I was having issues with crashes (running rc3 now), my problem seemed to go away after I followed a suggestion of ensuring proper power to my drives.  I have 3 of these cards in a system using a Norco 4224 case.  I was getting errors and crashes regularly and it was suggested that some drives may not be getting sufficient power (the backplane has two power connectors for each set of 4 drives, only one is needed according to Norco, but people have found that both should be connected).  If you don't have a Norco you probably have a different problem, but I thought I'd share just in case.

 

The server I am setting up for another person is in a 4224 and when reading up on the case I found the same suggestions about connecting both power connectors.

Thanks for the tip, but I'm using a CM 590 and a Corsair 650TX, with CM 4 in 3 drive cages.

[red]How the hell do you boot an Unraid system to DOS?[/red]

1. Download the syslinux package

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-3.86.zip

2. Extract the memdisk file from that zip package.  Put memdisk on your unRAID flash disk.

3. Download FreeDOS.  Put the .iso file on your unRAID flash disk.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/fdbasecd.iso

4. Add a FreeDOS entry to the unRAID boot menu by adding these three lines to your syslinux.cfg (on your flash disk)

default menu.c32

menu title Lime Technology LLC

prompt 0

timeout 20

 

label unRAID OS

 menu default

 kernel bzimage

 append initrd=bzroot vga=5

 

label FreeDOS

 kernel memdisk

 append iso initrd=fdbasecd.iso

 

label Memtest86+

 kernel memtest

 

5. Download the firmware-flashing program, and put that too on your unRAID flash disk.

6. Reboot.  

7. From the boot menu select "FreeDOS".  Once in FreeDOS "Safe Mode", your flash disk will be seen as "C:"

8. Proceed with flashing, as instructed by Supermicro.

 

Note: You don't need to unplug your flash disk from your server.  All the steps above (except #7) can be done over the network.

 

The trick described above is not just for FreeDOS.  The same way you can boot from almost any bootable .iso file, just like as if you're booting from a real CD.  No need to burn the .iso to a CD first, or to even have a CDROM drive.

 

 

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you! 

 

I just updated the firmware on my AOC-SASLP-MV8 to .21.  Im now ready to test out 4TB drives in the near future. (Hopefully!)

 

How the hell do you boot an Unraid system to DOS?

1. Download the syslinux package

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-3.86.zip

2. Extract the memdisk file from that zip package.  Put memdisk on your unRAID flash disk.

3. Download FreeDOS.  Put the .iso file on your unRAID flash disk.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/fdbasecd.iso

4. Add a FreeDOS entry to the unRAID boot menu by adding these three lines to your syslinux.cfg (on your flash disk)

default menu.c32

menu title Lime Technology LLC

prompt 0

timeout 20

 

label unRAID OS

  menu default

  kernel bzimage

  append initrd=bzroot vga=5

 

label FreeDOS

  kernel memdisk

  append iso initrd=fdbasecd.iso

 

label Memtest86+

  kernel memtest

 

5. Download the firmware-flashing program, and put that too on your unRAID flash disk.

6. Reboot. 

7. From the boot menu select "FreeDOS".  Once in FreeDOS "Safe Mode", your flash disk will be seen as "C:"

8. Proceed with flashing, as instructed by Supermicro.

 

Note: You don't need to unplug your flash disk from your server.  All the steps above (except #7) can be done over the network.

 

The trick described above is not just for FreeDOS.  The same way you can boot from almost any bootable .iso file, just like as if you're booting from a real CD.  No need to burn the .iso to a CD first, or to even have a CDROM drive.

 

I been trying to make this card work with a GA880-ga UDH3 Mobo and i cant get it to work. ALready disabled the INT13 from the card and also read that i should change the firmware from .21 to .15

 

Where can i get the syslinux package linked in the first point?

 

Do i really need to change back to the prior frimware version? It's a brand new card.

 

Thx in advance

 

 

How the hell do you boot an Unraid system to DOS?

1. Download the syslinux package

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-3.86.zip

2. Extract the memdisk file from that zip package.  Put memdisk on your unRAID flash disk.

3. Download FreeDOS.  Put the .iso file on your unRAID flash disk.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/fdbasecd.iso

4. Add a FreeDOS entry to the unRAID boot menu by adding these three lines to your syslinux.cfg (on your flash disk)

default menu.c32

menu title Lime Technology LLC

prompt 0

timeout 20

 

label unRAID OS

  menu default

  kernel bzimage

  append initrd=bzroot vga=5

 

label FreeDOS

  kernel memdisk

  append iso initrd=fdbasecd.iso

 

label Memtest86+

  kernel memtest

 

5. Download the firmware-flashing program, and put that too on your unRAID flash disk.

6. Reboot. 

7. From the boot menu select "FreeDOS".  Once in FreeDOS "Safe Mode", your flash disk will be seen as "C:"

8. Proceed with flashing, as instructed by Supermicro.

 

Note: You don't need to unplug your flash disk from your server.  All the steps above (except #7) can be done over the network.

 

The trick described above is not just for FreeDOS.  The same way you can boot from almost any bootable .iso file, just like as if you're booting from a real CD.  No need to burn the .iso to a CD first, or to even have a CDROM drive.

 

Although I get into FreeDOS no problem, it doesn't see my flash drive as 'C:'

I'm use a Kingston MobileLite G2 card reader.

Updated Link: ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/driver/SAS/Marvell/MV8/SAS1/

Although I get into FreeDOS no problem, it doesn't see my flash drive as 'C:'

I'm use a Kingston MobileLite G2 card reader.

 

If you have another flash drive or SD card handy, I would suggest just creating a boot disk with nothing but FreeDOS on it. That disk should then be seen as 'C:'. If it still doesn't work, you may need to disconnect all your hard drives. I always flash firmware with nothing but the CPU, Mobo, RAM, SASLP card, and boot disk, no other HDDs installed.