Confused about that LSI card? Join the crowd ...

[Ericloewe]

Just upgraded to 9.3.0.0 and it's complaining about my firmware level on my LSI adapter. I have P20 and the driver is P16. I don't see a P16 firmware level available for the 9207-8i. Has somebody been able to find one?

Check the archive section of LSI's website.

 

[star]

Is there any reason not to buy this LSI 9211-8i flashed to IT mode? http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-IT-Mode...837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c5009098d

It seems this thread has made the IBM RAID card more expensive on eBay than the 9211!

 

[Z300M]

Is there any reason not to buy this LSI 9211-8i flashed to IT mode? http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-IT-Mode...837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c5009098d

It seems this thread has made the IBM RAID card more expensive on eBay than the 9211!

How about this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-SERVERA...845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9a10e665

 

[star]

How about this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-SERVERA...845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9a10e665

Well if the LSI is only $35 more... Is there any reason to go with the IBM card over the LSI card?

 

[Ericloewe]

Well, you trade 35 bucks for having to crossflash. Take a pick.*

*SFF-8087 connector positioning is different, too.

 

[star]

Well, you trade 35 bucks for having to crossflash. Take a pick.*

*SFF-8087 connector positioning is different, too.

How "safe" is crossflashing? Is it supported?

What long-ish breakout cables should I go with (36in range)?

 

[Ericloewe]

How "safe" is crossflashing?

It works and nobody's complained. It's widely tested.

Is it supported?

As in "endorsed by LSI"? No.

 

[star]

Do any of these stand out as doable SATA controllers? Is there anything wrong with using SATA III hard disks with SATA II controllers?

• (1) LSI SAS3442E PCI-E 8-Port SATA / SAS Controller
  • - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118101
• (2) LSI SAS3081E PCI-E 8-Port SATA / SAS Controller
  • - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118100
• (2) Dell Poweredge PCI-E 8-Port SAS RAID Controller Perc 6/I
  • - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ABA8SEY/?tag=ozlp-20
• (1) SYBA SD-SA2PEX-2IR PCI Express SATA2 Controller
  • - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124027
• (1) SIIG SC-SAE211-S1 PCI Express SATA2 Controller
  • - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816150004

 

[Z300M]

Well if the LSI is only $35 more... Is there any reason to go with the IBM card over the LSI card?

Yea, because the one to which you linked is cross flashed to IT mode P19, so you'll still have to reflash it to P16 to keep FreeNAS happy.

 

[Ericloewe]

I'd like to point out, for future readers, that:

• Flashing IT/IR on an HBA such as an LSI SAS 9211 is supported by LSI and is absolutely straightforward.
  
• Crossflashing a low-end SAS 2008-based RAID controller to IT mode is not endorsed by LSI but does work.
• Both of the above options work.
• Once in LSI SAS 9211 mode (whether the card came like that or was crossflashed) you will be expected to flash it to the version used by FreeNAS. As of right now, it's P16. It may change to P20 in the near future.

 

[star]

I'd like to point out, for future readers, that:

• Flashing IT/IR on an HBA such as an LSI SAS 9211 is supported by LSI and is absolutely straightforward.
  
• Crossflashing a low-end SAS 2008-based RAID controller to IT mode is not endorsed by LSI but does work.
• Both of the above options work.
• Once in LSI SAS 9211 mode (whether the card came like that or was crossflashed) you will be expected to flash it to the version used by FreeNAS. As of right now, it's P16. It may change to P20 in the near future.

Cool, I'm going with the LSI SAS9211-8i then. I like the location of the mini-SAS connectors better (and it can be found for around the same price as the IBM controller).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LSI-Interna...475?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1a0198cb7b

 

[cyberjock]

I going to lock this thread. Its a sticky, and its 17 pages long and clearly people aren't reading the thread and simply posting with 'my stuff is broke' and questions that have been hashed out literally dozens of times in the forum already. Not directly pointing fingers at anyone, but there isn't 17 pages worth of threads because people are reading before posting. ;)