freebsd stable - Sep 2006 - i386/100160: [mfid] Perc5i: additional symptomatic info on virtual disk detection issue

I don't know if anyone specifically is working on this, but just tried 
to install FreeBSD 6.1 from CD on a Dell 2950 with the PERC 5/i SAS 
controller.

This server was originally configured with two hardware RAID virual 
disks, the first was RAID 1 with two 36GB drives, and the second was 
RAID 5 with three 72 GB drives.

Just like the original PR, the first was detected and identified in the 
the installer volume setup as both mfid0 and mfid1.

In order to try and work around the problem and just get the machine up 
and running, I tried deleting the RAID 1 virtual disk with the intention 
of installing everything to the RAID 5 virtual disk, however, with the 
first virtual disk removed, no drives where detected at all.

Next I will be trying removing the physical drives original used in the 
RAID 1 virtual disk, and re-initializing the RAID 5 array.  I will 
provide an update if successful.

In the meantime if anybody else is aware of another work around of fix 
for this, I appreciate hearing about it.  If a patch comes out soon, I 
will be happy to provide testing, but I have a small window as this 
server was being implemented as an emergency replacement for another server.

Thanks,
Jeffrey Williams

>In the meantime if anybody else is aware of another work around of fix 
>for this, I appreciate hearing about it.  
I've got almost the same setup- 6.1 amd64 RELEASE, a 2950 with 6 drives
attached to the Perc5/I SAS Raid controller. Right now I've got the
whole thing configured as a RAID5x6 disks and it seems to be working
fine. 

I was able to also create smaller RAID sets (for example, a 4 disk
RAID10) without an issue, and I did not have to remove extra drives.

Someone (on -hardware I think) mentioned that the problem recognizing
multiple virtual volumes is addressed in 6-stable, but I have not had
the chance to try it out. I will post the results if/when I do.

- Bucky

Jeffrey Williams writes:
| I don't know if anyone specifically is working on this, but just tried 
| to install FreeBSD 6.1 from CD on a Dell 2950 with the PERC 5/i SAS 
| controller.
| 
| This server was originally configured with two hardware RAID virual 
| disks, the first was RAID 1 with two 36GB drives, and the second was 
| RAID 5 with three 72 GB drives.
| 
| Just like the original PR, the first was detected and identified in the 
| the installer volume setup as both mfid0 and mfid1.
| 
| In order to try and work around the problem and just get the machine up 
| and running, I tried deleting the RAID 1 virtual disk with the intention 
| of installing everything to the RAID 5 virtual disk, however, with the 
| first virtual disk removed, no drives where detected at all.
| 
| Next I will be trying removing the physical drives original used in the 
| RAID 1 virtual disk, and re-initializing the RAID 5 array.  I will 
| provide an update if successful.
| 
| In the meantime if anybody else is aware of another work around of fix 
| for this, I appreciate hearing about it.  If a patch comes out soon, I 
| will be happy to provide testing, but I have a small window as this 
| server was being implemented as an emergency replacement for another server.

Upgrade the mfi driver to -stable.

Doug A.