So I'm trying to install the last version of Ubuntu Server 11.10 64bits on my server ( replacing Windows Server 2008 completely ).
Since I need more Sata ports, I bought a PCI Sata RAID Controller based on the chipset SiI3114.
The problem is that when I configure the array to RAID 1, when the installer gets to the point where I partition the disks, the RAID array simply doesn't appear on the list.
The installer asks me if I want to "activate the Serial Ata RAID devices", I choose yes, and nothing is listed.
If I instead of creating an RAID 1 array, create an Raid 0 array, it appears on the list to partition the disk.
This last part, is what I don't understand, it gets recognized when it is a RAID 0 array, but if it is a RAID 1 array it doesn't.
I've read the FakeRaid wiki on ubuntu wiki, and also this post: RAID 10 not being found by installer
Running in RAID 1, and executing the shell on the installer and running the command dmraid -r, I get:
/dev/sdb: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", mirror, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0
/dev/sda: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", mirror, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0
Looks good I think.
When in RAID 0, using the same commands, I get:
/dev/sdb: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", stripe, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0
/dev/sda: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", stripe, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0
Everything looks OK, I guess, it's the first time I'm installing Ubuntu Server for real, I've installed 4 or 5 times on VMPlayer to see how everything works.
If I don't configure an array, the disks are recognized with no problem whatsoever, if the PCI card, wasn't detected properly it wouldn't show any disks connected to the card in any instance I think. The card is also capable of RAID 5 and RAID 10, but I haven't tested that yet, later when I arrive home, I will see if the installer detects those RAID arrays.
EDIT: So I arrived home, and started googling again, and i found this, so I ran the command dmraid -ay:
ERROR: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel.
RAID set "sil_bhbgdgaaaaba" was not activated.
Then I googled for this error, and what I found kind of scared me, this, basically all I have to do is recompile the Kernel with mirroring support, I can't recompile the kernel I simply don't have the knowledge to do it.. yet I mean..
Can anyone give me a solution that doesn't involve recompiling the kernel?
Second edit: I just downloaded and burned an Ubuntu Live CD, and guess what? The RAID array is detected on the spot ( I'm currently installing Ubuntu in the RAID array ). Now I'm just plain confused, I tough the Ubuntu Server was a Ubuntu version but without an windows manager.
Third edit: Just saved the syslog, to have more information to show:
Oct 24 22:46:43 anna-install: Installing dmraid-udeb
Oct 24 22:46:43 anna[10984]: DEBUG: retrieving dmraid-udeb 1.0.0.rc16-4.1ubuntu4
Oct 24 22:46:43 anna[10984]: DEBUG: retrieving libdmraid1.0.0.rc16-udeb 1.0.0.rc16-4.1ubuntu4
Oct 24 22:46:43 disk-detect: Serial ATA RAID disk(s) detected.
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: Enabling dmraid support.
Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [ 76.836245] device-mapper: table: 253:0: mirror: unknown target type
Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [ 76.836248] device-mapper: ioctl: error adding target to table
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: ERROR:
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect:
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: RAID set "sil_bhbgdgdefacd" was not activated
Oct 24 22:46:44 udevd[9332]: inotify_add_watch(6, /dev/dm-0, 10) failed: No such file or directory
Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [ 76.931742] device-mapper: table: 253:0: mirror: unknown target type
Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [ 76.931745] device-mapper: ioctl: error adding target to table
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: ERROR:
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect:
Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: RAID set "sil_bhbgdgdefacd" was not activated
Oct 24 22:46:44 udevd[9332]: inotify_add_watch(6, /dev/dm-0, 10) failed: No such file or directory
Thanks