R65 and Dell SC1435 with SATA

[jricho]

I am trying to install secure platform on a DELL SC1435 (on checkpoints compatibility list) and I can't get SPLAT to recognize the SATA hard disk.

The server picks it up fine but the install can't write to the disk or create and files.

Has anyone had similar problems? and if so what was done to fix the issue?

thanks,

[Wullum]

I ran into the exact same problem on a brandnew SC1435 with standard SATA disks.
Turned out that SPLAT will only install on a SC1435 with the optional SAS 5i/R controller and SAS disks.
This limits you to using only the onboard BroadCom ethernet ports, as the SAS 5i/R controller uses the only available PCIe slot, leaving no room for additional ethernet controllers.....

[mcnallym]

Yes done the classic thing with the Hardware Compatibility List, you see the server but forget to click on the server to see the tested config.

Clicking on the Server clearly shows was tested with the SAS 5i/R controller

[Wullum]

@mcnallym, is there a way of getting R65 running on the SATA config?

CP in NL tell me that additional driver disks are out there somewhere, but were unable to find them in time.
Dell is not willing to replace the SC1435 with something that takes both a supported SAS 5i/R controller and a supported 4port NIC.

Nice thing is that my implementation partner okayed the SC1435 as being supported, but when confronted with that, denies having said so.....

Pls advise!

Wullum

[mcnallym]

I'm not familiar with the box, but is there a BIOS option to set the SATA Mode to be IDE. There is on a lot of PC's but not sure about the Dell SC1435.

SPLAT has IDE drivers so that should allow it to install successfully. You may find however that may lose any RAID option by doing that. I am not sure if you are RAIDing so may not be a problem.

Failing that I believe that there is a way to integrate Red Hat Enterprise Drivers into a SPLAT image on a PC, burn the image to CD and use that.

Unfortunately I am not that much of a Linux expert but I have seen other threads where people have added there own drivers for hardware. Hopefully one of them can explain how to do this.

[Wullum]

Hi mcnallym,

thx for your hints.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no option to set the SATA Mode to be IDE in the SC1435, I already looked into that. The only option is to turn the controller on or off (latter when using optional SAS controller in the box). Same goes for the disks.

Red Hat driver integration may be a way to try though, thx. Will most likely scare implementation consultant away, but still worth trying ;-)

Wullum

[charlesk]

Hi All,

If you use Checkpoint SPLAT running 2.6 kernel the install will work, I was able to installed on Dell SC1435 server. I thought you might want to try the new 2.6 kernel. The problem I have was with 2.4 kernel SPLAT.

Best Regards,
Charles

[cmarcusson]

FYI: Regarding setting the SATA mode to IDE, this is usually referred to as AHCI mode ("Advanced Host Controller Interface"). If you have any AHCI settings in your BIOS, disable them to have the SATA controller function normally. As mentioned previously this will disable any RAID functionality your controller may have possessed.

[mcnallym]

Originally Posted by cmarcusson

FYI: Regarding setting the SATA mode to IDE, this is usually referred to as AHCI mode ("Advanced Host Controller Interface"). If you have any AHCI settings in your BIOS, disable them to have the SATA controller function normally. As mentioned previously this will disable any RAID functionality your controller may have possessed.

AHCI is SATA mode.