[Wylug-help] Can't install on Hardware SATA RAID10 on startech.com PCISATA4R1

[Gary Stainburn]

On Wednesday 29 February 2012 12:30:56 John Hodrien wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Feb 2012, Gary Stainburn wrote:
> > Hi folks.
> >
> > Having been badly burned again with software RAID I've opted for a
> > hardware RAID controller, buying the one above.
> >
> > However, I cannot install Fedora. I've tried 14 and 16.  Both installs
> > see the hardware RAID
> >
> > http://www1.ringways.co.uk/RAID_detected.jpeg
> >
> > but when I select it and try install the system crashes.
> >
> > http://www1.ringways.co.uk/RAID_debug.jpeg
> >
> > I've installed the controller, 4x500GB drives and configured RAID10
> > through the controller's BIOS before booting from the Fedora DVD.
> >
> > Any ideas what I can do next?
>
> Are you sure you've opted for a hardware RAID controller?  Looks like it's
> a fakeraid board, so you'll be using dmraid which fits in with what the
> error messages look like.  I wouldn't count that as being better of than
> with mdraid.  In my experience it's much easier to get burnt by dmraid than
> mdraid.
>
> Have you tried deleting the RAID 10 set in the controller BIOS and setting
> up the array within the Fedora installer?
>
> jh

I have deleted the RAID10 configured in the controller and I am currently 
installing F16 using once again the software RAID - the underlying drives now 
appear to anaconda.. 

However, as far as I can see I have lost the benefits I was trying to achieve 
eith ther HW controller. The MD devices are now solely reliant upon the Linux 
kernel booting which was the problem I had on the previous two occasions.

Also,  when trying to create the RAID within anaconda it insists on me 
creating a BIOS boot partition on one of the drives.  Surely this means that 
the system is dependant on that drive and if that is the one that fails I 
cannot reboot the server to rebuild the array.

-- 
Gary Stainburn
Group I.T. Manager
Ringways Garages
http://www.ringways.co.uk