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sonicsw
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ESX3.5 Intel S5000PAL(ROMB) Raid1 as Singel Disk in the Installation

Hello Guys,

i have an Intel s5000 ROMB MB here and like to install the new 3.5 ESX on it (Server is self manufectured). to install it is not the problem, but i have configured an raid1 with to WD disks

and the Installer from the ESX sees the disk as independent and not as an raid!?! To get the server installed on one of them then is working but without raid securty pointless.

I picked exactly that MB coz its under the supported list of mb by vmware.

Aswell i thought that ESX 3.5 can directly boot from ISCSI Server? Is that true that this not working?

Installed an ISCSI Option ROM on an Intel NIC to connect my ISCSI but in the installation of the ESX i have no disks, someone any idea to this?

so what im doing wrong???

Took me a wilhe to figure out that the add in ROMB is not a raid controller, is that trouly right?

Is it only for connecting external SAS Arrays?

XMas greets from germany

Sonic

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J-H
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Do you have a S5000PAL or a S5000PSL ROMB motherboard?.

I have a S5000PSLROMB and made similar bad experience when I tried to use it with ESX 3.0.x.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/590583

With ESX 3.0.x I had to purchase a RAID activation key (AXXRAK18E), memory for the RAID card, and I also purchased a battery backup unit (AXXRSBBU3). This was quite expensive.

I assume you do not need the ROMB version with ESX 3.5 because I believe you now can use the onboard SATA controller. http://communities.vmware.com/message/820550#820550

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christianZ
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>have an Intel s5000 ROMB MB here and like to install the new 3.5 ESX on it (Server is self manufectured). to install it is not the problem, but i have configured an raid1 with to WD disks

My guess (very fast) is that your raid controller is not supported and therefore you haven't any chance to use it as raid (Esx supports your scsi controller but w/o the raid functionality)

Iscsi boot is only possible using the iscsi hba (for now only Qlogic one) - so no chance here.

Sorry for the bad new directly before Christmas

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sonicsw
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damn by thinking the MB is on the Supportlist it would also support the emabdded Raid Controller, or till i found the ROMB LSI Add In card.

Bad bad, 480€ for an MB could have it easyer with an Adaptec 38 or 48 series....

thx for the answer ;-(

Anyway happy xmas

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J-H
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Do you have a S5000PAL or a S5000PSL ROMB motherboard?.

I have a S5000PSLROMB and made similar bad experience when I tried to use it with ESX 3.0.x.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/590583

With ESX 3.0.x I had to purchase a RAID activation key (AXXRAK18E), memory for the RAID card, and I also purchased a battery backup unit (AXXRSBBU3). This was quite expensive.

I assume you do not need the ROMB version with ESX 3.5 because I believe you now can use the onboard SATA controller. http://communities.vmware.com/message/820550#820550

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sonicsw
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Hi J-H,

okey thought so that i can put the ROMB away.

Well the onboard SATA is my Problem, in Raid Mode (Mirror) the installer still detectes the discs as independent over the sata onboard raid controller.

So the driver should be integradeted, but not my "virtual vol1" (the mirror is called in the controller like that).

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sonicsw
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u r right i have an PSl ROMB.

Aswell i read that ony one firmware is on the HCL.

Will that change that my Mirror Raid will appear in the ESX installation as Raid aswell, or is there no way to get allong with the onboard SATA-Raid as Raid?

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