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12 Replies Last post: Mar 2, 2010 2:27 PM by itsgroupmike

LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit posted: Jan 20, 2009 10:41 AM

BTtech

10 posts since
Jan 20, 2009

So Server2.0 decided to install my HDD type as an LSI SAS. Me being interested in testing the new BUS decided to stick with it much to my chagrin. Documentation makes no mention other than "download the driver from the lsilogic.com website". Ummm, version?, type? Wihtout this driver Win2008 will not find the HDD and will not obviously install.

Please do not bother with suggestions that say choose another controller, unless you are certain that the combination is impossible - I haven't found anything that would suggest so yet, and I've done quite a bit of reading.

If anyone has installed a (64-bit) windows 2008 server on vmware server 2.0 with the LSI SAS driver would you please post the correct driver or a link to it here?

Thanks!

Tags: 2, 2.0, 64, 64_bit, lsi_logic, lsi, sas, windows, windows_server, windows_server_2008, bus, hdd, hard_disk

Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

1. Jan 20, 2009 10:53 AM

in response to: BTtech

guyrleech

1,926 posts since
Mar 6, 2006

Not sure I understand your problem - if I create a new WS08 x64 VM, with LSI Logic controller, and boot it off a standard Microsoft x64 WS08 iso then it sees the hard drive without me having to do anything special at all. I have working WS08 VMs with this and WS08 R2 beta 1 went on fine too.

It's not a specific SAS driver as such AFAIK, since it is a virtualised controller, that maps to whatever the underlying controller is on your host.

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Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

2. Jan 20, 2009 1:42 PM

in response to: guyrleech

BTtech

10 posts since
Jan 20, 2009

Thanks for the reply...

That's what I was hoping to see happen, in fact, I am just getting the screen that is supposed to enumerate the possible devices and the error below it says "No drives were found. Click Load Driver to load a mass storage driver for installation." I have deleted and recreated the virtual disk using the vmware server 2.0 interface but to no avail.

I guess I should mention that the vmware server was upgraded from 1.0.7 and there are other machines currently running fine. This new build continues to challenge me

Again, any help is greatly appreciated.

Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

3. Jan 20, 2009 2:14 PM

in response to: BTtech

guyrleech

1,926 posts since
Mar 6, 2006

Please post (attach) the .vmx file and the small, text, .vmdk file for the VM.

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Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

4. Jan 20, 2009 3:51 PM

in response to: guyrleech

BTtech

10 posts since
Jan 20, 2009

Thanks again guyrleech.

Here are the system .vmx and the .vmdk of the "blank" disk.

Attachments:

vmgdensftp01.vmdk (2.6 MB)
vmgdensftp01.vmx (2.4 K)

Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

5. Jan 21, 2009 12:25 AM

in response to: BTtech

guyrleech

1,926 posts since
Mar 6, 2006

Since it is a virtualised controller and doesn't require the actual physical adapeter, I'd set the controller type to "LSI Logic" as opposed to "LSI Logic SAS" since that is what I have in my working WS08 VMs. Is there a particular reason you need the SAS variant - speed will ultimately be dependent on the underlying disk subsystem on your host rather than the driver used in the VM?

I have just tried creating a WS08 x64 VM with the SAS controller and it too sees the disk without needing to do anything special like point it at drivers.

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Message was edited by: guyrleech

Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

6. Jan 21, 2009 7:43 AM

in response to: guyrleech

BTtech

10 posts since
Jan 20, 2009

Ultimately, I need the best performance possible out of each VM - thus the choice to continue troubleshooting the issue with the SAS controller. Given that I actually have some "time" to figure this one out, I'd like to understand why my VM does not install when using the SAS compared to the parallel connectivity of the LSI and Buslogic SCSI adapters that are also choices. My next step is to partition and format the disk on another VM.

Another note is that I'm using an MSDN copy of win2k8 for this (and I've been choosing the 64-bit Full install). I've never experienced an MSDN copy that acted dramatically different from a standard license copy of Windows OS, but I won't rule that out. Also of note is that the host (Centos 5) was recently upgraded to VMware server 2.0 from 1.7 (none of the other VMs have had their virtual hardware upgraded) - Could there be an upgrade path issue? For comparison what is your host environment?

Thanks!

Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

7. Jan 21, 2009 8:00 AM

in response to: BTtech

guyrleech

1,926 posts since
Mar 6, 2006

Before you spend a long time on this, my gut feel is that you will see very little, if any, performance difference between the two virtualised LSI controller types since ultimately the VMs just use whatever storage controller contains the datastore on the host. through the standard Windows file systems APIs, drivers, etc. As a test, have you tried Vista x64 media - just tried this and with an LSI SAS controller it sees the disk too?

My media is Volume Licence but I doubt there is any difference at this level. My host is openSuSE 11.1 x64 which has never had Server 1.0 on it. The test VM that worked with the LSI SAS controller was created afresh this morning (just for you!). Underlying storage controller is SATA which shouldn't matter given we are talking virtualised devices.

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Re: LSAI SAS DRIVER for installation of Windows 2008 Server 64-bit

8. Jan 21, 2009 10:07 AM

in response to: guyrleech

BTtech

10 posts since
Jan 20, 2009

guyrleech,

I appreciate all of your time and input regarding my issue. I switched to the standard parallel LSI SCSI device and "magically" it sees the drive. MSDN/ VL no difference. Underlying storage controller on the host here is U160 SCSI but the target host for this VM is SATA and I totally agree this has no real impact on the issue. I had absolutely no luck building the guest with the SAS controller. But I am looking forward to determining WHY.

Thanks so much again.

should I find any useful information in my upcoming quest I will be sure to post it here.