driver for Intel Storage Server Embedded RAID

[ingrtx]

SSR212MC2RBR Intel Storage Server

2 x 150GB 2.5" SATA drives on embedded RAID controller, configged at RAID1 for Virtual Drive 0, marked as boot drive

12 x 2TB SATA drives on Intel PCI RAID controllerd, configged as RAID5 with 1 Hot Spare.

Boot ESXi 4.1 from USB CDROM drive

ESXi shows only the PCI RAID as target to install on, not the embedded RAID VD0.

Intel support says its a ESXi driver issue.

Any solution from VMWare?

thanks

Len

[ingrtx]

another pic showing ESXi finding only the Intel PCI RAID4, not the desired embedded RAID1 virtual boot drive<!Session data>

[ranjitcool]

The software raid is probably not supported by vmware.

RJ

[golddiggie]

99.99% chance that the onboard RAID is software RAID (as the vast majority of onboard RAID controllers are) and thus NOT supported, at all... Not to mention that the box you're trying to use is NOT on the VMware HCL, so there's probably additional things fighting you from the hardware end...

An alternative to using the two onboard drives would be an USB flash drive (2-8GB in size) and install ESXi 4.1 onto that. I highly recommend going with a SanDisk Cruzer device, since I've tested with those and had great success. They are not expensive, and are rather easy to locate. You could even grab a couple, configuring both up identically (you'll need to do them in turn, doubling your total install time) and have one set aside as a "just in case" or a CYA device... Although I've not had one fail on me after several years of use (not for housing ESX/ESXi though)...

VMware VCP4

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