[6.11] Dell HBA330 Mini with mpt3sas driver stability issues

mpt3sas_cm0: LSISAS3008: FWVersion(16.00.11.00), ChipRevision(0x02), BiosVersion(18.00.03.00)

Try updating to latest LSI firmware, IIRC it's 16.00.12.00, and since there's a BIOS installed you should also updated it to latest.

This seems like a great tip, and seems like what would fix my issue.

 

I've tried flashing from both Linux and EFI shell and sasflash always ends up erroring out:

 

Unfortunately, Dell's latest firmware for HBA330 (16.17.01.00) only contains 16.00.11.00 firmware for the SAS3008

Card details:

root@UnRAID:/tmp# ./sas3flash -list
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 15.00.00.00 (2016.11.17) 
Copyright 2008-2016 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved.

        Adapter Selected is a Avago SAS: SAS3008(C0)

        Controller Number              : 0
        Controller                     : SAS3008(C0)
        PCI Address                    : 00:01:00:00
        SAS Address                    : 52cea7f-0-c84e-e100
        NVDATA Version (Default)       : 0e.01.00.39
        NVDATA Version (Persistent)    : 0e.01.00.39
        Firmware Product ID            : 0x2221 (IT)
        Firmware Version               : 16.00.11.00
        NVDATA Vendor                  : LSI
        NVDATA Product ID              : Dell HBA330 Mini
        BIOS Version                   : 08.37.02.00
        UEFI BSD Version               : 18.00.03.00
        FCODE Version                  : N/A
        Board Name                     : Dell HBA330 Mini
        Board Assembly                 : N/A
        Board Tracer Number            : N/A

        Finished Processing Commands Successfully.
        Exiting SAS3Flash.

Error details:

root@UnRAID:/tmp# ./sas3flash -o -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 15.00.00.00 (2016.11.17)
Copyright 2008-2016 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved.

        Advanced Mode Set

        Adapter Selected is a Avago SAS: SAS3008(C0)

        Executing Operation: Flash Firmware Image

                Firmware Image has a Valid Checksum.
                Firmware Version 16.00.12.00
                Firmware Image compatible with Controller.

                Valid NVDATA Image found.
                NVDATA Major Version 0e.01
                Checking for a compatible NVData image...

                NVDATA Device ID and Chip Revision match verified.
                NVDATA Versions Compatible.
                Valid Initialization Image verified.
                Valid BootLoader Image verified.

                Beginning Firmware Download...
                Firmware Download Failed!

        Firmware Returned Exception. IOCStatus=0x4, IOCLogInfo=0x30010408
        Due to error remaining commands will not be executed.
        Unable to Process Commands.
        Exiting SAS3Flash.

Edited October 1, 2022 by JohnHedge

Not sure what that error is about, you might want to try and contact Dell for an updated firmware version.

I've been told that Dell version 16.10.11.00 is equivalent to 16.00.12.00 from LSI. Digging a bit deeper.

Edited October 3, 2022 by JohnHedge

32 minutes ago, JohnHedge said:

I've been told that Dell version 16.10.11.00 is equivalent to 16.00.12.00 from LSI

I find that hard to believe, but it's not impossible I guess, tried to search for the error you are getting flashing but didn't find anything relevant, might be because the current firmware is not from LSI, though SAS2FLASH it's not detecting any issues before beginning.

I find the version number information hard to believe as well, especially when the changelog on Dell's site for 16.00.11.00 does not mention either of the issues addressed in 16.00.12.00

 

Apparently the issue with flashing is due to some flags that are set in one of the other flash regions in the Dell HBA330 that lock it to firmware from them. I'm curious if a full flash wipe would enable it, but not curious enough to try it...yet.

I spent a few hours in chat / on phone with Dell today trying to "rule out" issues with the hardware. We eventually got it to Tier 3 support via email who confirmed there are no new HBA330 firmware releases planned as far out as they can check (November 2022). They were slightly hostile that I had non-"Dell Certified" drives in the server. Am not hopeful of any progress on this front, but thought I'd try

In the meantime, I have discovered that running

echo "- - -" > /sys/class/scsi_host/host1/scan

will cause any drives that didn't enumerate to become usable, thus solving the immediate problem