How to upgrade an LSI HBA firmware using Unraid

[MrBrac]

fyi if anyone has a HP 220 LSI 9207-8i I was able to upgrade the firmware and bios of p20 with p14 linux sas2flash.

[xxbryantd]

I cant get the sas3flash command to work. I followed the instructions and use sas3flash -listall and I get bash: sas3flash: command not found

[JorgeB]

8 hours ago, xxbryantd said:

I cant get the sas3flash command to work. I followed the instructions and use sas3flash -listall and I get bash: sas3flash: command not found

That suggests the executable is missing or not correctly installed, double check you've followed the instructions correctly.

[xxbryantd]

6 hours ago, JorgeB said:

That suggests the executable is missing or not correctly installed, double check you've followed the instructions correctly.

So I had to run the command as ./sas3flash and it ran with no problem, but now I get this message  "ERROR: Cannot Flash IT Firmware over IR Firmware!"

root@Tower:/lsi# ./sas3flash -o -f SAS9300_8i_IT.bin
Avago Technologies SAS3 Flash Utility
Version 17.00.00.00 (2018.04.02) 
Copyright 2008-2018 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 16.00.01.00
                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.

                ERROR: Cannot Flash IT Firmware over IR Firmware!

                Firmware Image Validation Failed! 

        Due to error remaining commands will not be executed.
        Unable to Process Commands.
        Exiting SAS3Flash.

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by xxbryantd

[JorgeB]

19 hours ago, xxbryantd said:

So I had to run the command as ./sas3flash and it ran with no problem

Sorry, that's because of an Unraid change, I'll update the guide.

 

19 hours ago, xxbryantd said:

but now I get this message  "ERROR: Cannot Flash IT Firmware over IR Firmware!"

First erase the current firmware then you can flash IT mode, but note that the Linux Sas3flash util doesn't support all features, including erase, so you'll need to use Windows or DOS/UEFI.

[xxbryantd]

7 hours ago, JorgeB said:

Sorry, that's because of an Unraid change, I'll update the guide.

 

First erase the current firmware then you can flash IT mode, but note that the Linux Sas3flash util doesn't support all features, including erase, so you'll need to use Windows or DOS/UEFI.

Do you know a good tutorial I can use thats shows me how to use dos/uefi to erase it?

 

[JorgeB]

16 hours ago, xxbryantd said:

Do you know a good tutorial I can use thats shows me how to use dos/uefi to erase it?

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/87084-help-flashing-lsi-sas-9311-8i-to-it/?do=findComment&comment=809594

 

[xdriver]

Can an LSI SAS9211-8i handle 14TB drives? IT does show up in the drive list but can it manage it ok? The utility says v7.11.10.00 (2011.06.02) and FW revisions 20.00.02.00-IT Enabled. I am still trying to figure out a reason for my server crashing, and I am trying two different gigabyte MOBO Gigabyte G1.Sniper.M3 and they don't want to stay running during a new parity upgrade build for a failed data drive. I have a new power supply and I have tried using just one stick out of my 4 sticks of 8GB ram, systematically going through each one. I also have a Rosewill 3 x 5.25-Inch to 4 x 3.5-Inch Hot-swap SATAIII/SAS Hard Disk Drive Cage - Black (RSV-SATA-Cage-34). After that, I still don't know what to do. 

[ChatNoir]

56 minutes ago, xdriver said:

Can an LSI SAS9211-8i handle 14TB drives?

No reason it wouldn't. My Dell version handles 14TB and 20TB with no problem.

Your FW is not up to date, not sure if it would cause a crash though.

[xdriver]

No reason it wouldn't. My Dell version handles 14TB and 20TB with no problem.
Your FW is not up to date, not sure if it would cause a crash though.

Sorry, version 20.00.07.00


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChatNoir]

Then you should probably start your own thread to explore what's happening in your case.

Could be overheating of the HBA if there is not enough airflow on the dissipator.

[xdriver]

Then you should probably start your own thread to explore what's happening in your case.
Could be overheating of the HBA if there is not enough airflow on the dissipator.

Thank you. I had some other threads about possibilities but no one mentioned and I didn’t even consider the SATA card actually overheating. I’ll start a new thread on this. Thank you again.


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[dynamis_dk]

Hi, I'm in the process of giving my unraid server a once over as I've had an old drive die and overall I've been fairly lucky over the years so I'm figuring out the process etc. I stumbled upon this thread via another users thread for support where someone noted via the syslog that their SAS controller was on an old firmware so it made me wonder about mine.

 

I've been able to download the files etc as outlined in your guidelines and I've been left with the following so I know there is a newer update available for my card - question is, should I? Would you recommend always updating to latest firmware or is there an element of 'if its not broke, don't fix it'? Its one of the IBM 1015 cards

 

 Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

        Controller Number              : 0
        Controller                     : SAS2008(B2)
        PCI Address                    : 00:02:00:00
        SAS Address                    : 500605b-0-0474-f290
        NVDATA Version (Default)       : 0f.00.00.05
        NVDATA Version (Persistent)    : 0f.00.00.05
        Firmware Product ID            : 0x2213 (IT)
        Firmware Version               : 15.00.00.00
        NVDATA Vendor                  : LSI
        NVDATA Product ID              : SAS9211-8i
        BIOS Version                   : N/A
        UEFI BSD Version               : N/A
        FCODE Version                  : N/A
        Board Name                     : SAS9211-8i
        Board Assembly                 : N/A
        Board Tracer Number            : N/A

        Finished Processing Commands Successfully.

 

Also, does the provided sasXflash version in the download from broadcom depend on the hardware its for as your guide mentions sas3flash but i've got sas2flash and it would seem to be working.

 

many thanks

Edited April 18, 2023 by dynamis_dk

[JorgeB]

25 minutes ago, dynamis_dk said:

Would you recommend always updating to latest firmware or is there an element of 'if its not broke, don't fix it'? Its one of the IBM 1015 cards

If it's working now you can leave, just remember that if you add a new disk in the future and have issue you should update then, correct sas2flash comes with the download.

[dynamis_dk]

Awesome, Cheers JorgeB, I'll leave well alone for now and just bookmark this thread just in case

[Keichi]

Hello,

 

As everyone, i was seeing some warnings in the syslog.

Thanks to this thread, i updaded my 9211-8i from :
 

Num   Ctlr            FW Ver        NVDATA        x86-BIOS         PCI Addr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

0  SAS2008(B2)     10.00.05.00    0a.02.00.18    07.19.00.00     00:04:00:00

 

To :

 

Num   Ctlr            FW Ver        NVDATA        x86-BIOS         PCI Addr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

0  SAS2008(B2)     20.00.07.00    14.01.00.08    07.39.02.00     00:04:00:00

 

Without any issue.

 

Thanks to the author!

 

K.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Keichi
Typo

[dopeytree]

Don't trust the ebay sellers when they say flashed to IT mode... 😆

 

 

flashed it from FM13 to FW20 all in unraid thanks to this awesome guide.

 

[dopeytree]

Got some new but secondhand 12bay backplanes with expander chips.... how would I check what chip it is and then update the firmware?

[JorgeB]

Usually not needed to update backplanes, and the diagnostics should show the firmware version. 

[Ezekial66]

On 9/8/2023 at 3:14 AM, JorgeB said:

Usually not needed to update backplanes, and the diagnostics should show the firmware version. 

Jorge how can I confirm my 9206-16e is in IT mode? the F/W is 20.00.11.00 and for the first few dozen boots trying to diagnose issues it would say the BIOS was 00.00.00.00 but now it is saying 07.18.01.05. I want to try to rule it out as the problem but I don't know how to confirm its ACTUALLY in IT mode.

[JorgeB]

4 hours ago, Ezekial66 said:

how can I confirm my 9206-16e is in IT mode?

Diagnostics will show. 

[ChatNoir]

Nice video from Art of Server on how to find the various roms, bios, firmwares on the Broadcom website.

 

 

[Dojimaster]

On 9/10/2023 at 1:05 AM, JorgeB said:

Diagnostics will show. 

 

Which file in the diagnostics zip file has this info? I'm not finding it. 

[ChatNoir]

2 hours ago, Dojimaster said:

Which file in the diagnostics zip file has this info? I'm not finding it. 

probably the log and what driver is loaded at startup.

[FungShui]

I have a SAS9300-16i. When I search on the Broadcom Support Documents and Downloads, the only item is a firmware update for DOS/Win/EFI. Is there another way to find a Linux sas3flash?