IBM ServeRAID M1015 Solaris JBOD?

And then I get IT mode? And then it works fine with Solaris 11 Express and OpenIndiana?
 
Okay just to make this clear:

Option 1: No Flash
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris
  • Works fine with JBOD drives
  • Requires installation of 9240 driver from LSI website
  • May have had a problem with some ESXi installations but now this is fixed? (Confirmation?)

Option 2: Flash to IT mode

So either way requires some extra steps. Really it's your choice of whether you think it's more trouble to install the driver or do the flash procedure.
 
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PigLover said:
Yes.
Click to expand...
I dont understand how it works. How do I activate it?

I have 8 hard disks powered by one single molex. Yes, one single molex. When I boot the system, the disks stutter for a while, I dont know why - but suspect it can be because of power overload. I have heard that staggered spinup startsup one disk at a time? But... I have one single molex which is not connected to the m1015 - this means the m1015 does not startup the disks one by one? Or?

Exactly what is staggered startup and how do use it? Connect all disks molex to m1015 so it can start them one at a time?
 
brutalizer said:
I dont understand how it works. How do I activate it?

I have 8 hard disks powered by one single molex. Yes, one single molex. When I boot the system, the disks stutter for a while, I dont know why - but suspect it can be because of power overload. I have heard that staggered spinup startsup one disk at a time? But... I have one single molex which is not connected to the m1015 - this means the m1015 does not startup the disks one by one? Or?

Exactly what is staggered startup and how do use it? Connect all disks molex to m1015 so it can start them one at a time?
Click to expand...

Connect all the disks to the same molex connection like you have. (still not a good idea IMO even with staggered startup)

The M1015 will tell the disks when to spinup via the SATA connection.
 
Ok, so the M1015 will start before the disks, and say: "hey guys, wait until I say you can start, ok?" and then the disks wait until M1015 gives orders via the SATA connection? So the M1015 will not allow the disks to start at once, is this understanding correct?
 
Man I love this forum. Thank you guys, you have taught me much, and I am now spreading what you taught me, to other forums as well.

You are the best! :)




@leeleatherwood,
Why is it not a good idea to run 8 disks on one single molex? I am only using it a couple of hours per month. Most of the time everything is shut down. I have a power switch on the single molex, so I can shut off/on all 8 disks.
 
I just ordered one IBM M1015 because of this thread. Very cheap indeed. However, it seems there are two different models?? I ordered the cheap one. What is the difference, and should I order the expensive one instead?

I ordered the cheap one
IBM ServeRAID M1015 SAS/SATA Controller (46M0831) (90Y4556)

The expensive one (30USD more)
IBM ServeRAID M1015 SAS SATACtrl (46M0831)

They seem almost identical. Have I done a mistake? Is this thread about the expensive one?

The cheap one says it can drive 16 disks, and the expensive one can drive 32 disks - is this true? I mean, there are only two SFF8087 ports which means they can only drive 8 disks. And, if I connect it to a SAS expander, then I can drive 255 disks, right? Far more than 16 or 32 disks. I dont get it. Should I cancel my order?

UPDATE: there seem to be several different M1015 models. Which one to choose? What are the differences? Am I smoked if I choose the wrong one?
 
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What? Was it a stupid question? :)

But they have different price tags. Why? Am I stupid, or the store?

And yes, I am a noob. Can someone help me answering the question? Are there different models, or is the server shop that is confusing?
 
brutalizer said:
I just ordered one IBM M1015 because of this thread. Very cheap indeed. However, it seems there are two different models?? I ordered the cheap one. What is the difference, and should I order the expensive one instead?

I ordered the cheap one
IBM ServeRAID M1015 SAS/SATA Controller (46M0831) (90Y4556)

The expensive one (30USD more)
IBM ServeRAID M1015 SAS SATACtrl (46M0831)

They seem almost identical. Have I done a mistake? Is this thread about the expensive one?

The cheap one says it can drive 16 disks, and the expensive one can drive 32 disks - is this true? I mean, there are only two SFF8087 ports which means they can only drive 8 disks. And, if I connect it to a SAS expander, then I can drive 255 disks, right? Far more than 16 or 32 disks. I dont get it. Should I cancel my order?

UPDATE: there seem to be several different M1015 models. Which one to choose? What are the differences? Am I smoked if I choose the wrong one?
Click to expand...

They both have the same IBM part number (46M0831). Why do you think they are different? Just because two different sellers describe them differently?
 
btw, I thought the staggered spinup only works if you go the "flash" route. unless I misunderstood the lime-tech thread.
 
@Piglover

In the server store, they have different price tags. Here are both models. On top the more expensive:
http://www.liontech.se/SearchResult.aspx?q=kw:ibm+m1015
Below, the cheaper one.

So, naturally, I am confused. There are two different price tags in the same server shop. Why is that? Am I stupid or is the shop's owner stupid? Someone is stupid, Odditory thinks. Who is it? I dont know, but Odditory knows.


Ok, there is an 46M0861 model as well when I looked at Ebay, different from the 46M0831. What are the differences between all these models?

Can I use which ever model, are they all compatible, or can I only use one specific model with Solaris 11? Is this a justified question, or is it a stupid question that makes me an idiot?

Yes, Odditorys attitude offends me, yes. I dont think such an attitude is helpful nor polite when someone asks about different models, it is a justified question and not an idiotic question.
 
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The expensive one has the RAID key, you don't need it.

Check if there are cables or if you need to buy them, however.

What kind of switch do you use on your molex, is it made to use with hard drives ?
 
The expensive one has the RAID key? Gahh... How many models are there, and which models can I buy? Which is the newest etc etc? Are there big differences? Anyone knows more?


Molex switch is home made. The molex power cable is cut in two, and then a power switch is put in the middle. And on the molex cable, I have connected other molex cables split in three. And on them, I have connected other molex cables, etc - until I have 8 molex cables powering 8 disks emanatin from this single Molex cable.
 
Metaluna said:
Okay just to make this clear:

Option 1: No Flash
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris
  • Works fine with JBOD drives
  • Requires installation of 9240 driver from LSI website
  • May have had a problem with some ESXi installations but now this is fixed? (Confirmation?)

Option 2: Flash to IT mode
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris, ESXi
  • No extra driver installation required. Drivers are built in to OI, Solaris.
  • Possibly better likelihood of working with more OS kernels out-of-the-box
  • Flash procedure is here: http://lime-technology.com/forum/ind...4393#msg124393

So either way requires some extra steps. Really it's your choice of whether you think it's more trouble to install the driver or do the flash procedure.
Click to expand...

Great summary. Your link is broken. I've seen a number of people point to that particular post, however, the OP of that thread updated the fourth post in the thread with a complete download which contains all the files needed. He even wrote some batch files to simplify the whole thing for those of us who are less experienced/lazy.

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12767.msg121131#msg121131

I used those files to flash my M1015 (BTW, thanks odditory.)
 
Metaluna said:
Okay just to make this clear:

Option 1: No Flash
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris
  • Works fine with JBOD drives
  • Requires installation of 9240 driver from LSI website
  • May have had a problem with some ESXi installations but now this is fixed? (Confirmation?)

Option 2: Flash to IT mode
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris, ESXi
  • No extra driver installation required. Drivers are built in to OI, Solaris.
  • Possibly better likelihood of working with more OS kernels out-of-the-box
  • Flash procedure is here: http://lime-technology.com/forum/ind...4393#msg124393

So either way requires some extra steps. Really it's your choice of whether you think it's more trouble to install the driver or do the flash procedure.
Click to expand...

Running it stock or as a 9240: In ESXi, you can use it passthrough to a guest (e.g., Solaris, etc). Don't know if ESXi will recognize it as a datastore controller.
 
smithkt said:
Great summary. Your link is broken. I've seen a number of people point to that particular post, however, the OP of that thread updated the fourth post in the thread with a complete download which contains all the files needed. He even wrote some batch files to simplify the whole thing for those of us who are less experienced/lazy.

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12767.msg121131#msg121131

I used those files to flash my M1015 (BTW, thanks odditory.)
Click to expand...

Thanks, I updated my post to fix the link.
 
brutalizer said:
The expensive one has the RAID key? Gahh... How many models are there, and which models can I buy? Which is the newest etc etc? Are there big differences? Anyone knows more?

Molex switch is home made. The molex power cable is cut in two, and then a power switch is put in the middle. And on the molex cable, I have connected other molex cables split in three. And on them, I have connected other molex cables, etc - until I have 8 molex cables powering 8 disks emanatin from this single Molex cable.
Click to expand...

The RAID key is an option, the card itself is the same, IBM/LSI keys are available separately if needed. I don't know about models, I didn't see anybody mentioning several ones.

What you have done with the switch is not recommended, I hope you at least let the ground cables connected.
 
noob here, but how do you install the 9240 drivers for the M1015 in OpenIndiana?

I'm reading we should be grabbing an older version?

I tried installing the 3.01 drivers and I think I borked my system. LoL :(
 
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Hopefully you have a snapshot in GRUB. Boot to the earlier snapshot in GRUB and reinstall the correct driver.

As soon as you installed an Solaris derivative, make a snapshot. Then start experimenting. This way you can always rollback to the fresh installed state.
 
smithkt said:
Great summary. Your link is broken. I've seen a number of people point to that particular post, however, the OP of that thread updated the fourth post in the thread with a complete download which contains all the files needed. He even wrote some batch files to simplify the whole thing for those of us who are less experienced/lazy.

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12767.msg121131#msg121131

I used those files to flash my M1015 (BTW, thanks odditory.)
Click to expand...

2 links on that page. I'm guessing the file that you used was: LSI MegaRAID to SAS2008(P10).zip and not the first one?
 
saranya said:
2 links on that page. I'm guessing the file that you used was: LSI MegaRAID to SAS2008(P10).zip and not the first one?
Click to expand...

Correct. For my application I just need the board to be in IT mode with no raid functionality

When you unzip the file, check the readme file before you do anything else. It explains what each batch file does.

It was incredibly simple, once I found a motherboard that would allow the flash without generating the "PAL" error. The Supermicro board in the server would not. I had to use my regular desktop system with an ASUS board to get the job done.
 
But flashing the M1015 to IT-Mode using the 9211 (vs. the standard 9240) firmware disables HDD-spindown and other things, doesn't it?
So keeping with the iR instead of iT is generally recommended/preferred on the M1015...?
 
hotzen said:
But flashing the M1015 to IT-Mode using the 9211 (vs. the standard 9240) firmware disables HDD-spindown and other things, doesn't it?
So keeping with the iR instead of iT is generally recommended/preferred on the M1015...?
Click to expand...

This is news to me, but I am a relative noob when it comes to storage arrays like this. Everything I read suggested that when using ESXi and passing through the controller, IT mode tends to be better supported. If IR mode is better, the above referenced download includes a batch file to flash to IR as well.
 
hotzen said:
But flashing the M1015 to IT-Mode using the 9211 (vs. the standard 9240) firmware disables HDD-spindown and other things, doesn't it?
So keeping with the iR instead of iT is generally recommended/preferred on the M1015...?
Click to expand...

I never got spin down to work with the IBM firmware either. Has anyone else gotten spindown to work with any of the firmwares?
 
IT mode tends to be better supported
Click to expand...
In fact, ZFS demands direct drive-access without any abstraction/raid-alteration in between, that's it.
Since the M1015 and other state-of-the-art Controllers won't interfere at all in passthrough mode and additionally there is no measurable difference in benchmarks, it is totally fine to keep the M1015 in IR mode.

Regarding support, it is true that the current SE11 release supports 9211 out of the box, where it does not support 9240 without the official LSI-driver, that could be a distraction but really, it isn't.
 
apnar said:
I never got spin down to work with the IBM firmware either. Has anyone else gotten spindown to work with any of the firmwares?
Click to expand...

This thread is about Solaris and I am not using that so cannot comment.

But no problems with a single M1015 with IT firmware in Unraid - spin-down work fine for me (I have only 4 drives on the first SFF8087)
 
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Metaluna said:
Okay just to make this clear:

Option 1: No Flash
  • Works fine with OpenIndiana, Solaris
  • Works fine with JBOD drives
  • Requires installation of 9240 driver from LSI website
  • May have had a problem with some ESXi installations but now this is fixed? (Confirmation?)

Option 2: Flash to IT mode

So either way requires some extra steps. Really it's your choice of whether you think it's more trouble to install the driver or do the flash procedure.
Click to expand...

that is an awesome but baffling thread. imr? it? ir? 11-8i, 40-8i? oic. bbl.

here's a question. what makes M1015 awesome in windows?
 
It's cheap and it works (I'm using mine in Windows 7, with an IBM firmware).

edit : that is, if your motherboard accepts it.
 
I'm not able to get the card working in OpenIndiana (running the native/9240-8i firmware). Didn't work with the native SUNWmrsas, or the mrsas driver off LSI's page (dated Aug 11, 2011). Driver wouldn't attach even when I manually added the PCI device codes.

Anyone have this card working successfully with OpenIndiana (151a)? What firmware level / driver are you using? At this point I'm willing to downgrade the firmware level just to get this working.
 
Has anyone been able to get drive spindown working in Solaris (using standard IBM firmware ie 9240-8i)?
 
forumator, I have a bunch of M1015s sitting here - I am waiting for my new server parts to arrive and I will let you know if editing power.conf is sufficient enough to get spindown to work (it works on my LSI 1068E-based controllers).
 
hotzen said:
In fact, ZFS demands direct drive-access without any abstraction/raid-alteration in between, that's it.
Since the M1015 and other state-of-the-art Controllers won't interfere at all in passthrough mode and additionally there is no measurable difference in benchmarks, it is totally fine to keep the M1015 in IR mode.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely correct. Example there was no performance difference evident between an M1015 is in IR mode and IT mode in benchmarking 8 x Crucial M4 128GB in RAID0.

By the way if anyone still needs an M1015 I've got a few in the F/S section.
 
My Gigabyte motherboard and IBM M1015 does not work, they are not compatible. There is no solution than to change motherboard.

Windows displays error message, something about "not enough memory" or something similar. If you get this error code, then you should swap mobo. I can get into the cards' bios fine, but I can not start Windows.
 
brutalizer said:
My Gigabyte motherboard and IBM M1015 does not work, they are not compatible. There is no solution than to change motherboard.

Windows displays error message, something about "not enough memory" or something similar. If you get this error code, then you should swap mobo. I can get into the cards' bios fine, but I can not start Windows.
Click to expand...

have you tried to disable the card bios? I had a similar problem with my 1068e + gigabyte motherboard and that was the solution
 
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