Dell R715 with Perc H200 RAID controller

Question

I have a Dell R715 server with a Perc H200 Raid Controller. I know its not a very good controller, but it has worked up to now...  What happens when I enter the LSI configuration utility using Ctrl + C. I see the PERC  H200I. If I drill down into the SAS Topology menu I can see volumes and two additional drives. What I am trying to accomplish is create the new RAID 1 volume from these drives. However, the Configuration Utility does not give me the options menu screen under the volume screen to Create a new volume. The strange thing is that these two drives were once an inactive volume on this controller. I was in the process to make the volume active, but couldn't, so I deleted the volume and was going to recreate it.   First, why do I not get the menu to options to 'Select New volume Type' or 'Create New Volume' like is mentioned in the Perc H200 Manual/documentation.  Perhaps this newer version or the Config Utility (7.11.10) is missing those menu options? If so can I roll back to a version like with the menus I need to create a volume Second, is it possible the controller sees these two drives as 'dirty' and will not allow them to be created into a volume? If so how do a rectify that state? Third, in the past I was able to 'Active' and 'Deactivate' the volumes. This seems to be disabled in the version of the utility. I did this since this card appears to only allow for 2 volumes at a time. If I can’t resolve this issue, I may be forced to use these as individual drives and just create a software RAID in the OS. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

appcim · Accepted Answer

I first updated the drive firmware. Then removing the physical drives associated with Volume one, which caused the LSI Configuration utility to allow another volume to be added. In other words, once I removed the physical disk drives associated with volume one and volume two, The LSI Configuration Utility displayed the menu options for "Select New Volume" "Create New Volume" and "View Volume". These menus now display once you select the "RAID Properties" Menu. With the disks for the first two volumes inserted, the utility would never show these options.

This appears to be tied to the limitation of the H200 Controller. If two volumes are created it will not let a third be create even if it is set to inactive. Once the third has been created, it will show all three and one must remain inactive.

Here are the steps I took to finally resolve the short comings of the controller.

Powered off the server
Removed volume one’s - Disks 0 and 1, and for volume two - Disks 2 and 3
Rebooted
Finally, the LSI Config Utility would let me create a new volume out of disks 4 and 5
Powered down
Put in disk 0 and 1 for Volume one
Rebooted
Used Ctrl + C to go into LSI Config Utility
Set Volume 1 to Active
Now Volume 1 is on disk 0 and 1 and Volume 2 is on new disks 4 and 5
Volume 1 needed consistence check, and Volume 2 needs to be initialized.

I believe this will finish up and provide me with the new replacement volume I was looking to create.

DELL-Chris H · Answer

Appcim,

Would you clarify the part number for the drives, and if they are original to the server?

Also would you clarify what the status is showing for each of the physical disks, and if there is already drive configuration information on the drives.

Thank you.

appcim · Answer

Chris,

The two drives that I am not able to create a volume for are Dell part number: WD9001BKHG-18D22V0. They were purchased last year, so were not part of the original system. Shortly after purchase, I was able to create a volume from them on this server using this same H200 controller. They have been in the system, but not as an active volume.

When I went to activate the volume, I was unable to. I assume because there was already two volumes on the controller and I now see that the PERC H200 can only recognize a max of 2. So what I did a few days ago was delete the volume in hope of recreating it to make it active. Probably a mistake given where I am at now with them.

What I see in the LSI configuration utility is the two volumes that are active on drive 0-3, I also see the two drives in question in slot 4 and 5.

What I can't seem to accomplish is to get a condition again where I can create a volume from these two drives. Nor can I "deactive" the second volume I now have so I can create a new volume.

Can you clarify that the H200 LSI configuration Utility will not even show the options for "Select New Volume" "Create New Volume" and "View Volume" if there are already two active volumes? The only option I see is to "Manage Volume" if I go into the "RAID Properties" Menu. I am wondering how I was able to previously have 3 volumes and switch back and forth between two active volumes.

Also you asked about the state of the two drives. They show up in the Configuration Utility as individual drives under the SAS topology menu. They are unformatted, but I cans see that they have a GUID partition table assigned if I review them in the OS under properties in Disk Management. Is it possible the controller doesn't recognize them as available to create a volume because they have partition tables assigned? If so, is there some means to set them back to "completely blank" so the controller will?

Thanks again for your assistance.

DELL-Chris H · Answer

Appcim,

That is confusing, as the OS shouldn't see the drives unless they're attached and configured, or bypassing the controller. Would you do me a favor and send some screenshots of the raid controller bios, specifically the Virtual and Physical Disk pages. Also I would consider updating the server on BIOS, iDrac, H200, as well as the drives.

appcim · Answer

Chris,I believe the server is up to date with all BIOS and driver versions.Dell BIOS is: 3.2.2 from 9/15/14IDRAC is at: 2.85.00 Build 4&#xa0;Lifecycle Controller 1.7.5.4Perc H200 Firmware is : 07.03.06.00,&#xa0; &#xa0;Perc Driver is 2.00.35.10 and the storeport Driver version is 6.1.7601.18386&#xa0; &#xa0;The LSI Configuration Utility Says 7.11.10&#xa0;I photographed the BIOS setting, since I am not aware of how to screen capture in the LSI Configuration Utility…This is the POST BIOS with the two drives and the two volumes enumerated.Here are screen captures of the topology within the LSI Configuration UtilitySAS TopologyIf I select 'RAID' Properties I would expect to get the menus to 'Select new Volume Type' 'Create Volume' and 'View Volume' instead I just go directly to Manage Volume as show on the next pictureOne more tidbit.... Open Manage sees both Volumes. It does not see the two single drives, however the OS does see them both in Disk Management as partitioned GPT but unformatted.This is a rather strange challenge. I appreciate your help on this.

appcim · Answer

I went to verify all BIOS firmware was up to date. I found a new firmware version for the two drives Western Digital WD9001BKHG drives, and updated them to revision D1S6. This has now made them visible as drives inside OMSA. I am not able to find the option in OMSA to create a virtual disk from them, however. I don't see an option for the 'Create Virtual Disk Wizard'. Is there such a thing as to 'suspend or pause or stop' a VD so I can create a new one without deleting a VD altogether? It may be that I am up against the max number of VD's this controller can support, however int he past a did have a third VD listed as inactive on this controller.

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