Re: The state of SAS

[Staffan Thomén <duck%shangtai.net@localhost>]

Mike Pumford wrote:
> Configuration is probably done through the BIOS interface. I've always
> used the cards in non-RAID mode so I'm not really sure.

I spent a while trying to convince the controller to pass through the tape 
drive and some spare drives I had, but to no avail. The BIOS GUI would just 
tell me that I couldn't make raid set of tape drives.

I looked at the (very cryptic) "pre boot" console, and it seems it takes 
MegaCli parameters;

-AdpGetProp enablejbod -a0

would indeed tell me Disabled, however

-AdpSetProp enablejbod -a0

Just gave me a syntax error.

> Its possible a card in RAID mode can't handle a stand alone device.
> Never had access to a SAS tape drive so thats outside my area of knowledge.

Seems like this is exactly the case. Although some Googling indicated that 
enabling jbod mode would not destroy extant sets, so that's encouraging.

> > Should be no need for scans the devices should just appear as they are
> > plugged in. It certainly worked that way on NetBSD when I did some
> > testing with a SAS disk enclosure a while back.

But what about non-disk devices? Did you try a CD drive?

> > The LSI raid HBAs can usually be flashed with non-RAID firmware if you
> > want to use them in that mode. I've not yet come across any generation
> > of LSI card that this can't be done up to and including the current
> > SAS3 chips. Firmware is typically flashed with lsiutil. Not sure if
> > that runs on NetBSD but it certainly does on linux so a quick boot off
> > a live filesystem linux CD should let you experiment with that.
> > lsiutil also provides other diagnostics like bus topology which might
> > help work out why your tape drive isn't working.

Flashing sounds dangerous, and I expect I'd need at least a second card to get 
the existing data off my RAID sets unless there are firmwares that do both 
RAID and passthru.

Does LSI provide official images or is it a question of someone grabbing 
firmware images of another card that just happens to work?

Staffan