cucrew
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Can't install without NetRAID module
How do I Install if the RAID controller I am using is not in the list? I and trying to Install 6.5 onto a HP LH3 Server running a HP NetRAID controller. This controller is not in the list, hence, there are no hard drives found to install to.
I don't believe NetRAID cards are officially supported yet. However, if the NetRaid controller has its own bootable configuration disk, you may be able to set the drives up and then boot to the installation for Linux and fool it. I had this issue with a DAC960. It is listed as a controller, but no drives would show up until after I configured them with the DAC config util. I thought I would just be able to use it as a SCSI controller.
Another comment on RAID experiences here: for example, the DAC960 chip (Mylex AcceleRAID 150) is *NOT* implemented as a block device, but just as a RAID driver ... so ... what this means is, if you can find drivers for the HP controller, throw them onto diskette and temporarily put in a SCSI card (block device support) to just get a working boot / root drive up and running. Then install the RAID drivers, and if/when you can "see" your /dev/rd/c0d0 as "something" i.e. after you configure the HP RAID card BIOS for a diskpack / logical drive, then you can do 1 of 2 things:
1) Read the boot-RAID and root-RAID howto at http://www.infomagic.com/linux/ldp/HOWTO/Root-RAID-HOWTO.html (root-RAID) ... and the boot-RAID should be found in the HOWTO archives somewhere. And then format / mount your RAID array under a temporary mountpoint, then install your boot / root drive to the array, reboot, and if all works, then pull the SCSI controller (block-device) and run entirely off RAID (not recommeded).
2) Use the SCSI drive as your system disk (i.e. configurations, user accounts, etc.) and mount the RAID array under a mountpoint (i.e. /raid) and use it for data (or Samba / NFS filesharing in my case) ... Which would be a LOT better than running root / boot RAID, as there is a lot of IO that goes on in a RAID array. What *I* would do (and am doing @ work) is make a RAID-0 (mirror) of your system drive (dd works nicely for this with a temp drive), and tape backup your /raid directory. As your boot drive won't change (unless you add users/etc), you can just mount it in a removable drive caddy with its clone in another caddy, ready to go "just in case". :) And if the RAID ever fails and you lose data (not likely with a RAID5), then you can just restore from your tape (after all, your restore program is still there on your boot/root drive), after mounting your new array in /raid, back to the /raid directory, and all should be fine. Let me know if this helps.
1) Read the boot-RAID and root-RAID howto at http://www.infomagic.com/linux/ldp/HOWTO/Root-RAID-HOWTO.html (root-RAID) ... and the boot-RAID should be found in the HOWTO archives somewhere. And then format / mount your RAID array under a temporary mountpoint, then install your boot / root drive to the array, reboot, and if all works, then pull the SCSI controller (block-device) and run entirely off RAID (not recommeded).
2) Use the SCSI drive as your system disk (i.e. configurations, user accounts, etc.) and mount the RAID array under a mountpoint (i.e. /raid) and use it for data (or Samba / NFS filesharing in my case) ... Which would be a LOT better than running root / boot RAID, as there is a lot of IO that goes on in a RAID array. What *I* would do (and am doing @ work) is make a RAID-0 (mirror) of your system drive (dd works nicely for this with a temp drive), and tape backup your /raid directory. As your boot drive won't change (unless you add users/etc), you can just mount it in a removable drive caddy with its clone in another caddy, ready to go "just in case". :) And if the RAID ever fails and you lose data (not likely with a RAID5), then you can just restore from your tape (after all, your restore program is still there on your boot/root drive), after mounting your new array in /raid, back to the /raid directory, and all should be fine. Let me know if this helps.
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