Firmware update driver

Question

Hello, I have LSI121320-IS SCSI adapter, configured on Raid 0. I contacted LSI to switch from Raid 0 to No Raid, they said most likely I need a firmware driver update in order to make the switch. The only driver I was able to find is Win XP driver BR53195.exe. Is there a firmware update driver  for this divece ? Do I really need a firmware driver update to make the switch ? Is BR53195.exe the firmware driver or its the Win XP hardware driver ? When we bought the computer, Dell sales suggested Raid 0, while Raid 0 is for graphic and video users, taking the big risk of loosing eveything if something went wrong. Isn't Dell responsible to make the switch ?   Thanks

Chipstone · Answer

The LSI 21320-IS must be Dell’s OEM designation for the LSI 21320-R (Raid Card)

If you purchased the 21320 Raid version: LSI makes a Raid/Non-raid version of the card.

The raid version can be flashed to be non-raid, a regular SCSI controller card, with a flash program found in LSI website support. You will need to navigate under support for the 22320-R adapter card and under drivers there is a file -See link-:
http://www.lsilogic.com/downloads/license.do?id=2000&did=7711&pid=2092

You need to follow the instructions on the readme.txt file, included in the floppy disk you need to create from the downloaded file. Make sure you follow the flash instruction correctly, and allow the system to complete the flash process without interruption.

I did this with a LSI card, from raid to non-raid, and it worked fine, but when I tried to flash it back to raid, the card did not flashed correctly and was rendered useless. So make sure you don’t want the raid functionality back in the future.

Once the flash is successful the card will no longer support raid, and any information that you currently have on the raid 0 setup will be lost; you can’t retrieve the data since its spread over two physical drives configured as one raid volume.

You will need to backup any critical data, and once you flash the card the individual SCSI drive will show up on your controller card. You will need to reinstall the operating system. In essence you will need to start from scratch like you are installing the operating system and all the programs and drivers for the first time.

Dell is not responsible for any problems since you opted to purchase the card and its functionality at the time, subsequently you have changed you mind due to the lack of fault tolerance on a Raid 0 setup. You could have opted for Raid 1; it would have provided you with fault tolerance, a mirror copy of you data, in case of raid array data corruption.

TheTedman · Answer

>R adapter card and under drivers there is a file -See link-:
>http://www.lsilogic.com/downloads/license.do?id=2000&did=7711&pid=2092
>You need to follow the instructions on the readme.txt file,

The readme.txt says that you can't use these firmware drivers on the

-IS version. It has to be obtained from Dell.

>You will need to backup any critical data

I contacted Casper XP,

http://www.fssdev.com/

Their software can mirror the two Raid drives to

a single Non-Raid drive. Thank you.

>Dell is not responsible for any problems since you

> opted to purchase the card and its functionality

> at the time, subsequently you have changed you mind

When the owner ordered the computers, he asked if

Raid is good to have.

The salesman sold him a Raid 0, which is used

for graphics and large video files.

The owner didn't know any better, trusted the

salesman, paid almost $900 extra for something

wasn't appropriate for the shop.

I just found out that the computer had Raid 0.

Question: Is LSI 21320-IS Raid software drived

or hardware ?

Chipstone · Answer

Remember you can always enable the built-in SCSI controller, based on your workstation and install the SCSI cable and use the built in controller if all you want is just a regular SCSI setup.

But you can only remove the drives from the LSI controller card after you have the data you need secure on another media.

It seems like you can’t re-flash the card; you can have the card in the computer at the same time you have the on-board SCSI controller enabled. That way you can use the regular controller and if you wish later on create a raid array with redundancy; Raid 1.

Chipstone · Answer

That sounds like a sensible solution, and the process will educate you further into the mechanics of jury rigging a system and your goal, then ask for a raise and the IT Guru title. Regards, JR

TheTedman · Answer

> I purchased the Adaptec 39320A-R card as replacement when the LSI   That is what I am thinking to do. Buy 29320A-R (has legacy CD drive connector), and buy another SCSI hard drive. Install the 29320A-R and the new drive. Make a mirror using Casper XP. Backup company data. Then remove the LSI and RAID drives, and see if it will boot up OK. I'll just put everything back together if it doesn't work.   >You are correct, you were sold a piece of hardware that is an overkill I will contact Dell custommer support, hope they will send me the hardware, or at least the 29320A-R.

TheTedman · Answer

Thank you for your advice.

Storage, Drives & Media

Firmware update driver

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