Server failing to boot (Insert Boot Media after HBA initialization)


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Hi everyone,

 

Setup

* Unraid 6.x running from a Kingston 2 GB USB

* SUPERMICRO 4U 24-BAY 846E1-R900B X8DTE-F 2X L5640 96GB 24x TRAYS LSI 9210-8i
  * 1 cache, 1 parity, 12 data drives

 

Problem

Server is temperamental while restarting, and this time my OS may be unrecoverable

 

Details

My server has been down after a routine restart on Friday. This has happened to me a couple of times at this point (read: every restart) and usually it's fixed by restarting multiple times; because of this my average uptime is usually 60-90 days since I'm afraid of rebooting.

 

The machine posts and goes through startup regularly, and my Kingston 2 GB boot is recognized in the bios, up until it gets to initializing my HBA (LSI 9210-8i), at which point it fails to find boot media:

Quote

Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

 

Resolution Attempts

1) Initially I didn't suspect the HBA and thought the USB may have been corrupted. As a result, I bought a new SanDisk 16 GB and attempted to create an installer on it. When booting from the SanDisk (installer), I'm still greeted with the same error message after the HBA initializes.

2) After realizing that this was happening after the HBA initialization process, I removed the HBA and was successfully able to boot using the SanDIsk.

3) Using the Kingston USB with no HBA, I'm not able to boot and am seeing:

Quote

Missing operating system.

Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

4) I also tried putting the HBA in another PCIE slot, but that ended with the same result.

 

If anyone has any input or advice, I really need my server up and running again and am really worried about losing all of the data in my array.

 

Regards,

Ezro

 

Edit: I also changed the boot so that only the USB is enabled (SanDisk or Kingston), and every other device is disabled currently.

Edited by Ezro
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56 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

I did a bit of research on the Board (LSI 9210-8i) and it appears to me that it requires flashing to IT-Mode for use in Unraid.  Has this been done with this card?

 

You might also want to read through this thread:

 

   https://forums.unraid.net/topic/70022-solved-help-with-lsi-logic-9210-8i-hba-bios-configuration/

 

Thanks for the link. I didn't flash the card at all in the past, but what's weird to me is that it would sporadically work without it flashed.

 

I can try flashing it, but I think Windows corrupted my initial Kingston USB by "repairing" it (I can no longer see the file hierarchy in Windows), so that's another thing I need to resolve after this HBA boot issue.

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Hold off doing a reflash of this card at this point.  I am not sure how the card is actually mounting your Hard Drives.  It could be using some sort of a RAID configuration that might not be readable by the card after it has been reflashed into the IT-Mode.  Hopefully, @johnnie.black (That will probably be tomorrow as I think he is in the UK) will see this and can provide some insight.  My initial line of questioning was to get some information on the current state of this card so that someone with a lot better insight could provide you will further advice. 

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5 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

If the LSI is causing issues with boot you can delete its bios, it's not needed for Unraid:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/12114-lsi-controller-fw-updates-irit-modes/?do=findComment&comment=632252

 

Thanks for confirming.

 

After I flash the LSI card, I'm afraid that my OS stick is already borked from Windows repair; if I have a new install on another USB, will it recognize the drives and the data? (Does it matter what the sequence is? Boot into OS, restart with LSI vs Boot into OS w/ LSI on first start)

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34 minutes ago, Ezro said:

I'm afraid that my OS stick is already borked from Windows repair;

If the OS USB stick hardware is ok but the files are corrupted, it would be easier to do a fresh install on the same key so your license is still valid. You will need to find a copy of your license key file, hopefully you have a backup, or still have the email with the attachment.

 

Either way you will need to figure out which drive is which so you can assign them properly.

 

Do you have...

Recent diagnostics zip file?

Recent status email from the server?

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4 minutes ago, jonathanm said:

If the OS USB stick hardware is ok but the files are corrupted, it would be easier to do a fresh install on the same key so your license is still valid. You will need to find a copy of your license key file, hopefully you have a backup, or still have the email with the attachment.

 

Either way you will need to figure out which drive is which so you can assign them properly.

 

Do you have...

Recent diagnostics zip file?

Recent status email from the server?

Thankfully I labeled my drives on the physical chassis, so the assignment shouldn't be too bad.

 

Also, I don't have a backup of the diagnostics zip or anything, but I still have the email for my Pro Key; hopefully all I have to do is restart using the new SanDisk USB and enter that into the web UI.

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5 minutes ago, Ezro said:

hopefully all I have to do is restart using the new SanDisk USB and enter that into the web UI.

If you wish to transfer the license to a new USB stick, you will need to go through the web wizard to complete the process. Be sure to copy the pro.key file to the config folder of the new stick before you boot the server.

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@jonathanm @johnnie.black

 

I'm starting to look back into this and am noticing that I'm still not able to boot into my FreeDOS USB in order to attempt to flash the LSI card.

 

In running the configuration utility, it does look like my card may have been pre-flashed when I bought the server. I've attached a picture showing the card's firmware which shows it running 20.00.07.00-IT.

 

Do you guys have any other advice on what could be the issue?

 

0412191623.thumb.jpg.a0b483e5884e1ccc58bc3fb66db78911.jpg

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I feel like I'm missing something for my understanding.

 

I'm still trying to boot into FreeDOS with my USB. In my bios, I disabled every boot *except* for my FreeDOS USB, but it's still booting into MPT2BIOS-7. I understand that I want to remove the bios from the LSI card completely, but I'm not quite sure how to do that when it's not respecting the BIOS boot order to begin with.

 

I've also tried electrical taping pins 5 and 6 (as per the SAS HBA crossflashing article), but I'm seeing the same results.

 

Also, from the other previous link, the outcome I'm expecting is to flash the firmware to IT mode, but is that the same as removing the bios? If so, my LSI card is already flashed to IT mode...

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7 hours ago, Ezro said:

I'm expecting is to flash the firmware to IT mode

According you screen dump, yes HBA already in IT mode.

 

7 hours ago, Ezro said:

same as removing the bios?

No, if people got problem on post ( init ) process of hardware, then they may try different work around, i.e. tape some connect pin, remove BIOS ..... etc

Or some people may want to shorter the boot time, they will remove the LSI BIOS or just config disable on mainboard BIOS.

 

 

On 4/7/2019 at 11:46 PM, Ezro said:

Resolution Attempts

1) Initially I didn't suspect the HBA and thought the USB may have been corrupted. As a result, I bought a new SanDisk 16 GB and attempted to create an installer on it. When booting from the SanDisk (installer), I'm still greeted with the same error message after the HBA initializes.

2) After realizing that this was happening after the HBA initialization process, I removed the HBA and was successfully able to boot using the SanDIsk.

3) Using the Kingston USB with no HBA, I'm not able to boot and am seeing:

Pls understand LSI BIOS is part of hardware POST process, after that will as usual point to a booting device. Your error message means booting device have problem, but not means problem cause by HBA. ** If you found remove all HBA, then boot up Unraid without any problem, then you should shoot LSI part, otherwise it is another problem cause and you don't need to touch LSI **

 

So pls carefully identify actual problem first.

Edited by Benson
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9 hours ago, Benson said:

According you screen dump, yes HBA already in IT mode.

 

No, if people got problem on post ( init ) process of hardware, then they may try different work around, i.e. tape some connect pin, remove BIOS ..... etc

Or some people may want to shorter the boot time, they will remove the LSI BIOS or just config disable on mainboard BIOS.

 

 

Pls understand LSI BIOS is part of hardware POST process, after that will as usual point to a booting device. Your error message means booting device have problem, but not means problem cause by HBA. ** If you found remove all HBA, then boot up Unraid without any problem, then you should shoot LSI part, otherwise it is another problem cause and you don't need to touch LSI **

 

So pls carefully identify actual problem first.

 

That's fair. I'm able to boot into FreeDOS if I unplug my LSI card, which leads me to believe that the LSI card is the problem.

 

Because of that I'd like to flash my LSI card and remove the bios, but I don't know how to boot into FreeDOS with the LSI card installed.

 

I tried taping the pins, but that didn't work.

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3 hours ago, Benson said:

Or would you try below link method, then you may try remove the LSI BIOS if you like.

 

 

I disabled all of the other devices in the bios (not just the boot order) and that did the trick!

 

Now it's time to rebuild all of the settings and containers.

 

Sorry if I came across brash, this has been causing me a lot of stress. Thank you everyone for your assistance.

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49 minutes ago, Ezro said:

Sorry if I came across brash, this has been causing me a lot of stress.

Not a problem.  If you want to give back a bit, you made the comment:

50 minutes ago, Ezro said:

I disabled all of the other devices in the bios (not just the boot order) and that did the trick!

Elaborate a bit more on this.  You will probably not be the last one to have this problem.  Be sure to indicate your MB (manufacturer and model) and where in the BIOS menu you did the changes and what changes you made.  (I recognize every BIOS is a bit different but they are still similar enough that knowing where you had to go will give some valuable clues to the next person with the same problem.) 

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