mylex scsi raid - need help!

[chipy]

hi all,

got this old mylex scsi raid card. to show how old it is, the raid config utility isn't onboard but has to be used via floppy disk.

anyhow, i can't seem to use the adapter for a scsi card only w/o utilitizing its raid function.

i know the card works because i've been using it in raid 5 w/ 3 physical disks = 1 system disk.

all i want now are 3 independent disks w/o any raid functionality.

any ideas?

chipy

 

[Maetryx]

Did you google search for a user's manual?

 

[chipy]

i have the users manual and makes no reference to that.

i checked LSI Logic's website (since they acquired Mylex) and they have ROM binaries... does anyone know what these are? They say I must have an EPROM burner for this.

I also have the latest firmware on the controller (back from 1998).

thanks,
chipy

 

[Maetryx]

The ROM binary is the firmware program as a file that would need to burned to a chip with an EPROM burner. That probably means that your firmware can't be software upgraded without physically replacing the chip. I'm definitely stumped on your original question. Good luck.

 

[imported_Phil]

AFAIK, if you clear the RAID configuration, and just allow the card to detect the three drives, that should be enough.

However, I'd really consider getting a newer card.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I think I used to have one of those cards, actually. (I don't remember what I did with it, in fact. Hmm.) Anyways, the one that I had, was a PCI Ultra-SCSI card, I think, with a 32KB EEPROM on it. Later cards had 64KB, but the 32KB one didn't have enough for both the RAID and non-RAID firmware, so you have to re-flash the card to switch back and forth. Plus, the RAID array setup util was not contained within the BIOS, you had to run it as a seperate program too.

I don't know if that matches the OP's card exactly or not, but it sounds like it might be very similar. You might be able to obtain a larger (64KB/128KB) flash EEPROM, and flash it using a different flash tool, with the larger 64KB BIOS image, and then plug the larger chip into the card instead (I think the EEPROM chip was socketed). Just a thought. Surely there are some docs along with the firmware images?

PS. Is it LSI Logic? I thought that IBM owned Mylex at this point... I don't really remember though.

 

[Sp33d]

Just get a new card like Dopefiend said. It'll be much more efficient, and faster