[OpenIndiana-discuss] paging any HP xw8600 users.. or knowledgeable others

[Harry Putnam]

I hope there are folks here who are using HP xw8600 servers.  Or are
knowledgable about them. (Timothy C? perhaps)

I'm having plenty of problems understanding how the various bios
settings, raid settings, LSI settings interplay to make disks be
recognized when plugged into various Sata and SAS ports.

There are some 14 such ports, but so far I've only figured out how to
use the first 4 main sata ports..

I need to get more drives in action to get the 4-5 mirrored zpools I
had hoped for. Rpool and 3-4 others.

In the main bios there seems to be 3 main disk related settings.

In the Main menu of bios from the top menu item `Storage' down to the
`options' item, then to:

  SATA Emulation—Sets the SATA emulation mode with the following options:

     RAID + AHCI–both the RAID and AHCI OPROMs execute. This emulation
     mode is the default and offers the best performance and most
     functionality.

     Separate IDE Controller–offers standard SATA supports (four ports
     only).

     Combined IDE Controller–makes the SATA controller look like an IDE
     controller and offers best IDE compatibility (two ports only).

That first option seem to be a non-starter for oi OS.  Here it WILL
NOT boot with that selected.

In previous threads I started here, someone posted a URL where oracle
says the 2nd one is the best:
   Separate IDE controller [...]

It will boot on the 3rd option.  I experimented on both 2nd and 3rd

I tried plugging two sata drives into the right most SATA ports
.. that would be the upper row of Sata ports on mobo that are colored
RED. 

I got a red blinking light, loud beeping and no post.

I tried plugging 2 sata hdd into the two right most SAS/SATA ports on
the lowest row but the bios failed to recognize them.

So far I don't seem to have any harm to the OS or Hardware but am a
bit leery of continuing with my ill informed trial and error without
some further coaching from people who know this kind of hardware.

Its my first dealings with a server type of machine.

For anyone interested there is a lengthy hardware and software report
on this machine online.  Only drawback is that it was extracted while
the server was running windows7 (by a tool called AIDA64) .

  http://zeus.jtan.com/~reader/vu1/Aida64_rpt-140718.html

I could really some informed coaching right about now.

Maybe the answer is to add a specific piece of hardware like a SATA
controller ... lord knows I have plenty of empty slots.