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Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 Version 3.30.30.30 User's Guide

Switching the controller mode

On PERC 9.1 controllers, you can change the personality of the controller by switching the mode from RAID to HBA. The controller operates similar to an HBA controller where the drivers are passed through the operating system. The controller mode change is a staged operation and does not occur in real time.

PERC 10 and later controllers supports Enhanced HBA mode, replacing HBA from the current controller mode options. However, PERC 9 still continues to support the HBA mode.

Enhanced HBA mode provides the following features:
  • Create virtual disks with RAID level 0, 1, or 10.
  • Present non-RAID disks to host.
  • Configure a default cache policy for virtual disks as write-back with read ahead.
  • Configure virtual disks and non-RAID disks as valid boot devices.
  • Automatically convert all unconfigured disks to non-RAID:
    • On system boot
    • On controller reset
    • When unconfigured disks are hot-inserted
NOTE Creating or importing RAID 5, 6, 50, or 60 virtual disks is not supported. Also, in enhanced HBA mode, non-RAID disks are enumerated first in ascending order, while RAID volumes are enumerated in descending order.
Before you change the mode of the controller from RAID to HBA, ensure that:
  • The RAID controller supports the controller mode change. The option to change the controller mode is not available on controllers where the RAID personality requires a license.
  • All virtual disks must be deleted or removed.
  • Hot spares must be deleted or removed.
  • Foreign configurations must be deleted or cleared.
  • All physical disks that are in a failed state, must be removed or the pinned cache needs to be cleared.
  • Any local security key that is associated with SEDs must be deleted.
  • The controller must not have preserved cache.
  • You have server control privileges to switch the controller mode.
NOTE Ensure that you back up the foreign configuration, security key, virtual disks, and hot spares before you switch the mode as the data is deleted.
NOTE Ensure that a CMC license (not applicable for MX platforms) is available for PERC FD33xS and FD33xD storage sleds before you change the controller mode. For more information on CMC license for the storage sleds, see the Dell Chassis Management Controller Version 1.2 for PowerEdge FX2/FX2s User's Guide available at dell.com/cmcmanuals .

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