*** WANTED *** RAID Driver for Intel S3000AH motherboard Windows Server 2008 R2
Support for this motherboard has ended. This board had been purchased 02/01/2007. However, with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2, it's like breathing new life into a server that still has adequate speed. Currently I have an Intel Pentium D Processor 64-bit in the system with still room to grow, as I can add in a Xeon processor and increase the RAM. It WAS running Windows Server 2003, and it was speedy for my needs. I purchased the board with the consideration that I could later upgrade it keeping up with technology.
Anyway, I'm installing W2K8 R2. Sadly, there is no W2K8 R2 driver for the Intel Embedded RAID, Intel® ICH7R I/O Controller. The hardrives are setup with hardware RAID using the LSI OPROM and had been working flawlessly when Windows 2003 was on them. The current state is that the hardrives are blank.
I've hunted down and tried out various driver sets that were from Intel & LSI (MEGARAID collection)
* ICH7R_INTEL_RAID_Windows_8
* ICH7R_LSI_RAID_Windows_130
* intel_ichx_msft_raid_v.4.4
* ir3_Windows_signed_DRV_v4.
...and more like the above. They are all 64-bit Windows 2008.
I've also disabled "Enforcing driver digital signing" upon the installation.
A support request went out to Intel, and I'm waiting for a response...hopefully, not to be fallen on deaf ears. In the meantime, I would like to see if anyone of you other Experts have come across an alternate driver solution. Yours truly, is pretty adept at finding drivers, but at the moment I'm burnt out and actually have real work to do. So..."Do it for me!!" is more what I'm driving at. If you have come across a similar situation and have found an alternate driver that WILL WORK off that bat, you win the points. As much as possible, I'm avoiding "try this, and try that"...simply put, I need the winning driver if it is available on the planet.
See photos for additional information.
Anyway, I'm installing W2K8 R2. Sadly, there is no W2K8 R2 driver for the Intel Embedded RAID, Intel® ICH7R I/O Controller. The hardrives are setup with hardware RAID using the LSI OPROM and had been working flawlessly when Windows 2003 was on them. The current state is that the hardrives are blank.
I've hunted down and tried out various driver sets that were from Intel & LSI (MEGARAID collection)
* ICH7R_INTEL_RAID_Windows_8
* ICH7R_LSI_RAID_Windows_130
* intel_ichx_msft_raid_v.4.4
* ir3_Windows_signed_DRV_v4.
...and more like the above. They are all 64-bit Windows 2008.
I've also disabled "Enforcing driver digital signing" upon the installation.
A support request went out to Intel, and I'm waiting for a response...hopefully, not to be fallen on deaf ears. In the meantime, I would like to see if anyone of you other Experts have come across an alternate driver solution. Yours truly, is pretty adept at finding drivers, but at the moment I'm burnt out and actually have real work to do. So..."Do it for me!!" is more what I'm driving at. If you have come across a similar situation and have found an alternate driver that WILL WORK off that bat, you win the points. As much as possible, I'm avoiding "try this, and try that"...simply put, I need the winning driver if it is available on the planet.
See photos for additional information.
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SATA RAID OPROM set to LSI (integrated onboard Hardware RAID)
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Intel Embedded Server RAID Technology
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RAID Configuration Utility
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The ICH7R isn't a RAID controller, it is a buffer chip, the RAID work is all being done by a driver, a 32-bit driver on a 64-bit O/S that is normally tweaked for the motherboard. It does not make sense to spend the R&D to write, qualify, and test a new one. This is a marketing decision. On technical side, if you do RAID1, then performance will be significantly faster if you disable the "RAID" functionality, and let the O/S do the mirroring. Not only will it be significantly faster on reads (in a perfect world, it can be 2X faster then the intel chip due to load balancing which the chip does not do), but it has better, more intelligent error recovery.
So my advice is that unless intel comes back with you on a 64-bit qualified driver, use software RAID, or get yourself a used LSI-based controller that has proper 64-bit drivers.
So my advice is that unless intel comes back with you on a 64-bit qualified driver, use software RAID, or get yourself a used LSI-based controller that has proper 64-bit drivers.
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"The ICH7R isn't a RAID controller", Yes, that is understood, it's a TYPO and I can't correct it because you already responded to the question.
"So my advice is that unless intel comes back with you on a 64-bit qualified driver, use software RAID, or get yourself a used LSI-based controller that has proper 64-bit drivers." Using software RAID was a consideration and I've already explored 3rd party controllers. Right now, it's a balance of either investing $$ into an old board, or to get another server board/CPU/RAM, and I'm leaning toward a minimal investment if any.
Also, I've done hundreds of RAID installs, finding that reliability & recovery are better suited using hardware RAID...and that's my personal preference.
"So my advice is that unless intel comes back with you on a 64-bit qualified driver, use software RAID, or get yourself a used LSI-based controller that has proper 64-bit drivers." Using software RAID was a consideration and I've already explored 3rd party controllers. Right now, it's a balance of either investing $$ into an old board, or to get another server board/CPU/RAM, and I'm leaning toward a minimal investment if any.
Also, I've done hundreds of RAID installs, finding that reliability & recovery are better suited using hardware RAID...and that's my personal preference.
I put a caveat reliability & recovery is better with many RAID controllers, but certainly not with the fake-raid.
(But I speak from position of an architect who has helped design controllers, and written code that I have no doubt you installed ;)
In any event, we're on same page with ICH family. So what controller do you have?
(But I speak from position of an architect who has helped design controllers, and written code that I have no doubt you installed ;)
In any event, we're on same page with ICH family. So what controller do you have?
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On-Board SATA RAID
- Intel Matrix Storage Technology supports software SATA RAID 0, 1, 10 and 5 (Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller) Microsoft Windows® driver support only
OR
- Intel Embedded Server RAID Technology and the LSI Logic SATA controller support software SATA RAID 0, 1 and 10. Driver support available for all supported operating systems except Windows Server 2008
Here's the S3000ah user guide:
ftp://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/s3000ah/sb/d56209003_s3000ah_user_guide.pdf
Hunting up and down Intel's website doesn't provide any specific LSI model. Unless I've missed something.
- Intel Matrix Storage Technology supports software SATA RAID 0, 1, 10 and 5 (Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller) Microsoft Windows® driver support only
OR
- Intel Embedded Server RAID Technology and the LSI Logic SATA controller support software SATA RAID 0, 1 and 10. Driver support available for all supported operating systems except Windows Server 2008
Here's the S3000ah user guide:
ftp://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/s3000ah/sb/d56209003_s3000ah_user_guide.pdf
Hunting up and down Intel's website doesn't provide any specific LSI model. Unless I've missed something.
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Found solution from alternate source.
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http://downloadmirror.intel.com/19157/eng/BIOSReleaseNotes0054.TXT
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