on a fresh 3.5 ESX Installation without updates any more...

The hardware cant be the problem...ESXi works

Because of these problems I'm going work with ESXi or to install smallest Linux with VMware Server 2.0...its also a good performance.

Big Thanks altough

Reply
0 Kudos
ms_1316
Contributor
Contributor

Hi guys,

Excellent thread and some very useful info in here.

I've just sold my ML370 G3 because despite being on the HCL I was unable to clone VM's. Whatever the reason, the only solution for me now is a whitebox given my budget and needs.

From what I've read, there are several boards that will support ESX 3.5 out of the box, and a few that would require additional storage cards or NICS. My question is, how would a standard motherboard get on if a supported RAID and NIC card was installed? Could you just run any motherboard and RAM, or are there restrictions?

I'm considering my options at the moment, and will either get an ASUS P5BV-E/SAS board, or go with a cheap board and stick in more drives / RAM.

Thanks in advance

Matt

Reply
0 Kudos
johnyb62
Contributor
Contributor

Hi, firstly rpartmann - thanks for you help here... much appreciated...

Anyway here is my situation.Installed V3.5, used rpartmans script gosata.sh (0.61) as instructed - worked great. So now went to upgrade to V3.5U2, and I am having problems..

Used gosata.sh (V0.62) as instructed. When ESX booted, unknown vm's shown

So followed :-

1.) boot 3 option -> Serviceconsole only

2.) cd /etc/vmware/pciid

3.) vi sata_nv.xml , my last entry was already 037f so no need to change

(tried using spci and lspci -vnn to see if 037f was correct but could not see any reference here?)

4.) esxcfg-pciid

5.) esxcfg-boot -r

6.) esxcfg-boot -b

7.) reboot

Now I could see my VM's listed correctly in INfrasdtructure client, great. But went to run one, and got errors "The VI Client has lost the connection to the "192.168.0.100" server. Do you want to return to the login dialogue?" and pciture of ESX server attached....

Would appreciate any help in understanding how to address this. Thanks

BTW Using HP Proliant ML115

Reply
0 Kudos
johnyb62
Contributor
Contributor

Sorry the above post was meant to be in response to rpartmann not blackforce.. Sorry guys finger trouble..

Reply
0 Kudos
blackforce
Contributor
Contributor

If you look at my post a couple of pages back I get the same issue when using update 2. They must have changed something in the drivers. Mine crashes with the same error as soon as you put load on it.

I went back to update 1.

Before I did I tried diff HDD's everything same error.

Page 15 to be exact.

Reply
0 Kudos
rpartmann
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

strange my ML115 G1 works.... well have to try to start some vm´s ....

reinhard.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
Reply
0 Kudos
dmarsh22
Contributor
Contributor

While some time has passed... I can partially confirm the hardware below -- In my case I am using ESXi 3.5u2 (patched 110271) from ISO.

The weirdness comes from offical documents

http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/Hardware_support.php

...

nVidia Corporation

10de 0053 0000 0000 storage ide nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller

That is hardware I have (in addition to the crappy Sil 3114 -- just can't get it to work / but the "NVRaid" which works under sata_nv -- but don't expect any RAID functions from either)

I can ONLY get ESXi 3.5u2 (Version 3.5 Update 2 | 110271) to recognize (and read/write) to the SATA_NV. I understand that the VMFS2/3 can only be used on SCSI like devices but according to various documents, I should still be able to install/boot ESXi 3.5 from legacy IDE drives. My thinking was to attempt iSCSI or NFS but the later releases seem to NOT support any legacy IDE for booting.

The REALLY weird thing is if you log into the console (during install) it not only see's the Legacy IDE drives, but reads the partitions that previously exist on them! The installer simply refuses to install to anything legacy!

I might just use a small P-IDE w/ SATA adapter and leave it at that. I wanted to experiment with NFS (and possible iSCSI) at home -- I have full ESX at work with SAN and would like to try another storage option.

--Doug

Reply
0 Kudos
kernel007
Contributor
Contributor

Got the Sil3512 to work on my PE600SC, A09 BIOS.

SATA controller: http://wwwsci-worx.com/products/product.aspx?id=29

PE600SC: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/pe600sc/en/ug/1r234aa0.htm#1034878

Bought add-on RAM here: http://www.computermemoryoutlet.com/Dell-PowerEdge-600SC-memory.htm

My specs: 4GB RAM, WD SATA 500GB 7200RPM, 1.8 Celeron Proc., on ESX 3.5.

I might get one more HD to separate the OS with DataStore, as suppose to RAID1.

Reply
0 Kudos
dmarsh22
Contributor
Contributor

UPDATE... I pluged in BOTH a SATA and a legacy PATA hard drive... re-installed ESXi (I know this area is for ESX)... and installed onto the SATA drive... and after the reboot.. the (nvidia chipset) PATA is available as a "block SCSI" device and I am able to install and run virtual machines from the legacy IDE drive (which according to the documentation is not allowed)... STRANGE!

--Doug

Reply
0 Kudos
maishsk
Expert
Expert

I will add another config that I have working as of today..

Host

ESX3i U2

Hardware

IBM xSeries 335

2 Xeon 2.4Ghz CPU's

4Gb RAM

1x36gb SAS HD

LSI Logic / 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra 320 SCSI Raid Adapter

2x Broadcom BCM5703 Nics


Maish

Systems Administrator & Virtualization Architect

Forgot to add which ESX platform..... oops

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
Reply
0 Kudos
bezza
Contributor
Contributor

Hi There

I am new to IT and very much a novice so please help me.

I have a ML115 G1 with three SATA drives in Raid 5. When I load the boot CD I get the em "Unable to find supported device". From reading this blog I understand that it is down to firstly my sata drives and secondly the fact that I have set them up in RAID5. I have never used linux but intend to learn so the scripting looks like latin to me. Can you give me some advice on the easiest way for me to get ESX up and running (drop raid 5 or buy a supported raid card) or will it be just too complicated for a newbee?

I also now realise this is the ESX 3.5 forum and not ESXi but I guess the issues are the same?

Reply
0 Kudos
Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal

Welcome to the VMware Community forums. Do you know what sort of storage controller your system has? With the lower end nVidia MCP / Intel ICH models, the drivers that come with ESX / ESXi do not support RAID, so I would first remove that. The script / methods in this script will not work with ESXi due to some differences in architecture, but it may still be possible to get your server working.

Reply
0 Kudos
bezza
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for that. I am sorry I do not know. Device manager just says Nvidia raid controller. Where would i find that information?I have disabled the raid now and it makes no difference.

Reply
0 Kudos
Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal

See this page for getting the PCI ID - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/find_PCI_ID.php.

Reply
0 Kudos
future2000
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for your post, great reading. I've just purchased a ASUS V3 P5 G33 barebones, popped in a Quad core 2.4Ghz Q6600 and 8Gb of RAM. I was hoping this would support ESX 3.5 and having read your post I'm pretty sure I won't have any issues. Let me know how you get on with the iSCSI support as that is something I will want to add in due course.

Reply
0 Kudos