Problem with RAID SCSI on Dell 2450 - please help!

edited March 2009 in Hardware
I am having some problems starting up my server. I just got it, and this is what happens upon startup:


PowerEdge 2450/667

Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

!!***** System backplane error *****

One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/Si, BIOS V2.1-3 [Build 2951]

(c) 1998-2000 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

Waiting for Array Controller #0 to start….

Array Controller started

Controller monitor V2.1-3, Build 2951

Controller kernel V2.1-3, Build 2951

Controller POST operation successful

No Logical Drives Found

BIOS not installed!

Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

(c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

No boot device available &#150;

Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

Alternatively, F1 &#150; reboot does nothing besides reboots and brings me to the same screen. F2 &#150; setup just leads me to the BIOS. There is little to configure in here, but if I change the SCSI/RAID Controller from RAID Enabled to SCSI Enabled (I know it&#146;s not suppose to be like this, but I did it just to see what happens) then I get this readout:

PowerEdge 2450/667

Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

!!***** System backplane error *****

One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

(c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

No boot device available &#150;

Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

If I run the SCSI Select(TM) Utility it finds 0-zero drives

any help would be more than greatly appreciated!
Thanks
-Joe

Comments

  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited March 2005
    Where are the drives attached? Its got a weird cut down version of a Perc3 it appears and a adaptec scsi controller.

    This is the message indicating its using the weird addon card for the perc3 that adds raid capabilities

    "Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/Si,"

    If its the raid controller you should get to a point where it is searching for logical drives on the controller (arrays) and you hit either ctrl-m or ctrl-h or ctrl-g (its displayed on the screen) to get into the raid-bios and configure an array.

    Tex
  • edited March 2005
    I really don't know. I'm still stuck here. Here is a "gathering" of all of the informaiton that i have collected so far. hopefully clearing up any confusion or questions and raising some possible solutions

    I have 3 <a href='http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/specs/scsi/st318404lc.html'>seagate cheeta st318404LC</a> 9.1gb hard drives installed
    I have tried taking all of them out besides one, tried different orders of the drives, and still the same thing. (all SCSI Drives, no IDE). These drives are attached to a backplane board that automatically sets the drive ID and termination. (however, i am getting that "System backplane error")

    I looked up the documentation for the <a href='http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/pe2450/en/index.htm'>Dell Poweredege 2450 Server</a>. Everything IS connected correctly

    the RAID Controller hardware key is in place, and so is the RAID controller DIMM (as they were from the beginning).

    Lights on the hard drive:
    1 Drive online indicator light off
    2 Drive activity indicator green light on
    3 Drive failure indicator light off

    I never get to a point in the startup where i can configure the RAID bios

    I tried doing a <a href='http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?releaseid=R81212&c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs='>Firmware Upgrade</a> and a system BIOS upgrade. but i keep getting the same type of results

    There is no OS currently installed. I have tried installing Fedora Core 3, but it fails to find any drives as well.


    hope this can help someone help me :)
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited March 2005
    Not sure where we miscomunicated. Did you read my post?

    If there are drives attached to the RAID controller and yes you have one....

    No OS will see a drive until you go into the RAID CONTROLLERS bios and create a array and setup a LOGICAL drive. I told you how to normally do that with that line of controllers. Follow the Dell Docs if it's differant.

    That young grasshopper is your goal.

    Create an array in the raid controller. Then proceed as normal.

    Tex
  • Mark2450Mark2450 Salt Lake City, Utawwwwwww
    edited March 2008
    I'm having a similar problem.... am running Windows 2003. In my case the internal Perc 3SI RAID is working just fine but I need to add a second RAID controller to run an external Powervault 200S... the 2450 has no external SCSI jack to allow this... adding a second card is my only choice... And I know its been done as my 200S was once attached to a 2450 somehow. When I insert the second RAID card... a PERC 3SC into the computer... it confuses the system and it won't boot and the additional cards alarm goes off.. the dog hates it! Both cards on board bios do however boot up and I can go into either cards setup and see both the internal OS's RAID 5 and the external RAID 5. I tried disabling the internal RAID or the external RAID's bios's but this is to no avail.

    Mark
  • mpagetsmpagets miami
    edited February 2009
    chap0230 wrote:
    I am having some problems starting up my server. I just got it, and this is what happens upon startup:


    PowerEdge 2450/667

    Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

    !!***** System backplane error *****

    One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

    Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/Si, BIOS V2.1-3 [Build 2951]

    (c) 1998-2000 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    <<< Press <CTRL>for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

    Waiting for Array Controller #0 to start….

    Array Controller started

    Controller monitor V2.1-3, Build 2951

    Controller kernel V2.1-3, Build 2951

    Controller POST operation successful

    No Logical Drives Found

    BIOS not installed!

    Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

    (c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    <<< Press <CTRL>for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

    No boot device available –

    Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

    Alternatively, F1 – reboot does nothing besides reboots and brings me to the same screen. F2 – setup just leads me to the BIOS. There is little to configure in here, but if I change the SCSI/RAID Controller from RAID Enabled to SCSI Enabled (I know it’s not suppose to be like this, but I did it just to see what happens) then I get this readout:

    PowerEdge 2450/667

    Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

    !!***** System backplane error *****

    One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

    Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

    (c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    <<< Press <CTRL>for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

    No boot device available –

    Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

    If I run the SCSI Select(TM) Utility it finds 0-zero drives

    any help would be more than greatly appreciated!
    Thanks
    -Joe

    I'm listening to all the posts around and don't see a lot of fixes that pertain to it being a hardware problem. I'm referring to " no logical drive" and bios not installed,, in my case, it was indeed a simple hardware fix: 1. remove drive 0 and drive 1. step2. replace daughter card that connects to backplane. mike paget you rock.
  • mpagetsmpagets miami
    edited March 2009
    Also just try reseating those cards and cables.
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