Dell PERC RAID Controller Support in Linux
[RM note: This e-mail has been re-edited to update it.]
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 11:45:29 -0700
To: ilug (ilug@linux.ie)
Subject: Re: [ILUG] Which RedHat for Dell Perc
From: Rick Moen (rick@linuxmafia.com)
Quoting Ken Guest (kguest@stockbyte.com):
> Anybody using Dell PERC RAID controllers with Red Hat?
(specifically a
> PERC 3/QC)
>
> I'm wondering what exact version/release of Red Hat 8.0 to
spring for,
> considering all the options at http://www.redhat.com/apps/commerce/
...
The problem with the term "Dell PERC" is that it misleads one into thinking it refers to a single thing. In fact, Dell uses the term "PERC", as they do several other such names, as a house brand for relabeled hardware from elsewhere. There are PERC PCI cards as well as motherboard-integrated chipsets.
PERC implementations divide into those using relabelled LSI Logic (formerly AMI) Megaraid chipsets requiring Linux's megaraid or megaraid_2002 driver, ones using relabelled LSI Logic (formerly Symbios, formerly NCR) MPT Fusion chipsets using Linux's mptbase/mptscsih drivers, and ones using relabelled Adaptec chipsets using Linux's aacraid driver. Here's a field guide:
LSI Logic / AMI chipsets (megaraid or megaraid_2002 driver):
- CERC (Cost Effective RAID Controller) ATA100/4CH — ATA100 quad-channel PCI card (not branded as "PERC", but same chipset)
- PERC card (original) — not known to me, but I'm guessing it's in this category, and was almost certainly just a relabelled AMI MegaRAID PCI card of some description.
- PERC II — dual-channel PCI card, Ultra SCSI. This was a plain AMI MegaRAID 428 card with a different sticker.
- PERC2/SC — single-channel PCI card, Ultra2 SCSI (rebranded AMI MegaRAID 466 card)
- PERC2/DC — dual-channel PCI card, Ultra2 SCSI (rebranded AMI MegaRAID 467 card)
- PERC3/SC — single-channel PCI card, U160 SCSI
- PERC3/DCL — dual-channel PCI card, U160 SCSI w/no battery-backed cache
- PERC3/DC — dual-channel PCI card, U160 SCSI w/ battery-backed cache
- PERC3/DCP — same as PERC3/DC, but bundled w/Dell Precision workstations
- PERC3/QC — quad-channel PCI card, U160 SCSI w/ battery-backed cache (rebranded LSI or AMI MegaRAID 471 card)
- PERC4/SC — single-channel PCI card U320 w/ battery-backed cache
- PERC4/Di — dual-channel U320 SCSI w/ battery-backed cache, found in PowerEdge 1750, 2600, 2750
LSI Logic MPT Fusion chipsets (mptbase/mptscsih drivers):
- PERC4/iM &mdash single-channel, U320 SCSI, serves two mirrored RAID0 or 1 drives, found in Dell PowerEdge 1655MC blade systems
Adaptec chipsets (aacraid driver):
- PERC2 — quad-channel PCI RAID card, Ultra2 SCSI
- PERC2/Si — single channel, Ultra2 SCSI, found in Dell PowerEdge 2400
- PERC3/Si — single channel, U160 SCSI, found in Dell PowerEdge 2450
- PERC3/Di — dual channels, U160 SCSI, found in Dell PowerEdige models 1650, 2650, 4400, 4600
- PERC 320/DC &mdash dual-channel PCI RAID card, U320 SCSI
Note that PERC2 and PERC2/Si use a completely different chipset (and thus driver) from the PERC2/SC, PERC2/DC and PERC2. Similarly, PERC3/Si and PERC3/Di use a completely different chipset (and thus driver) from the PERC3/SC, PERC3/DC, PERC3/DCL, PERC3/DCP, and PERC3/QC. Similarly, PERC4/iM uses a completely different chipset (and thus drivers) from the PERC4/SC and PERC4/Di.
The megaraid_2002 driver is probably a RedHat-ism, not found in standard kernels. On Red Hat, it's required for the PERC4/SC and PERC4/Di chipsets.
See further information on this page: http://linux.dell.com/raid.shtml
-- Cheers, Rick Moen Linux for Intel: Party like it's 2037! rick@linuxmafia.com