can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?

the short version:
Can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?
(and if so, how?)

the longer version is:

I inherited a 6-bay IBM x3655 with a ServeRAID-8k RAID controller
(from docs, it seems to be an 8-port Adaptec 9580W SAS/SATA
controller). I'd like to run Ubuntu 10.04.

I can use the controller BIOS on boot to config and set up a RAID5
(which presents to the OS as '/dev/sda' - the 'very large device'.
However there's no way to add notification of disk failure. There are
some GUI Java-based packages which claim to be able to do this (a
32bit Java RaidManager (RaidMan), which seems to be a re-badged
Adaptec StorageManager (StorMan - also available in a true 64bit
version) which I've managed to get running but they both lock up in
various ugly and opaque ways.

Along with the Java GUI apps is an Adaptec commandline app called
'arcconf' that allows you to peek at the controller and does allow a
primitive amount of control (but not email notification of disk
failure).

I'd prefer to use mdadm since it's simpler and mostly 'just works and
does email notifications. However, the controller does not translate
the /dev/sgX addresses to the /dev/sdX devices that mdadm seems to
want.

- lspci says:
05:00.0 RAID bus controller: Adaptec AAC-RAID (Rocket) (rev 02)

- The boot process does not load the aacraid driver, but it can be
modprobed manually. This doesn't change much tho:

# lsmod |grep aacraid
aacraid 76291 0


- dmesg shows:
[ 3.394749] scsi 0:1:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
[ 3.394877] scsi 0:1:1:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[ 3.394981] scsi 0:1:2:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
[ 3.395085] scsi 0:1:3:0: Attached scsi generic sg4 type 0
[ 3.395190] scsi 0:1:4:0: Attached scsi generic sg5 type 0
[ 3.395296] scsi 0:1:5:0: Attached scsi generic sg6 type 0
[ 3.395427] scsi 0:3:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg7 type 13
(The last is the controller)

- # sg_scan shows
/dev/sg0: scsi1 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg1: scsi0 channel=1 id=0 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg2: scsi0 channel=1 id=1 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg3: scsi0 channel=1 id=2 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg4: scsi0 channel=1 id=3 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg5: scsi0 channel=1 id=4 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg6: scsi0 channel=1 id=5 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg7: scsi0 channel=3 id=0 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg8: scsi2 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]
/dev/sg9: scsi7 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]

# sg_map
/dev/sg0 /dev/scd0 <- cdrom
/dev/sg1 < no /dev/sdX mapping
/dev/sg2
/dev/sg3
/dev/sg4
/dev/sg5
/dev/sg6
/dev/sg7 <- controller
/dev/sg8 /dev/sda <- broadcom severworks SATA disk
/dev/sg9 /dev/sdb <- USB thumbdrive

--
Harry Mangalam - Research Computing, NACS, Rm 225 MSTB, UC Irvine
[ZOT 2225] / 92697 949 824-0084(o), 949 285-4487(c)
MSTB=Bldg 415 (G-5 on
--
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Re: can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?

Hello,

Check this post:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/rai d-5-array-n=
ot-assembling-all-3-devices-on-boot-using-mdadm-one-is-degra ded-829541/=
#post4085382

On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 11:41 AM, Majed B. wrote:
>
> Hello,
> Check this post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-s=
oftware-2/raid-5-array-not-assembling-all-3-devices-on-boot- using-mdadm=
-one-is-degraded-829541/#post4085382
>
> On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 4:22 AM, Harry Mangalam du> wrote:
>>
>> the short version:
>>  Can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?
>>  (and if so, how?)
>>
>> the longer version is:
>>
>> I inherited a 6-bay IBM x3655  with a ServeRAID-8k RAID control=
ler
>> (from docs, it seems to be an 8-port Adaptec 9580W SAS/SATA
>> controller). I'd like to run Ubuntu 10.04.
>>
>> I can use the controller BIOS on boot to config and set up a RAID5
>> (which presents to the OS as '/dev/sda' - the 'very large device'.
>> However there's no way to add notification of disk failure.  Th=
ere are
>> some GUI Java-based packages which claim to be able to do this (a
>> 32bit Java RaidManager (RaidMan), which seems to be a re-badged
>> Adaptec StorageManager (StorMan - also available in a true 64bit
>> version) which I've managed to get running but they both lock up in
>> various ugly and opaque ways.
>>
>> Along with the Java GUI apps is an Adaptec commandline app called
>> 'arcconf' that allows you to peek at the controller and does allow a
>> primitive amount of control (but not email notification of disk
>> failure).
>>
>> I'd prefer to use mdadm since it's simpler and mostly 'just works an=
d
>> does email notifications. However, the controller does not translate
>> the /dev/sgX addresses to the /dev/sdX devices that mdadm seems to
>> want.
>>
>> - lspci says:
>>  05:00.0 RAID bus controller: Adaptec AAC-RAID (Rocket) (rev 02=
)
>>
>> - The boot process does not load the aacraid driver, but it can be
>> modprobed manually.  This doesn't change much tho:
>>
>> # lsmod |grep aacraid
>> aacraid                76291=
 0
>>
>>
>> - dmesg shows:
>> [    3.394749] scsi 0:1:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.394877] scsi 0:1:1:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.394981] scsi 0:1:2:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.395085] scsi 0:1:3:0: Attached scsi generic sg4 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.395190] scsi 0:1:4:0: Attached scsi generic sg5 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.395296] scsi 0:1:5:0: Attached scsi generic sg6 typ=
e 0
>> [    3.395427] scsi 0:3:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg7 typ=
e 13
>> (The last is the controller)
>>
>> - # sg_scan shows
>> /dev/sg0: scsi1 channel=3D0 id=3D0 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg1: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D0 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg2: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D1 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg3: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D2 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg4: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D3 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg5: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D4 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg6: scsi0 channel=3D1 id=3D5 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg7: scsi0 channel=3D3 id=3D0 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg8: scsi2 channel=3D0 id=3D0 lun=3D0 [em]
>> /dev/sg9: scsi7 channel=3D0 id=3D0 lun=3D0 [em]
>>
>> # sg_map
>> /dev/sg0  /dev/scd0 <- cdrom
>> /dev/sg1     < no /dev/sdX mapping
>> /dev/sg2
>> /dev/sg3
>> /dev/sg4
>> /dev/sg5
>> /dev/sg6
>> /dev/sg7           <- controller
>> /dev/sg8  /dev/sda <- broadcom severworks SATA disk
>> /dev/sg9  /dev/sdb <- USB thumbdrive
>>
>> --
>> Harry Mangalam - Research Computing, NACS, Rm 225 MSTB, UC Irvine
>> [ZOT 2225] / 92697  949 824-0084(o), 949 285-4487(c)
>> MSTB=3DBldg 415 (G-5 on pdf>
>> --
>> Non-sarcarstic use of 'seamless' in any context having to do with
>> computers immediately disqualifies the speaker as an expert.
>> --
>> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid=
" in
>> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
>> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.h=
tml
>
>
>
> --
>        Majed B.



--
       Majed B.
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Re: can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?

On 10/10/10 02:22, Harry Mangalam wrote:
> the short version:
> Can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?
> (and if so, how?)
>
> the longer version is:
>
> I inherited a 6-bay IBM x3655 with a ServeRAID-8k RAID controller
> (from docs, it seems to be an 8-port Adaptec 9580W SAS/SATA
> controller). I'd like to run Ubuntu 10.04.
>
> I can use the controller BIOS on boot to config and set up a RAID5
> (which presents to the OS as '/dev/sda' - the 'very large device'.
>


You could try:

.. Looking for someone who's made a script or utility to check the array
status of the controller (I know there were opensource tools for earlier
adaptec controllers, so this might not be too difficult).
.. Configuring each individual device as a JBOD (single device RAID0
etc.), and running md on top of that.

Although I'm guessing it'd probably be possible to get the sd driver to
attach to he drives some way, you'd probably end up with the controller
BIOS, or the RAID controller driver fighting with md over the device
metadata.

If you wipe the adaptec metadata from the drives, do you just end up
with 5 individual disks in Linux?

Tim.

--
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Registered Office: 2 Powell Gardens, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1TQ
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Re: can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?

Thanks for the suggestions. Majed B. also suggested appending the
'rootdelay=' to the boot line, but while that sounded
promising, it didn't change anything (tried 5s - 35s in 10s
increments).

Tim's suggestion of using the BIOS to define each disk as a RAID0 is
brilliant and I might yet try it, but I found an updated Adaptec
Storage Manager RPM that converted to deb format with alien fairly
smoothly and natively supports 64b. (And the very latest one also
works with 64b Java so I could use the Java GUI if I wanted).

for all StorMan downloads,

US/speed/raid/storage_manager/asm_linux_x64_v5_20_17414_rpm. htm> , for
the latest/last 64b Linux version which worked.

for those unfortunate enough to have to go thru this. (Getting to the
downnload page is a maze of twisty little passages, all alike, most of
which require registering.)

StorMan provides a working commandline 'arcconf' which I can use to
query and manipulate the RAID and while it has no email capabilities
itself, a script to query it and send email is trivial.

So I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give up on mdadm for now (no
fault of mdadm), as the pressure to get this particular box online is
pretty high. I may have the oppo to try this approach since I've also
inherited a Dell 9650 which seems to share some of the IBM's
characteristics.

Many thanks for your combined consideration.
harry




On Tuesday 12 October 2010 06:50:54 Tim Small wrote:
> On 10/10/10 02:22, Harry Mangalam wrote:
> > the short version:
> > Can mdadm use /dev/sgX as devices?
> > (and if so, how?)
> >
> > the longer version is:
> >
> > I inherited a 6-bay IBM x3655 with a ServeRAID-8k RAID
> > controller (from docs, it seems to be an 8-port Adaptec 9580W
> > SAS/SATA controller). I'd like to run Ubuntu 10.04.
> >
> > I can use the controller BIOS on boot to config and set up a
> > RAID5 (which presents to the OS as '/dev/sda' - the 'very large
> > device'.
>
> You could try:
>
> . Looking for someone who's made a script or utility to check the
> array status of the controller (I know there were opensource tools
> for earlier adaptec controllers, so this might not be too
> difficult).
> . Configuring each individual device as a JBOD (single device
> RAID0 etc.), and running md on top of that.
>
> Although I'm guessing it'd probably be possible to get the sd
> driver to attach to he drives some way, you'd probably end up with
> the controller BIOS, or the RAID controller driver fighting with
> md over the device metadata.
>
> If you wipe the adaptec metadata from the drives, do you just end
> up with 5 individual disks in Linux?
>
> Tim.

--
Harry Mangalam - Research Computing, NACS, Rm 225 MSTB, UC Irvine
[ZOT 2225] / 92697 949 824-0084(o), 949 285-4487(c)
MSTB=Bldg 415 (G-5 on
--
Non-sarcarstic use of 'seamless' in any context having to do with
computers immediately disqualifies the speaker as an expert.
--
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