IBM ServeRAID M1015 8-port SAS/SATA PCI-E x8 controller

[BonzaiDuck]

It seemed to me that someone here had pointed to this or a similar IBM controller for a decent refurb price:

http://www.serversupply.com/CONTROLLERS/SAS-SATA/SERVERAID M1015/IBM/46M0861.htm

Obviously, this would fit in any PCI-E 2.0 or 3.0 with that many lanes.

The specs at the reseller only mention IBM server models for compatibility. But the OS specifications include Win Server 2003.

Would there not be drivers in later consumer or server OS's (7, WHS, 2008 R2, 2012 R2, 8 . . . ) for this controller?

And why would not the board work in a consumer motherboard -- socket-1155/1150, 2011/2011v3? Or any board offering PCI-E slots with the necessary lanes?

 

[XavierMace]

It was me.

I've got one in a Server 2012 box at home right now running in HBA mode. Works fine. Keep in mine it's an IBM rebrand. So IBM is only going to list compatibility based on what servers they shipped it in at the time. LSI on the other hand will give you more accurate info.

Regarding using in a consumer board it's an old page but I've seen it on system far more recent than that article: http://ask.adaptec.com/app/answers/...error-message-expansion-rom-not-initialized-?

TL;DR: If you want to boot off it, that may be an issue, otherwise you're probably fine. I've run into that issue on some Tyan boards and on older IBM x Series.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

It was me.

I've got one in a Server 2012 box at home right now running in HBA mode. Works fine. Keep in mine it's an IBM rebrand. So IBM is only going to list compatibility based on what servers they shipped it in at the time. LSI on the other hand will give you more accurate info.

Regarding using in a consumer board it's an old page but I've seen it on system far more recent than that article: http://ask.adaptec.com/app/answers/...error-message-expansion-rom-not-initialized-?

TL;DR: If you want to boot off it, that may be an issue, otherwise you're probably fine. I've run into that issue on some Tyan boards and on older IBM x Series.

Now I remember: I had a 3Ware 9650 LE 4-port SATA/SAS controller running in an ASUS Striker Extreme, and I could boot off that. I think I first configured the array in the 9650 BIOS, and then cloned a single-drive boot-system HDD to the array -- all within BIOS RAID-mode storage configuration.

Yes. That list of "compatible hardware" is misleading.

And truth is, it would be BETTER to boot from it, but I can work around that -- because the largest number of SATA ports available don't need to be bootable.