Install ESXi5U1 LSI 9260-4i Driver Problem

[chengbao]

In HCLs, vmware claims that LSI 9260-4i is supported by ESXi 4.0 - 5.0 u1,

I download and installed esxi 5.0 u1, it couldn't find 9260-4i controller during installation.

I read internet, find that many others has same problem.

I tried to follow this thread

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/231288

but I couldn't find /etc/vmware/simple.map as described. I nevertheless download the oem.tgz in that thread, put it into /bootbank and reboot, no luck.

I then follow this thread, http://tinkertry.com/lsi92658iesxi5/

download LSI_5_34-offline_bundle-455140.zip from vmware website, unzip the VMware_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-sas_5.34-1vmw.500.0.0.406165.vib file, upload vib file to esxi host, use esxcli to install vib and reboot.

After reboot, I saw scsi-megaraid2 2.00.4-9vmw.500.0.0.469512 and scsi-megaraid-mbox 2.00.4-9vmw.500.0.0.469512

in software component, but still, I couldn't find and raid controller in storage adapters.

What should I do now?

[peetz]

These controllers (or your motherboard?) are very picky about the slot you put the controller in and BIOS settings:

1. Try to toggle the PCI ROM Priority in the BIOS between  "Legacy ROM" and "EFI Compatible ROM" (if you have such a setting available)

2. Try to put the controller in another slot.

Good luck!

Andreas

[chengbao]

The card works fine with windows and linux, I installed other OS on raid w/o any problem.

Only esxi has problem.

I change the bios setting from legacy to EFI compatible, no luck.

The firmware is up-to-date, dated as 1/30/2012 on lsi website.

[chengbao]

I put same raid controller on another platform, supermicro X9DRD-iF, on pci-4 x8 slots, which works fine.

I then put it back on old motherboard, tried different pci-e slot. I find out that all the pci-e x8 slots are not working for vmware (windows and linux works fine).

only pci-e x4 slot is working. The raid controller itself is pci-e x8.

Seems I have to let it work on reduced performance or I have to change motherboard.

problem motherboard : supermicro X9SCL rev 1.11a, BIOS: 1.1a

raid controller LSI 9260-4i, firmware 12.12.0-0090

[rushproject]

Same story here. Same system board, same controller. ESXi5U1 installer sees LSI 9260-4i only if in x4 slot. And just to make it even worse: When installed, ESXi5U1 does not show RAID controller status. Neither controller, nor battery, nor RAID, no physical disks status. Nope. Installing 4.1.

[miloshevitch]

I have seen few people using Super X9DRD-iF board.

Please, can you tell does it compatible with ESXI 4.1? (only SATA disks will be used)