PFSense 1.2RC4 installation (LSI SAS 8408E / PERC6 HD-Controller problem)

unknown

Hi PFSense-Forum!

unfortunately i've got problems to install "any" PFSense-Release on a system with an integrated LSI SAS 8408E SAS-Controller.

The Freebsd HCL for 6.1R and 6.2R has this controller listed under the section Disk/mfi(4):

The mfi(4) driver supports the following hardware:

*LSI MegaRAID SAS 8408E
*LSI MegaRAID SAS 8480E
*Dell PERC5/i

When I want to install PFSense to hardisk the installer-frontend says, that it can't find any disks.
The strings command (executed on kernel.gz and kernel_SMP.gz) says the following:

___output of #strings kernel_SMP | grep -i mfi (on 1.2RC4)

mfi_disk_complete
sysctl__hw_mfi_children
mfi_attach
mfi_free
mfi_identifiers
mfi_dump_blocks
M_MFIBUF
key_randomfill
mfi_shutdown
mfi_startio
MFI driver parameters
hw.mfi.event_locale
hw.mfi.event_class
mfibuf
MFI I/O lock
mfi%d
mfiwait
MFI_DCMD_LD_GET_LIST failed %x
Failed to allocate for MFI_DCMD_LD_GET_INFO %d
MFI Logical Disk

CUTTED

___output of #strings kernel | wc -l
40

__output of #strings kernel_SMP | wc -l
131

Do I miss something? Is there an boot option in boot-prompt where I can specify the SMP kernel at boot time?

I would be so thankful for any useful comment!

Thanks,
unknown

unknown

So, FreeBSD 6.2 isn't working either. I've tested the following image:

http://pfsense.com/~sullrich/testing_images/7/HEAD/

It is based on FreeBSD7.

This image works (the kernel notices the SAS Controller). I can imagine that this
image isn't for production environments - there is noch option-menu and I can't
login.

Is there any documentation which describes how I can backport specific module, or
build a custom kernel for pfsense?

Thanks…

mhab12

Do you know if your chip is the same as the Dell Perc 6? If so I'm having the same issues.

@Sullrich - What are the plans for moving to FreeBSD 6.3 - I've been reading that the mfi(4) driver adds support for this.

unknown

Yes, i think it ist nearly the same controller. The same driver code base is used. Can anyone provide me a good link for backporting driver?

unknown

Hi,

just want to give a quick status about the situation:

The 8408E (LSI Logic) isn't recognized in FreeBSD 6.2 / FreeBSD 6.3 by the mfi(4) kernel module / kernel.

In the system is another SAS RAID Controller - LSI Logic AS1068 (integrated). I got this controller working with
PFSense 1.2RC4 and the mpt(4) kernel module! I think this is the controller which Dell calls PERC5/i.

Thanks for any interest - and thank you for this great project (best UTM interface out there!).

Bye,
unknown