RAID blues

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard Byer
  • Start date Start date
R

Richard Byer

Quick question for you hardware guys:

I am intalling a new server here (just a bunch of PC parts that fit the
bill) and I am determined that this one have some redundancy. I tried to
use the Promise IDE RAID connectors on the ASUS mobo (a7v266-e) and could
not get the FastTrak BIOS utility to fire. It does boot, finds 2 brand new
120g barricudas attached on seperate channels, installs the BIOS, but
refuses to respond to the control+F command. The system boots right by it.
So, knowing that I had an 'old' Promise ide raid card (Ultra100 TX2) sitting
in a drawer, I installed that on ANOTHER spare mobo and got the exact same
results. Seems to me that the only real common denominator here is the pair
of 'cudas. I even managed to install Win2k Server on a single one of the
HDs (without mirror) just to prove that the card itself worked and that the
drives were ok.

Any ideas why CONTROL+F will not fire the fasttrak configuration utility so
I can mirror this puppy and get some sleep?

Thanks in advance,

Rich..
 
I know this is a dumb question, but you are getting the FastTrak BIOS
header while booting, and you are pressing CTRL+F at that time?

I am curious as to what boot-order do you have set in your MB's BIOS?
 
In thinking about this a bit more...

I would venture a guess that you aren't getting the BIOS header.

The card and drives work, because Windows is, correctly, using its
own driver, and not relying on the adapter's own BIOS. However,
with BIOS not working, you can't run BIOS's built-in FastBuild
configuration routine.
 
Hi Walt,
In response to you other question, yes, I am getting the BIOS header.
It is showing both drives, identical, installed on their seperate channels.
What is missing, from what I have seen in the promise documentation, is the
message ''press control+F' to launch FastTrak' (or something similar).
Pressing ctrl+F does nothing, and windows immediately boots off the one
drive that I have already installed (primary channel).

I do think you have hit on something though, and that is that there may
be a non-raid driver running this thing somehow, and that it thinks all I
have, or want, is a simple IDE card (I did have to use the F6 option, floppy
driver install when installing the OS though). I had read that you could
hit 'F1' or 'F11' to take it OUT of raid mode, thus removing the 'please
press ctrl+f etc, etc'. I have flashed BIOS on both the MB and the card to
no avail, and installed the latest drivers to both as well. My only
remaining option seems to be to order an Adaptec card to see if it can't
take over responsibilities. The annoying thing is that this is probably
something very simple that I botched up, or something so arcane that you
just have to stumble upon it by brute force of seemingly irrelevant tweaks
and re-installs.

Thanks for the reply though,

Rich
 
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