Need help with RAID

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DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#127468 11-Aug-2013 19:41

Hey guys,

Got a bit of an issue with a server and an STBLAB A-520 RAID card. If I install the RAID card in to the PCI-E x16 slot in my test bench, it will detect the hard disk and I can get half way through booting before the OS reboots.

If I install the A-520 in to the riser card for the Intel SR2400 server I have (in to the PCI-E x1 slot) I try booting and get some sort of dark blue screen with something to the effect of "Critical Hardware Failure 0x00000124 contact your hardware vendor" pops up after again, partially booting the OS.

Do I need to reinstall windows with the RAID card attached to the server? It won't be an issue since it is a fresh install. I can't pre-install the RAID drivers as suggested in other places because the software tells me I have no compatible hardware.

Do I need to change something else in the BIOS? Any help appreciated. This is the first time I've set up RAID and it seems to be a little less straight forward than I first assumed.

EDIT2: The server goes through POST which is fine, but can't seem to find a way to see if the RAID card is actually detected or not. Windows starts loading and then fails with a bluescreen error. The board is: "Intel Server Board: SE7520JR2". Would the chipset of the board matter in this case?

Cheers,
David

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1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875485 11-Aug-2013 21:01

Since I can't edit anymore I'll just update my post with another post...

I managed to get the RAID card showing up on the server. I can get to its BIOS which is a good sign, at least that means I don't have a card that is incompatible with my board. I will just reinstall windows with the raid card installed and hope that fixes my problem.

Anyone else have any ideas I could implement perhaps before I waste time re-installing?

Cheers!

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875588 12-Aug-2013 08:37

OK. Now I'm totally stumped.

I thought I had made some headway last night, but not really. The server still behaves the same. I can get in to the BIOS of the RAID card and configure the disks in RAID 0. I boot from the disk to install Windows Server and right after the logo dissapears, the machine bluescreens.

Has anyone had this issue before? Is it a configuration or compatibility issue, or do I have a faulty RAID card?

Zeon

3916 posts

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Trusted

#875595 12-Aug-2013 09:06

You must install the OS when the hard drives are plugged into the RAID card otherwise it won't have the necessary drivers to boot. ANd while modern OSes are better, often if its on completely different hardware it won't boot either. Using different PCI-E slots shouldn't matter so I'm surprised you get that message. The symptons you are describing are classic of a lack of a driver.

I know what you mean when you say it doesn't show when you are installing the OS. What you need to do is put the drivers on a USB stick and in the windows install screen, press "I have a disk" and browse to the drivers on your usb memory stick.

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Inphinity

2780 posts

Uber Geek

#875598 12-Aug-2013 09:09

What is the bluescreen error? As above, presumably you are installing Windows with the disks attached to the RAID controller, and providing Windows setup with the appropriate drivers?

Jemahl

33 posts

Geek

#875601 12-Aug-2013 09:12

What version of Server are you installing? If it's Windows Home Server, I think that RAID isn't supported during setup.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875602 12-Aug-2013 09:14

Im installing windows SBS 2011 Essentials. I have now tried two totally blank hard disks and booting from a windows SBS CD. It loads the files, I see the boot GUI and then "0x00000124 (x0000000000000000,....reoccuring.

No windows installed at all. Ive disabled onboard sata too. :|

Zeon

3916 posts

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Trusted

#875608 12-Aug-2013 09:21

Could be bad RAM or bad media. But your saying if you boot without the RAID card in it goes to the rest of the boot process? I presume that error is happening within the windows installer?

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DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875614 12-Aug-2013 09:32

Just tried a regular windows 7 boot disk and got the same result. Except I got a BSOD and it restarted. Does the same thing in my test bench in the x16 slot. Don't have another x1 card to test the riser card at the moment.

I don't think it is memory. It tested fine with memtest 86+. I've ruled bad media out with new disks, but still the same issue. Starting to think it may br faulty after all.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875618 12-Aug-2013 09:38

What on earth. Just tried Win7 Ultimate with SP1 and it came up fine.

Set up detects the disks as a single volume and all! Yet when I try SBS server 2012, it gives me a sad face telling me my computer has a boo-boo in typical windows 8 fashion and restarts the machine for me before I can read the error.

Zeon

3916 posts

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Trusted

#875663 12-Aug-2013 10:26

Could be that the driver they are using in that version is broken. What happens if you unplug your drives but leave the RAID card in and try boot it with SBS?

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DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875685 12-Aug-2013 10:51

Tried booting with SBS with no drives attached what-so-ever and still got a BSOD. I'm going to try a disk with Windows Server 2008 R2. Hopefully I have the one with integrated SP1 and that works the same as Ultimate SP1 as I understand they were built at about the same time.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875800 12-Aug-2013 12:40

Well that didn't work. Server 2008 R2 + SP1 gives me a BSOD with no drives attached also.

I'm starting to feel like giving up. The last think I would have expected is the boot files on windows start up to be the cause. Maybe the driver required for the RAID card is just on the Ultimate + SP1 disk? Should I look in to slipstreaming the driver for the A-520?

Is there something fundimental that I am missing here :|

Inphinity

2780 posts

Uber Geek

#875801 12-Aug-2013 12:43

So the Windows installer doesn't get far enough to allow you to load drivers (this is generally one of the first steps)?

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875807 12-Aug-2013 12:56

I dont even see the GUI to allow me to see where I want it installed. It says "Windows is loading files", it finishes and then blurscreens.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#875911 12-Aug-2013 15:38

I've sent an email away to STLab to see if they can come up with anything. I've come to the conclusion that the card isn't supported by Windows Server. Which is funny, because the guy that sold it to me said he sold a lot of them to a guy that builds servers.

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