Intel SS4200 running FreeBSD 7.1 with 4 x 1.5 TB seagate drives

[nadtz]

I actually think you are better off just having socket options = TCP_NODELAY. I have actually found that while using the 65536 buffer sizes generally increase performance it also can limit performance as well. I can explain more in detail as to why if you would like. Basically not setting the buffer sizes allows the buffers to be sized dynamically and can provide better performance. You might give a try and let us know how it turns out.

00Roush

I haven't had the time quite yet to sit down and do some reading and figure out how to tweak this better, but without getting into sysctl options its obvious to me there is some tweaking left to be done. I have a couple more days of work then my 4 day weekend comes up and Im sure i'll do some more tweaking then, and i still have 2 more drives to add to the ss4200 so I dont think Im done with either ZFS or samba yet. I'll definitly try with what you mention and see what else I can dig up, and i'll report back when Im done!

 

[mr.zwiebelkopf]

SS4200 and the PATA issue in "enhanced" mode

Iam currently trying to find a way to boot OpenSolaris via PATA. OpenSolaris can perfectly boot the System, as long as it is powered on in recovery mode, or whatever it ist officially called (pushing the Reset button while powering on the unit until the Power light is amber).

As I've already written here: Heiko Schwarz's Blog (It's in German and I haven't received answers yet), there is a separate IDE-Controller visible when IDE is set to "enhanced" and the system is in recovery mode:

pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x1f function 0x01: vendor 0x8086 device 0x27df
Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller

Intels Datasheet for the ICH7 Chipset (ICH7 datasheet, on page 191) states the following:

"In the case of native IDE enabled operating systems, the ICH7 has separate PCI functions for serial and parallel ATA ('enhanced mode')."

The interesting bit of information follows shortly after that:

"The MAP register provides the ability to share PCI functions. When sharing is enabled, all decode of I/O is done through the SATA registers. Device 31, Function 1 (IDE controller) is hidden by software writing to the Function Disable Register (D31, F0, offset F2h, bit1), and its configuration registers are not used".

I think the IDE controller is hidden by default and is only visible in recovery mode. I don't have that much knowledge about those low-level functions, but the Linux kernel (using the ide-generic driver Red Hat Bugzilla) and FreeBSD (SS4200 Pata Port issue) can still communicate with connected IDE drives. Windows Installations show the same behavior SS4200-E: Cannot see ATA DOM or Disk in Windows Setup and need a driver to access IDE drives (SS4200-EHW Windows Home Server).

So maybe there is an appropriate driver in the OpenSolaris kernel that needs to be activated or a custom kernel has to be compiled to support this "hidden" PATA Port.

For now Iam booting EON Storage off a CF-Card in a CF-IDE-Adapter. If I need to change the configuration of the system, I put the card inside my USB-Cardreader and use that as my boot device. It works, but it would be really nice if I could keep the case of my ss4200 closed all the time and could also play with a complete OpenSolaris installation.

Best Regards
André

 

[Pank]

Hi,
I have ordered a SS4200. I think I will go with FreeNAS since it provide pretty much what I need out of the box.

I have a simple question though. My initial plan was to mount a DOM to my laptop and install whatever needed on it. Then I would just install it in the SS4200. Is this not possible? To me it seems like an easier solution than installing through a serial cable.

Also a question for people who have gone the FreeBSD 8 route: Is there a nice http interface a la FreeNAS that can be post-installed? Otherwise I am fine with ssh.

Thanks a bunch to all the fine people who have shared information on how to make get this device up and running.

--Rasmus

 

[nadtz]

Also a question for people who have gone the FreeBSD 8 route: Is there a nice http interface a la FreeNAS that can be post-installed? Otherwise I am fine with ssh.

--Rasmus

Theres webmin/virtualmin, but I havent used them and didnt want a gui. I screen a bunch of stuff and leave it running in the background.

Which brings me to my question, does anyone know a reliable tempmonitor for this board and freebsd 8?

lmmon -i reports

Motherboard Temp Voltages

255C / 491F / 528K Vcore1: +3.984V
Vcore2: +3.984V
Fan Speeds + 3.3V: +3.984V
+ 5.0V: +6.654V
1: 0 rpm +12.0V: +15.938V
2: 0 rpm -12.0V: -15.938V
3: 0 rpm - 5.0V: -6.654V

which cant be right, the poor E4300 would have burned itself out at that temp
I suppose I don't need this 100% working but Id like it if anyone happens to know a port or another program I can use.

 

[sadlerjon]

I'm trying to get EON working on my ss4200 and am finding that the DOM isn't being mounted under /mnt. In fact, it isn't in /dev/dsk -- the only disks showing are the 4 SATA drives.

Any thoughts how to get the DOM showing under /dev/dsk? Not being able to update the configuration used after rebooting is less than useful...

(BTW, this seems to be the same issue that mr.zwiebelkopf was reporting above. If anyone has a solution, it would be good to hear it!)

 

[nadtz]

Just wanted to update, after a few months of solid use I am extremely happy with the freebsd/zfs combo. A bit more tweaking and from my workstation with raid1 sas drives I can get 100MB/s copies via samba, and even though the device is purposed as a nas on my network I can still run * on it as its freebsd. For the money Im very happy, though if I were to do it all over again now Id probably DIY it, but I have installed a few of these at client offices for various purposes with little to no issue. Its a shame intel is dropping this unit.

 

[RottenMutt]

i was able to install fedora 13 64 bit with four data drives and one OS laptop drive. i had to compile a custom kernel and use the lagacy ide drivers. just like intel had to do, just look at their config file in "EMCLifeLineOEMSW-1.1-GPLComponents".

perhaps i will redo and scrape off a little partition off each drive for the os and use lvm to join them together for the root. just wouldn't be very robust...if i lost a drive i wouldn't be able to boot.

 

[elliot.trance]

Hi there,

for some days now I own a SS4200-EWH, and this package shipped without the DOM so I can't really comment on this, but .. on the other things, and perhaps give some insight .. I sum up my story of installing it ..

a.) FreeBSD 8.0 and 8.1 using USB-CDROM
FreeBSD 8.1-amd64 / generic

b.) through serial console / terminal emulator

c.) installed on /dev/ar0 -> Raid1

d.) activated the esata port to connect another 4 drive Raidbox (4x1TB)
esata seems to be only SATA1,5gbit/s


0.)
the keys needed to enter the setup will change when setting the mentioned(see below) ATA/IDE configuration in setup, strange though but it's displayed while booting

Console -> after IDE/ATA change
F3: BootMediumSelection Menu
F4: Setup

before that, I was prompted to press "del" to enter setup ( using the remote console and it worked )

and with configuration mentioned later, the raid setup was "CTRL+I"
activated, still in fbsd you will see /dev/ad6 and /dev/ad8 which
are indeed the devices to the single hdd, but just use the /dev/ar0
which is the raid volume you were able to create using the raid-setup.

you can control the raid functionality through the "atacontrol" command
from within fbsd


1.) I use 2x 320gb SATA discs Raid1 / also Booting from them

I did set the IDE Configuration to the following and it did work out pretty well for my purpose

* ATA/IDE Configuration          [Enhanced]  
*   Configure SATA as            [RAID]          
*     Port0 SATA AHCI Speed: GEN 2 (3.0 Gb/sec)
*     Port1 SATA AHCI Speed: GEN 2 (3.0 Gb/sec)

after that I entered the raid-setup and created the raid-volume

2.) I deactivated the integrated Graphics Card -> saved 8MByte of RAM
this will have implications on operating freebsd which I'll describe later

3.)
I installed the OS using NullModem+Putty

Serial Settings:
initial Boot and LoaderScreen / 115200

Installed Fbsd 8.0 in the first and Fbsd 8.1 second

There I noticed that the loaders behave differently, while 8.0 accepts
115200bps for the selection screen, 8.1 will set the serial port back to 9600 bps after echoing some ascii but not displaying the selection screen.

-> close putty set 9600bps etc.. and after setting comconsole_speed="115200" you need to reconfigure putty ..

4.)
when deactivating the IGP fbsd will not have a /dev/sc device
and that way the virtual consoles cannot be spaned, errors displayed
on serial console and getty does not span a login there

solution -> during the installation -> static ip -> sshd -> user of group wheel
which can "su" to root and do the necessary changes to /etc/ttys and
/boot/loader.conf
which are to deactivate the virt-con25 and active/set the console
vt100/115200

5.)
Booting from usb-stick on fbsd 8.1/8.0 - does not work looks like
the usb-subsystem is initialized at the wrong moment, no root-device can be found, though that usbstick works fine on my T61 which served as my fileserver prior to the ss4200

6.)
Recomondations for playing with the SS4200 and using it

- patience

- usb keyboard / ps2usb converter

- putty/terminal emulator

- adding a useraccount with group "wheel" ( su to root, because sshd_config
says PermitRootLogin "No"

- keep it closed otherwise the airflow will not work properly and the cpu will
safety shutdown after approx. 15-20 min.

- set the comconsole_speed="115200" only after console="comconsole"
wether while live-loader or loader.conf

- DO NOT (ahci_load="YES") / this will shift your root device from the installation setting

- JUST DO (siis_load="YES") / this will active the esata ports
curiously devices are "/dev/ataX"

7.)
- found a hardwareshop(in germany) where to get special 15cm pci-ex1 flexcables

8.)

- Graphics Card:
I want to try using my pci-ex16 to pci-ex1 adapter
from the big Thinkpad 2503 docking station for a passive and
low power gfx-card, cheaper than the pci-e-x1 cards

- planning:
to buy DOM, but uncertain if DOM or just ide-sdcardreader


--
feel free to ask questions

 

[Viper780]

The DOM isn't visible during normal boot.

Without any change in BIOS,
Recover mode:
c0t0d0 (usb stick) c1t0d0 (dom) c2t0d0 (hd)

Normal mode:
c0t0d0 (usb) c1t0d0 (hd)

is there a fix for that?

i'm trying to install eon on the SS4200 (FSC Scaleo Home Server 1900) on an new 8GB DOM but in any 64bit Unix/Linux/OpenSolaris i don't see the DOM.

but i'm able to boot from it an the best thing, when installing a DOS i'm able to switch to D: which is the DOM. That is very strange for me an gives me some headache to install EON properly

 

[Viper780]

thx for fixing it - wan't to quote an other thing but had to leave.

i found a fix for the IDE boot problem for FreeNAS http://ss4200.pbworks.com/w/page/5122750/FreeNAS-0_70

maybe this helps to get it to work on eon