Installation of Linux on PRIMERGY RX800


Contents

Linux drivers for PRIMERGY servers

An overview of all avaliable Linux documentation you can find here: http://extranet.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/primergy/opsys/linux/.
An overview of all avaliable Linux readmes you can find here: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html.
For a more detailed description on the specifics of Linux drivers, the tool primesetup and errata kernels please have a look at the elaborate "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" document. You can find this information offline in the /Unix/Linux/Doc folder on the ServerStartTMCD-ROM. Here you can find the newest published version of this document: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html.
For a more detailed description on the specifics PRIMERGY server you find an overview here:
http://download.fujitsu-siemens.com/server/serverstart/en/information/techinfo.htm.

Pre-Installation Procedures

1.1 BIOS Configuration/Setup Utility
1.2 Service Processor LMC-II Configuration/Setup Utility
1.3 Storage Devices


BIOS Configuration/Setup Utility

Turn on your PRIMERGY RX800 server and Press F1 to enter the Configuration/Setup Utility.

Select Load Default Settings.
Select Start Options and set Rehook INT 19h to [disabled].

If Hyper-Threading is desired:
Select Advanced Setup/CPU Options and set Hyper-Threading Technology to [enabled].

Select Save Values and Exit.


Service Processor LMC-II Configuration/Setup Utility

Turn on your PRIMERGY RX800 server and Press F1 to enter the Configuration/Setup Utility.

Select Advanced Setup/ASM Settings and set OS USB to [Linux OS].
Select Save Values and Reboot ASM.


Storage Devices

Disconnect any storage devices like PCI Extension Box (RXE-100), S60, FibreCat S80 etc. prior to installation.


Released Distributions


SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (Service Pack 2a and newer)

CAUTION
If you install with a Remote Supervisor Adapter II (LMC-II) or if you plan to use a remote control environment to access the server, you might encounter problems with the mouse or graphics configuration during installation. To avoid this, press F2 for a text-based installation.

  1. At the boot screen, press Enter.
    NOTE: If you have SCSI or RAID adapters in a Remote Expansion Enclosure 100 (RXE-100), type apic at the boot options prompt, then press Enter.

  2. If you see the Please make sure that CD number 1 is in your drive! prompt, insert CD 1 into the CD-ROM drive, then press Enter. Follow the YaST2 prompts to continue with the installation. Use the following installation information:

.
NOTE
As an SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 Service Pack is now available, it is strongly recommended to begin the installation of SLES8 with the first CD of this Service Pack and not with the original SLES8 CD1!

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CAUTION
Please install SLES8 SP3 with Safe Settings, otherwise the installation kernel will fail to boot.

During the installation process you will be asked to insert the necessary CDs. A typical installation will require these installation CDs in the following order: 


1. SLES8 SP3 		 CD 1


2. SLES8 		 CD 1


3. UL1.0 		 CD 1 of 3


4. UL1.0 		 CD 2 of 3


5. SLES 8 		 CD 1


6. SLES8 SP3 		 CD 1
After the first reboot of your installed system you will have to update your installation as described in the Readme-File on the first CD of SP3. 

7. SLES8 SP3 		 CD1

Onboard VGA ATI Rage XL

As graphics driver the driver "ATI RAGE XL" must be configured and not the driver "ATI Mach64", which is installed by automatic recognition of installation procedure.

Released host bus adapters

The following host bus adapters are released as boot controllers for an installation of SuSE SLES8 SP3: The following host bus adapters are released for the PRIMERGY RX800 but are not released as boot controllers for an installation of SLES8:

Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native driver.

For configuration and administration of the Emulex FC HBA's please use the tool HBAnyware, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD.


Adaptec 2120S Crusader / 2200S Vulcan

The Adaptec driver aacraid always treats a 2120S controller as the boot controller in a system with a mix of 2120S and 2200S host bus adapters, even if the 2200S comes first in the BIOS scan order. As a result it is not possible to do a correct installation on a 2200S in a mixed 2120S/2200S configuration. Moreover, it is forbidden to add a 2120S in a system where the OS has been installed on a 2200S.

Install update kernel

SuSE SLES8 Service Pack

The easiest way to update your system is to use the original SuSE SLES8 Service Pack CD which you will receive from SuSE after registering your SLES8 product. Currently SP3 is the most recent Service Pack, but newer Service Packs will be released on a regular basis. In order to update your SLES8 installation please read the Readme-File on the SuSE Service Pack-CD and follow the update instructions. However, it may still be necessary to update your system with a newer kernel from SuSE's Patch Support Database.

SuSE Patch Support Database (PSDB)
Another way to update your SLES installation is to download the necessary patches and errata kernels from the SuSE Patch Support Database located at
http://support.novell.com/linux/psdb
For a first access you have to register your business product by using the 14 digits code printed on the product CD box. After registering you can select the necessary RPMs as follows: ( example for kernel patch-10871 Release:20060214)

Install these RPMs as described in the "Installation notes" on this page.
Download the kernel version you need from this page.

Install the update kernel following your Linux distributor's instructions. Use primesetup to install the required FSC drivers for the update kernel before rebooting your system.
You find a detailed description of the tool primesetup in the document "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" ( http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html ).

.
CAUTION
As of Service Pack 4 (SP4) the accumulation of all updated packages since the initial release of UnitedLinux 1.0 based products does no longer fit on one CD. The problem is that because of technical limitations all UnitedLinux 1.0 based products do not support more than one CD per Service Pack. As a result the SP4 does only contain the packages which have been released since SP3 and you thus always need the SP3 CDs as well for a full update. Make sure you have the SP3 CDs at hand as well before you start.

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Installation with FSC driver disks when installing a SLES 8 Service Pack:

  1. At the initial boot prompt, hit the Left Alt key to notify the installation program that you have a driver disk. Do not insert the driver floppy disk into the floppy drive yet! When the popup "please insert the driver update floppy/cdrom" appears, still don't insert the floppy disk. Just hit the Enter key.
  2. In the "Please choose the driver update medium" dialog, select the "cdrom" entry. The message "Driver update added: Service pack X" will be shown. Hit "OK".
  3. Again in the "Please choose the driver update medium" dialog, select "floppy" now. Insert the floppy disk into the drive and hit Enter.
  4. If the "Please choose the driver update medium" dialog appears again (when a USB floppy drive is used), select the appropriate device (/dev/sdX) and hit Enter again.
  5. A message box "Driver update added: FSC driver update disk ..." will be shown. Hit "OK".
  6. A last time in the "Please choose the driver update medium" dialog, hit the "Back" button.
  7. Follow the installation instructions as usual.


SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 (including all Service Packs)

NOTES

NOTE
Monitor resolution problem with SLES9 x86 & SLES9 EM64T and any KVM switch. No solution available for installation phase. It's recommended for SuSE SLES9 installation only to use direct monitor connections.
For normal operation it's recommended to switch off the DDC monitor control in the X11 configuration file as follows:
Edit the file /etc/X11/XF86Config and add the following line to the section "Device":
Option "noDDC" "on"

NOTE
Problem: Keyboard is blocked after X-Server is started (e.g. no Login possible).
Make sure your KVM-S3 switch and the KVM-PS2/2 Adapter has the latest FW installed.
KVM-S3 FW: 1.0.5.3 or above
KVM-PS2/2 Adapter: FW:3.00.07.04 or above

NOTE
With SLES 9 SP4 the mouse does not work if a RSB S2 is connected to the system.
Workaround:
Use the kernel parameter "i8042.nomux=1"

NOTE
If you plan to add additional storage devices to your system _after_ the OS installation, we strongly recommend to use persistent devicenames for all storage devices during installation. The installer by default uses the kernel device names.
Please see also the Release Notes for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, which you can find on the first CD of SLES 9.

NOTE
Systems using storage attached to Fibre Channel host bus adapters (FC HBAs) may encounter issues during installation due to PCI device load ordering.
If you install on a system with FC HBAs with attached storage devices please double-check the disk you have selected as your boot disk.
If you install on a system with FC HBAs without attached storage devices please check the driver order in the file /etc/sysconfig/kernel after installation. The driver for your boot controller has to be the first one. Afterwards rerun /sbin/mkinitrd and do a reboot. Otherwise your system will not boot after attaching storage devices to your FC HBAs.

Install update kernel

SuSE SLES9 Service Pack

The easiest way to update your system is to use the original SuSE SLES9 Service Pack CD which you will receive from SuSE after registering your SLES9 product. Currently SP4 is the most recent Service Pack, but newer Service Packs will be released on a regular basis. In order to update your SLES9 installation please read the Readme-File on the SuSE Service Pack-CD and follow the update instructions. However, it may still be necessary to update your system with a newer kernel from SuSE's Patch Support Database.

.
SuSE Patch Support Database (PSDB)

Another way to update your SLES installation is to download the necessary patches and errata kernels from the SuSE Patch Support Database located at
http://support.novell.com/linux/psdb
For a first access you have to register your business product by using the 14 digits code printed on the product CD box. After registering you can select the necessary RPMs as follows: ( example for kernel patch-10880 Release:20060217)

Install these RPMs as described in the "Installation notes" on this page.
Download the kernel version you need from this page.

Install the update kernel following your Linux distributor's instructions. Use primesetup to install the the required FSC drivers for the update kernel before rebooting your system.
You find a detailed description of the tool primesetup in the document "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" ( http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html ).

Onboard VGA ATI Rage XL

As graphics driver the driver "ATI RAGE XL" must be configured and not the driver "ATI Mach64", which is installed by automatic recognition of installation procedure.

Released host bus adapters

The following host bus adapters are released as boot controllers for an installation of SuSE SLES9.

Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native driver.

For configuration and administration of the Emulex FC HBA's please use the tool HBAnyware, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD.


Adaptec 2120S Crusader / 2200S Vulcan (driver aacraid)

The Adaptec driver aacraid always treats a 2120S controller as the boot controller in a system with a mix of 2120S and 2200S host bus adapters, even if the 2200S comes first in the BIOS scan order. As a result it is not possible to do a correct installation on a 2200S in a mixed 2120S/2200S configuration. Moreover, it is forbidden to add a 2120S in a system where the OS has been installed on a 2200S.


Emulex LightPulse LP9802 (driver lpfc)

The Emulex LightPulse LP9802 is released for the PRIMERGY RX800 but is not released as boot controller for an installation of SuSE Linux Enterprise 9.


Red Hat Advanced Server AS 2.1 (Update 2 and newer)

CAUTION
If you install with a Remote Supervisor Adapter II (RSA-II) or if you plan to use a remote control environment to access the server, you might encounter problems with the graphics configuration during installation. To avoid this, you will need to perform a text-based installation.
  1. Turn on the server and insert Red Hat Advanced Server (v.2.1) Update 4 (or later) CD 1 in to the CD-ROM drive.
  2. In the Welcome to Red Hat Linux AS 2.1 window:
    • If you are using the Remote Supervisor Adapter II you must perform a text-based install. Type: linux text or if you are using the RSA-II adapter and the RXE-100 Remote Expansion attached to the PRIMERGY RX800, type: linux text apic. Note that the proceeding steps will differ slightly for a text-based install.
    • If you are using the Remote Expansion Enclosure (RXE-100) attached to the PRIMERGY RX800 without the RSAII, type: linux apic at the boot prompt.
    • Otherwise, press Enter.

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Complete the following steps to install Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1.

  1. In the Package Group Selection window, select Software Development and Select individual packages, and then select Next.
    1. Select Development, System, and kernel-source package.
    2. If you are using a uniprocessor, select System Environment, Kernel, and kernel-enterprise package.
    3. When you are finished selecting packages, select Next.

  1. If you want to use the Network Configuration GUI tool, install the redhat-config-network RPM from RHN or Red Hat Advanced Server (v.2.1) Update 4 (or later).
  2. Log in as root user and install the latest kernel errata using RPM. In the /etc/grub.conf file, if default=0, the updated kernel starts automatically. For more information, go to https://rhn.redhat.com Red Hat Network (RHN).
  3. Install the 2.4.9-e.12 or later summit kernel. Restart the server and select the summit kernel in the GRUB menu.
  4. For a system using the RSA-II adapter, modifications are required to run X.
    1. After the installation is complete, login as root and using vi (or any other editor) edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Search for the Driver line in the Device section which looks like this: Driver "radeon". Replace "radeon" with "vesa". The final section should look similar to this:
         Section "Device"
         Option "nodri"
         Identifier "ATI Radeon (generic)"
         Driver "vesa"
         VendorName "ATI Radeon (generic)"
         BoardName "ATI Radeon (generic)"
         #BusID
         EndSection

    2. Turn off dpms. While still editing the XF86Config-4 file, search for the dpms option line which looks like this: Option "dpms". Change it to: Option "dpms" "off".
    3. If you want to have the system start X during boot, edit /etc/inittab. Change the line:
      id:3:initdefault:
      to
      id:5:initdefault:

.
NOTE
Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 was formerly known as Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1.

.
NOTE
As Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 Update 4 (U4) or newer is available, it is strongly recommended to start the installation of RHEL AS 2.1 with the first CD of the Update which contains many updated drivers and not with the original RHAS 2.1 CD1 !

Released host bus adapters

The following host bus adapters are released as boot controllers for an installation of Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1:

.
The following host bus adapters are released for the PRIMERGY RX800 but are not released as boot controllers for an installation of Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1:

.
CAUTION
It may be necessary to set the interrupt of the boot controller (e.g. Adaptec 3200 , Adaptec 2120S or Mylex eXtremeRAID 352) in the system BIOS to a fixed value [ e.g. IRQ = 9] instead of letting the system set the IRQ automatically [ sys generated ]. The PRIMERGY RX800 does not support non-ACPI mode, which is used by the Linux installation up-kernel and may lead to a system hang while trying to load the driver for the boot controller. After a successful installation the interrupt value for the boot controller may be changed from a fixed value back to [sys generated]

.
Onboard LSI 53C1030 dual
For the installation of the onboard LSI 53C1020 controller the Fusion MPT drivers mptbase and mptscsih are needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

.
Adaptec 2120S Crusader / 2200S Vulcan
For the installation of the Adaptec RAID-controller 2120S or 2200S (Vulcan) the driver aacraid necessary. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

.
CAUTION
The Adaptec driver aacraid always treats a 2120S controller as the boot controller in a system with a mix of 2120S and 2200S host bus adapters, even if the 2200S comes first in the BIOS scan order. As a result it is not possible to do a correct installation on a 2200S in a mixed 2120S/2200S configuration. Moreover, it is forbidden to add a 2120S in a system where the OS has been installed on a 2200S.

.
Adaptec 3200S
For the installation of the above mentioned Adaptec Raid Controllers the driver dpt_i2o is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

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CAUTION
If you are running RHEL AS 2.1 or are planning to install RHEL AS 2.1 on a PRIMERGY RX800, it is safe to disable EBDA in the DPT3200S BIOS setup (even if FSC generally recommends to set EBDA to enable), otherwise - after a successful installation - GRUB will fail to load the kernel and will display the following error message:

Error 28: Selected item can not fit into memory.

This problem solely occurs in the combination RX800 + RHEL AS2.1 + DPT3200 + EBDA enabled + GRUB as the boot loader.

To avoid this problem either LILO has to be chosen instead of GRUB, in which case EBDA may be enabled again, or, if GRUB was chosen as the preferred boot loader, EBDA has to be disabled.

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Mylex AR352
No driver disk is needed, as the mentioned Operating Sytem already contains the native driver DAC960 2.4.11, which is sufficient for a successful installation.

.
LSI Megaraid U320
For the installation of the LSI Megaraid U320 controller the driver megaraidis needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

.
Emulex LightPulse LP9802
For the installation of the QLogic Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter qlaxxx the driver qla2300 is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

For configuration and administration please use the FC HBA Manager SANsurfer, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD.

Install update kernel

During installation of Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 U4 or newer several kernels are installed on your system, but only the summit kernel does actually support the PRIMERGY RX800 "summit"-architecture.

.
NOTE
During the installation of Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 the smp kernel is automatically installed, but to take full advantage of the PRIMERGY RX800 summit architecture you will have to install the appropriate summit kernel 2.4.9-e.[xx]summit, where xx = the latest available summit errata kernel.

.
NOTE
Red Hat and FSC recommend updating the installed summit kernel with the latest errata kernel (patch kernel). Newer errata kernels will be released on a regular basis and should be applied.
Errata kernels for Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 are only available for registered users through the Red Hat Network located at https://rhn.Red Hat.com/

.
NOTE
For a more detailed description on the specifics of Linux drivers and errata kernels please have a look at the elaborate "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" document. You can find this information offline in the /Unix/Linux/Doc folder on the ServerStartTMCD-ROM. Here you can find the newest published version of this document: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html.


Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 3 (Update 2 and newer)

NOTE
As an Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 Update is available, it is strongly recommended to begin the installation with the first CD of this Update and not with the original Enterprise Linux 3 CD1!

NOTE
Systems using storage attached to Fibre Channel host bus adapters (FC HBAs) may encounter issues during installation due to PCI device load ordering. To address this issue, with RHEL3 Update 6 a new boot option called latefcload was developed to delay the loading of FC HBAs until other storage devices have been loaded. To use the latefcload option, enter the following at the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 boot prompt:
linux latefcload

Install update kernel

NOTE
Red Hat and FSC recommend updating the installed kernel with the latest errata kernel (patch kernel). Newer errata kernels will be released on a regular basis and should be applied.

Errata kernels for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 are available for registered users through the Red Hat Network located at https://rhn.redhat.com/.

Install the update kernel following your Linux distributor's instructions. Use primesetup to install the the required FSC drivers for the update kernel before rebooting your system.
For a more detailed description on the specifics of Linux drivers, the tool primesetup and errata kernels please have a look at the elaborate "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" document. You can find this information offline in the /Unix/Linux/Doc folder on the ServerStartTMCD-ROM. Here you can find the newest published version of this document: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html.

Hints and restrictions

NOTE for RHEL3 EM64T
If you want to use the kernel parameter "kernel_unknown_nmi_panic=1" to configure your system to react to the NMI button you have to disable the NMI watchdog with the kernel parameter "nmi_watchdog=0". Otherwise the system does not boot.
To disable the NMI watchdog is not required for RHEL3 x86.
If you want to use the diskdump function you have to disable the NMI watchdog with the kernel parameter "nmi_watchdog=0".
To disable the NMI watchdog is not required for RHEL3 x86.
.
NOTE for netdump
The netdump function does not work if you have Channel Bonding configured for the device you want to use for netdump.

.
CAUTION
Complete the following steps to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux Version 3 Update 2 (or later).

  1. If an RXE-100 Remote Expansion Enclosure is connected to your server, disconnect it until after the operating system installation is completed.
  2. In the "boot" screen, press Enter.
  3. Follow the instructions that guide you through the installation.
  4. In the Package Defaults window, select Customize the Set of Packages to be Installed, then select Next.
  5. In the Package Group Selection window, scroll down to the Development section and select Kernel Development, then select Next.
  6. In the Custom Graphics Configuration window, select the applicable items. If you are using the Remote Supervisor Adapter (RSA-II), then select Text Based Login instead of Graphical.
  7. Go to the Red Hat Web site at: https://rhn.redhat.com for new and updated packages. Log in as the root user and install the latest kernel errata using Red Hat Package Manager (RPM). In the /etc/grub.conf file, set default=0 in order to use the updated kernel automatically.
  8. After the installation is completed, if you are using the RSA-II adapter:
    1. Log in as root and using vi (or any other editor), edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Search for the Driver line in the Device section which looks like this:
      Driver "radeon"
      Replace "radeon" with "vesa". The final section will look similar to this:

         Section "Device"
          Option "nodri"
          Identifier "ATI Radeon (generic)"
          Driver "vesa"
          VendorName "ATI Radeon (generic)"
          BoardName "ATI Radeon (generic)"
          #BusID
         EndSection

    2. Turn off dpms. While still editing the XF86Config-4 file, search for the dpms option line which looks like this:

      Option "dpms"

      Change the option line to:

      Option "dpms" "off"

    3. If you want to have the server start the X Window System during start up, edit the /etc/inittab file and change the line:

      id:3:initdefault:
      to
      id:5:initdefault:
  9. If an IRXE-100 Remote Expansion Enclosure was connected to your server, reconnect it now that the operating system installation is completed.

Released host bus adapters

The following host bus adapters are released as boot controllers for an installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3:

.
CAUTION
It may be necessary to set the interrupt of the boot controller (e.g. Adaptec 3200 , Adaptec 2120S or Mylex eXtremeRAID 352) in the system BIOS to a fixed value [ e.g. IRQ = 9] instead of letting the system set the IRQ automatically [ sys generated ]. The PRIMERGY RX800 does not support non-ACPI mode, which is used by the Linux installation up-kernel and may lead to a system hang while trying to load the driver for the boot controller. After a successful installation the interrupt value for the boot controller may be changed from a fixed value back to [sys generated]


Onboard LSI 53C1030 dual

For the installation of the onboard LSI 53C1020 controller the Fusion MPT drivers mptbase and mptscsih are needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.
If you have installed your Primergy with the mpt-driverdisk it is required to use the driver updatetool primesetup after installation and update the mpt-driver again.


Adaptec 2120S Crusader / 2200S Vulcan

For the installation of the Adaptec RAID-controller 2120S or 2200S (Vulcan) the driver aacraid necessary. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

.
CAUTION
The Adaptec driver aacraid always treats a 2120S controller as the boot controller in a system with a mix of 2120S and 2200S host bus adapters, even if the 2200S comes first in the BIOS scan order. As a result it is not possible to do a correct installation on a 2200S in a mixed 2120S/2200S configuration. Moreover, it is forbidden to add a 2120S in a system where the OS has been installed on a 2200S.


Adaptec 3200S

For the installation of the above mentioned Adaptec Raid Controllers the driver dpt_i2o is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.


Mylex AR352

No driver disk is needed, as RHEL 3 already contains the native driver DAC960 2.4.11, which is sufficient for a successful installation.


LSI Megaraid U320

For the installation of the LSI Megaraid U320 controller the driver megaraidis needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.
To install RHEL 3 using the LSI MegaRAID U320 controller as your boot controller the driver megaraid 2.10.8.1-0 or newer is needed, which is not included in the standard RHEL 3 distribution up to Update 3. Please use the driver disk, which you can find in the FSC-Software Pool or on the FSC ServerStartTMCD-ROM.
Up from RHEL 3 Update 4 use the native driver megaraid2.

After installation of RHEL 3 Update 8 or Update 9 with native drivers on Primergy with LSI MegaRAID Dobson onboard and with plugged LSI MegaRAID U320 controller there a 2 megaraid drivers used.
There are two lines in /etc/modules.conf:
alias scsi_hostadapter megaraid2
alias scsi_hostadapter1 megaraid

Workround:
Delete the line:
alias scsi_hostadapter1 megaraid
in the file /etc/modules.conf and build a new initrd.

See also the Red Hat knowledge base article which explains the problem and workaround: http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_79_10939


Emulex LightPulse LP9802

The Emulex LightPulse LP9802 is released for the PRIMERGY RX800 but is not released as boot controller for an installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3. For the installation of the Emulex Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter LPxx the driver lpfc is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

For configuration and administration please use the FC HBA Manager HBAnyware, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD.


Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (Update 2 and newer)

NOTE
As an Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update is available, it is strongly recommended to begin the installation with the first CD of this Update and not with the original Enterprise Linux 4 CD1!

NOTE
The upgrade from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 is not supported by FSC. This upgrade is also not recommended by Red Hat.
Please see:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/x8664-multi-install-guide/ap-upgrade.html
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_85_7366.shtm

NOTE
During the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 installation, it can be challenging to identify individual storage devices in system configurations that include multiple storage adapters. This is particulary true for systems containing Fibre Channel adapters, because in many instances it is desirable to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux on local storage. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 installation program addresses this issue by delaying the loading of the following modules until after all other SCSI devices have been loaded:

This results in any locally-attached SCSI device names starting with /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, and so on, with the FC-attached storage following.

Install update kernel

NOTE
Red Hat and FSC recommend updating the installed kernel with the latest errata kernel (patch kernel). Newer errata kernels will be released on a regular basis and should be applied.

Errata kernels for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 are available for registered users through the Red Hat Network located at https://rhn.redhat.com/.

Install the update kernel following your Linux distributor's instructions. Use primesetup to install the required FSC drivers for the update kernel before rebooting your system.
For a more detailed description on the specifics of Linux drivers, the tool primesetup and errata kernels please have a look at the elaborate "PRIMERGY Linux Drivers Readme" document. You can find this information offline in the /Unix/Linux/Doc folder on the ServerStartTMCD-ROM. Here you can find the newest published version of this document: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/standard_servers/linux_readmes_popup.html.

Hints and restrictions

NOTE
On some Primergy system you can find messages like this in /var/log/messages:

pciehp: acpi_pciehprm:_SB_.PCI0.PE4_ _HPP fail=0x5
pciehp: acpi_pciehprm:_SB_.PCI0.PE4_ OSHP fails=0x5

These messages come from the PCI-Express hotplug driver.
Workaround: disable the hotplug driver by doing:
echo pciehp »/etc/hotplug/blacklist
echo acpihp »/etc/hotplug/blacklist

No negative consequences will arise.

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NOTE for RHEL4 EM64T
If you want to use the kernel parameter "kernel_unknown_nmi_panic=1" to configure your system to react to the NMI button you have to disable the NMI watchdog with the kernel parameter "nmi_watchdog=0". Otherwise the system does not boot.
To disable the NMI watchdog is not required for RHEL4 x86.
If you want to use the diskdump function you have to disable the NMI watchdog with the kernel parameter "nmi_watchdog=0".
To disable the NMI watchdog is not required for RHEL4 x86.
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NOTE for netdump
The netdump function does not work if you have Channel Bonding configured for the device you want to use for netdump.

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CAUTION
With Red Hat EL4 Update 2 x86 the graphic driver "radeon" does not work correctly on Primergy's with ATI Radeon 7000 chip.
Sporadically the graphical console hangs during boot.

Workaround:

Edit the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf as followed:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "radeon"
VendorName "Videocard vendor"
BoardName "ATI Radeon 7000"
Option "DRI" "On"
EndSection

Released host bus adapters

The following host bus adapters are released as boot controllers for an installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4:


Onboard LSI 53C1030 dual

For the installation of the onboard LSI 53C1020 controller the Fusion MPT drivers mptbase and mptscsih are needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

Restriction for RHEL 4.7
For RHEL 4.7 the FSC driver mptsas 3.12.19.00rh-3 is released.
After installation of this driver with primesetup it is necessary to remove the line "alias scsi_hostadapterX mptscsi" in the file /etc/modprobe.conf before building a new initial ramdisk with the command mkinitrd.
After OS installation with the driver disk the file /etc/modprobe.conf is correct.

Up from the errata kernel 2.6.9-78.0.8 the problem is fixed with the native mpt driver.


Adaptec 2120S Crusader / 2200S Vulcan

CAUTION
The Adaptec driver aacraid always treats a 2120S controller as the boot controller in a system with a mix of 2120S and 2200S host bus adapters, even if the 2200S comes first in the BIOS scan order. As a result it is not possible to do a correct installation on a 2200S in a mixed 2120S/2200S configuration. Moreover, it is forbidden to add a 2120S in a system where the OS has been installed on a 2200S.

Problem with RHEL 4.7
The native driver aacraid 1.1-5-2455 does not work with RHEL 4.7 x86 kernel 2.6.9-78.ELsmp if the Adaptec controller 2120S, 2200S or 2020ZCR are used.

Workaround:

Use of the parameter "dacmode=0" for the driver aacraid.

After update from RHEL 4.6 to RHEL 4.7 add this line to the file /etc/modprobe.conf:
options aacraid dacmode=0

and then build a new initial ramdisk with the command:
mkinitrd -v -f /boot/initrd-2.6.9-78.EL-smp.img 2.6.9-78.EL-smp

If you do a new installation switch to the Shell using Ctrl-Alt-F2 before the first reboot and run:
- chroot /mnt/sysimage
- echo "options aacraid dacmode=0" »/etc/modprobe.conf, or edit teh file with the vi
- depmod -ae
- mkinitrd -v -f /boot/initrd-2.6.9-78.EL-smp.img 2.6.9-78.EL-smp
- reboot

This problem is fixed with the Update-kernel 2.6.9-78.0.8.
With this kernel the parameter "dacmode=0" is no longer necessary.


Adaptec 3200S


Mylex eXtremeRAID AR352

No driver disk is needed, as the mentioned Operating Sytem already contains the native driver DAC960 2.4.11, which is sufficient for a successful installation.


LSI Megaraid U320

For the installation of the LSI Megaraid U320 controller the driver megaraid is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.


Emulex LightPulse LP9802

The Emulex LightPulse LP9802 is released for the PRIMERGY RX800 but is not released as boot controller for an installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4. For the installation of the Emulex Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter LPxx the driver lpfc is needed. Please use the latest driver offered by FSC, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD. If there is no driver offered on the Support web page please use the native one.

For configuration and administration please use the FC HBA Manager HBAnyware, which you can find on the Support web page under http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/downloads.html or on the FSC ServerstartCD.

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© FUJITSU SIEMENS COMPUTERS 2008
All rights reserved.
LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.
All hardware and software names are trademarks of their respective manufactures.
Linux_Readme_RX800_v5_3.html

Last update: 11 December 2008