Perplexing Asrock Extreme11 x79 raid problems

[hubbabubba71]

I am confused as I possibly can be regarding my problem with setting up a Raid 0 configuration on the x79 Extreme11's LSI SAS ports. While I've been successful in establishing the raid 0 conditions through the LSI boot menu Windows 7 Installation refuses to recognize the devices. No matter what driver I try through the win7 installation Load Driver feature I always receive the same error regarding unsigned drivers. Oddly enough Unbuntu 12.04 installs without a hitch, recognizing all drives on Sata3 or SAS without any loading of unique drivers. If some one can help me I'd appreciate it greatly.

To add when I received the PC from Cyberpowerpc they had the raid setup via the Sata2/3 ports. While it was working I was unsatisfied with the speeds. Since deleting the raid, moving the ports and trying to reestablish the installation I've been completely unable to duplicate their setup. I've tried backtracking and emulating everything, everything slight downgrading the BIOS, to replicate their setup since my previous failure at setting up the LSI raid. I cannot, under any condition get their original setup to work. The problem always comes down to the Raid Controller driver issues during the Windows 7 installation process. I've tried contacting them about the situation, they recommended the Asrock Driver disc's files, they failed to install. Asrock's own tech support is puzzled as well.

At this point I'm utterly speechless. I have no idea in hell what is going on or why I can't install these drivers even when I disable driver signing in the installation boot menu.

 

[Old Hippie]

Many have experienced problems with the SAS ports because Intel recognized compatibility problems with many drives and discontinued support.

This article may help with driver installation problems but the controller will never perform as well as the Intel ports in a RAID0 situation.

Your problem with the Intel ports is probably because the actual RAID info is stored on the drives. Your drives need to be completely cleaned/zeroed with something like Dban or KillDisk.

Good Luck!

 

[Cerb]

The ASRock board should be using a separate LSI controller, like an integrated version of this one. Why the driver signing issues, I wonder...?

 

[hubbabubba71]

This article may help with driver installation problems but the controller will never perform as well as the Intel ports in a RAID0 situation.

Are you familiar with any remaining drivers that might work?

Your problem with the Intel ports is probably because the actual RAID info is stored on the drives. Your drives need to be completely cleaned/zeroed with something like Dban or KillDisk.

Good Luck!

I'll check that out as an alternative.

 

[Old Hippie]

Are you familiar with any remaining drivers that might work?

Sorry no.

If you have the driver disk I suggest you try it.

If it doesn't work, one of the last statements in the article may pertain to your situation....

If you pick up an ECS X79R-AX, I personally wouldn’t count on the functionality of the SAS ports, but if it works for you great! If it doesn’t, you’re up the proverbial creek since it isn’t officially supported.

🙂

Good luck!

 

[hubbabubba71]

Sorry no.

If you have the driver disk I suggest you try it.

If it doesn't work, one of the last statements in the article may pertain to your situation.... 🙂

Good luck!

I've tried going back to a Sata Raid setup and for whatever reason the RSTe setup in the bios gives me the same problem as the LSI. The RST feature however is workable but the read rate is abysmally low.

 

[Old Hippie]

See if this link helps ya out.

 

[Micrornd]

Ok, since I don't know your level of experience, some of this may be redundant, but -

If you are trying to install and boot from the LSI -

1) make sure the array or drive is marked as bootable in the LSI bios

2) To load the the drivers at installation of the OS, you need to download the "LSI SAS Floppy Image ver:2.00.55" file from the Asrock site.

3) Fully expand the zip file and then select the correct folder for your Win7 OS (64 or 32bit) and copy the files to your selected media and then select those files when prompted for any additional drivers during OS installation.
Windows does not look drill down through folders or compressed files, you must show it the files directly.


If you are not booting from the LSI -

1) After the OS has been fully installed on a different drive or array, download the "LSI SAS Driver ver:2.00.55" from the Asrock site.

2) The driver installer is self-executing, so simply double-click the exe and follow the bouncing ball, so to speak. 😉

Bothe the "LSI SAS Floppy Image ver:2.00.55" and the "LSI SAS Driver ver:2.00.55" are digitally signed by LSI, so the problem is definitely not there.

The x79 RSTe ports require the same type installation as above and it's drivers are also on the Asrock site and are also signed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Although the x79 chipset will run with RST drivers (in a "backward compatible mode", for lack of a better term 🙄) it was designed to use RSTe drivers (as it is a crippled 600 series chipset), and I would recommend using them.

With standard low-speed (4500-7200) Sata drives the x79 Sata3 ports are very slightly faster than the LSI, but for more than a 2 drive array, 10k-15k drives, or SAS1 or SAS2, the LSI is faster.

If you feel the need to update bios or drivers for the LSI in the future, the LSI SAS 9217-8i is the same item and downloads are available from LSI directly.

 

[hubbabubba71]

2) To load the the drivers at installation of the OS, you need to download the "LSI SAS Floppy Image ver:2.00.55" file from the Asrock site.

Windows 7 won't do anything with the driver. When I install it via the Load Driver feature nothing happens. Interestingly enough when I load the 32bit version the drives show up.

If you feel the need to update bios or drivers for the LSI in the future, the LSI SAS 9217-8i is the same item and downloads are available from LSI directly.

Did you mean to say the 9271-8i?

 

[Micrornd]

Windows 7 won't do anything with the driver. When I install it via the Load Driver feature nothing happens. Interestingly enough when I load the 32bit version the drives show up.

I checked the drivers, they are no mislabeled.
Sounds like you installed the 32 bit version of Win7 or it would not recognize the driver.

Did you mean to say the 9271-8i?

No.
The 9271-8i is the 2208 chipset and not what you have.
The 9217-8i is the 2308 chipset and is what you have.

 

[Old Hippie]

Sounds like you installed the 32 bit version of Win7 or it would not recognize the driver.

Nice call. :thumbsup:

OP, it would have helped tremendously if you would have been more specific about your HW (SSDs or mechanical drives, W7 version) and what you are trying to actually do.

I have a feeling that you are wanting RAID0 for increased speeds but with mechanical drives it's very little and you must have a backup.

Whatever the reason I have yet to see any advantage of a third party controller over the Intel chipset other than just adding ports for single drive storage.

Think about it....there's a reason why Intel pulled support for this SAS stuff on consumer MBs and if I were you I'd just forget about the SAS stuff.

Good Luck!

 

[hubbabubba71]

Nice call. :thumbsup:

OP, it would have helped tremendously if you would have been more specific about your HW (SSDs or mechanical drives, W7 version) and what you are trying to actually do.

As you guess I was attempting to pull a little more read rate out of the 4x SSD raid. Since I don't have enough Sata3 ports on this MOBO I decided I would attempt to use the SAS2 ports. As for the stability, I'm not too concerned. This unit is just for putzing around on, not much else.

WRT the variant of the OS it is indeed the x64 version of the intallation. Whatever the reason it refuses to utilize the x64 drivers for SAS2. I did eventualyl find am iRST x64 driver that worked for the SATA setup.

 

[Old Hippie]

little more read rate out of the 4x SSD raid

In case you're not aware sometimes the sequential read/write rates mean very little and the 4K/4KThrd benchmarks are what matters.

It just depends on what you need to do and the Intel RAID is usually much better for the 4K benchmarks.

It's the same with all 3rd party chipsets and that's why most don't bother with them.

Good Luck!