ESXi 5 Controller compatibility? - building new server

[evlo]

Hello,

i'm building new server and i'm considering ESXi 5, well i would like to use it, but can't seem reliable source with information about compatibility with sata/sas controllers.
I would probably be OK with just ahci support and then use physical drives in VM using vmware virtual controllers. If that is possible.

If you can get me information about support of following cards/chips:
(Well it is budget box so don't except list of some high end controllers.)
Also i added information that i found and i think are correct, but i'm really fish in water.

SiI3124 - no, only some ghetto modded driver
SiI3132 - no, only some ghetto modded driver
SiI3114R - yes
SiI3114 - yes
ADAPTEC AAR-1430SA - ???
IBM Express ServeRAID M1015 - probably ok
IBM Express ServeRAID-BR10i - probably ok
Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 - probably ok
ASMedia ASM1061 - probably ok

Also i don't get whole AHCI thing. Can someone please explain it to me? Does that mean that i can somehow mange to get drives from any controller to ESXi 5 server?

I would like to use unRaid as VM to handle the storage.

Also in what section of the forum should i post thread with general mainly storage home server build check/help/ideas?

 

[Billz]

Hey there! Glad your choosing to run unRaid! I am using unRaid in a non VM though. What you might want to do is head over to the Limetech forums for unRaid. There are several people that are running unRaid in VM's. I will PM you a link to their forum as I am not sure that I am allowed to post a link.

Bill

 

[evlo]

It is much more of ESXi 5 then unRaid question tough.

 

[McTurkey]

Why not pass through the controller directly to unRaid? If your motherboard/CPU support it, that is the simplest way of doing it.

 

[hotcrandel]

I've had the best luck with Adaptec controllers,and popular major corp controllers (dell perc 5,6, IBM 1015) and adaptec controllers (The ones I've used have worked straight out of the box) I would presume that LSI makes a number of controllers that works traight out of the box.

Here is the HCL list for IO controllers

 

[evlo]

Thank you, i found only BR10i in the HCL, but from lime-technlogy forums it seams some people passtrough Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8, while it is not listed, so i hoped for some user added experience with not listed, officially not compatible HBAs.

IE. ASM1061 is integrated on some budget motherboards so it would be nice to be able to passtrough it and not need to buy another $150 HBA.

BTW did anyone tried esxi5 with AMD FX-4100? It has AMD-VI, but i dunno if ESXi is OK with it.

 

[AgentQ]

Try the Virtualized Computing forum: http://hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=122

Also take a look at the thread in that subforum where people post their working ESXi builds. It's a great way to learn about different functional configurations and their quirks.