Adaptec 52445 Controller Question

[a4wagon]

Hi guys. I have 9 +2 global hot spare Western Digital 1TB RE3 drives. I want to create multiple RAID 6 arrays for VMware ESXi 4 Update .
1. ESX ARRAY 100GB
2. VMs ARRAY 1.9 TB
3. FS1 ARRAY 1 TB
4. FS2 ARRAY 1 TB
5. FS3 ARRAY 1 TB

1 For some reason when I create the last 4 array I can use more than 1TB so there is space for the 5th array but when I try to create more than 4 arrays I see no more drives available to select and create the 5th ..6th array. Why is this happening ? Anyone else had the same problem ?

2. Is there anyway that a VMware VM running Windows server can install Adaptec Storage Manager application and have direct access to the RAID controller through ESXi ?

Many thanks. Please let me know.

 

[lizardking009]

#1: don't know

#2: There is no way to use ASM with a controller on an ESXi server. You need ESX.

 

[pjkenned]

What OS are you using? (Assuming not ESXi). Is this problem in Windows?

 

[a4wagon]

ok so I will use ESX full 4 Update 1 and how would u do it ?

 

[pjkenned]

Just as a FYI regarding why I asked about #1, I saw a similar issue under a Windows OS (WHS) http://www.servethehome.com/four-4-volume-per-physical-disk-limitation-in-whs/ using an adaptec controller.

 

[lizardking009]

ok so I will use ESX full 4 Update 1 and how would u do it ?

Install ASM on the Service Console and then use it from a workstation.

 

[a4wagon]

no no no it`s under the RAID controller bios ..that`s where i create the arrays. is not depended on the OS at all. Thanks tho.

Thanks a lot lizardking009 I never thought of that so they have ASM version for linux ?

 

[lizardking009]

no no no it`s under the RAID controller bios ..that`s where i create the arrays. is not depended on the OS at all. Thanks tho.

Thanks a lot lizardking009 I never thought of that so they have ASM version for linux ?

Yes. There's actually a version for the version of Linux that runs the ESX service console. Check the downloads.