Configure PM8204-Family RAID in Four-Socket UEFI Systems
This archived OEM guide combines several historical hardware/firmware examples. Retained English screens are original; translated bitmap labels are English instructional illustrations, not captured official English UI. Identify the actual controller, disks and required data before any destructive configuration. No controller or disk operation was performed to prepare this article.
I. RAID Card Array Configuration
1.1 View RAID Status
The POST example is Microsemi PM8204-2GB, BIOS 1.3.9.2, firmware 2.66-0 and 2048 MiB. The server Device Management list also contains other controller families and reports Some drivers are not healthy. Select the intended controller; these figures do not establish that every listed device is healthy or supported by one procedure.
During the Power-On Self-Test (POST), the array status will be displayed on the POST screen, as shown in the figure below.
1.2 Delete RAID Array
After seeing the Logo interface during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card model and press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select Delete Array.
A prompt will appear; select Submit Changes to submit the modifications.
A prompt indicating that the array has been deleted will appear.
1.3 RAID Configuration Recommendations for Large Storage
UEFI boot can support an OS boot volume over 2 TB only when the actual OS edition, GPT partitioning, installation-media boot mode, controller/firmware and driver support it. The source’s blanket statement that no other configuration is required is not sufficient installation guidance.
1.4 RAID 0 Configuration
The source mixes selections and reused forms: the early RAID 0 list selects one disk, another list selects two, but the final RAID 0 detail shows one bay-4 disk and 1 TiB (1.2 TB). The repeated array_0 form at 2.183 TiB with 256/512 KiB strip/full-stripe is a shared illustration, not the proven final capacity for each level. Repeated image crops have been replaced with a shared English instructional illustration where their content is equivalent.
After seeing the Logo interface during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card, as shown in the figure below, and press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Create Array.
Select the disks for the array and press Space to select the disks.
After selecting the disks, click Proceed to next Form to go to the next step.
Select the array level, RAID 0. Continue by clicking Proceed to Form to go to the next step.
On this screen, edit the array information, such as the array name, stripe size, array size, and unit. After filling in the details, submit the changes.
A prompt indicating that the logical disk has been created successfully will appear.
Next, confirm whether the array has been created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select List Logical Drives.
Select the created array.
It can be seen that the array is in a created state.
1.5 RAID 1 Configuration
The final RAID 1 example is array_1, 1 TiB (1.2 TB), bays 4/5 with 256 KiB strip/full stripe. The intermediate repeated 2.183 TiB form belongs to a shared example and is not its final RAID 1 capacity.
After seeing the Logo interface during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card as shown in the figure below, and press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Create Array.
Select the disks to be arrayed; press Space to select a disk.
After selecting the disks, click Proceed to next Form to go to the next step.
Select the RAID level, RAID1. Continue clicking Proceed to Form to go to the next step.
On this screen, edit array information such as array name, stripe size, array size, and unit. After filling in the details, submit the changes.
You will see a prompt indicating that the logical disk has been created successfully.
Next, confirm whether the array was created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select List Logical Drives.
Select the array that has already been created.
You can see that the array is in a created state.
1.6 RAID5 Configuration
The final RAID 5 example is array_5, 2.1 TiB (2.4 TB), bays 4/5/6, with 256 KiB strip and 512 KiB full stripe.
When the POST screen displays the Logo, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card as shown in the figure below, and press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Create Array.
Select the disks to be arrayed; press Space to select a disk.
After selecting the disks, click Proceed to next Form to go to the next step.
Select the RAID level, RAID5. Continue clicking Proceed to Form to go to the next step.
On this screen, edit array information such as array name, stripe size, array size, and unit. After filling in the details, submit the changes.
You will see a prompt indicating that the logical disk has been created successfully.
Next, confirm whether the array was created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select List Logical Drives.
Select the array that has already been created.
You can see that the array is in a created state.
1.7 RAID6 Configuration
RAID 6 requires at least four drives. The source next reuses a RAID 5 selection figure and array_5 list label. Its later detail identifies RAID6 (ADG), array_6 and 2.1 TiB (2.4 TB), but only three member rows are visible in the cropped image; this is not evidence that a three-disk RAID 6 is supported. Verify the actual full membership and level before creation.
When the POST screen displays the Logo, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card as shown in the figure below, and press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Create Array.
Select the disks to be arrayed; press Space to select a disk.
After selecting the disks, click Proceed to next Form to go to the next step.
Select the RAID level, RAID6. Continue clicking Proceed to Form to go to the next step.
On this screen, edit array information such as array name, stripe size, array size, and unit. After filling in the details, submit the changes.
You can see the prompt indicating that the logical disk has been created successfully.
Next, confirm whether the array has been created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select List Logical Drives.
Select the already created array.
You can see that the array is in a created state.
1.8 RAID10 Configuration
The final RAID 10 example shows two mirror groups (bays 4/5 and 6/7), array_10 and 2.1 TiB (2.4 TB), with 256 KiB strip and 512 KiB full stripe. An earlier array_5 label is reused from another configuration.
After seeing the logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card as shown in the figure below, then press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Create Array.
Select the hard drives for the array by pressing Space to select them.
After selecting the hard drives, click Proceed to next Form to go to the next step.
Select the array level, RAID10. Continue clicking Proceed to Form to go to the next step.
On this screen, edit array information such as array name, stripe size, array size, and unit. After filling in the details, submit the changes.
You can see the prompt indicating that the logical disk has been created successfully.
Next, confirm whether the array has been created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Manage Arrays.
Select the array.
Select List Logical Drives.
Select the already created array.
You can see that the array is in a created state.
1.9 JBOD Configuration
The actual controller-settings figure shows CN0 HBA and CN1 RAID, not both ports Mixed. The following definitions describe available modes. Do not change the mode of required RAID members without a supported reconfiguration plan.
After seeing the logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card, then press Enter to proceed.
Select Configure Controller Settings.
Select Modify Controller Settings.
When Port CN0/CN1 Mode is Mixed, both RAID and JBOD can be configured; unconfigured disks for RAID are treated as JBOD.
When Port CN0/CN1 Mode is RAID, only RAID can be configured, and JBOD cannot be configured.
When Port CN0/CN1 Mode is HBA, all disks are treated as JBOD, and RAID cannot be configured.
1.10 Hot Spare Configuration
After seeing the logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card, then press Enter to proceed.
Select Array Configuration.
Select Manage Arrays.
Select Manage Spare Drives.
Auto Replace and Dedicated are policies for selected arrays; they are not simply local/global labels. An auto-replace spare becomes a permanent array member after use. A dedicated spare protects assigned array(s) and may return to spare status after supported copyback. Check activation mode, eligibility and firmware-specific behavior.
Select a verified eligible unused disk and the intended array/policy. The assignment example selects bay 7, while the later detailed RAID 1 figure instead shows bay 6 as spare for bays 4/5. These are different examples, not proof that bay 7 changed identity or that rebuilding completed.
You can see a prompt indicating that the hot spare has been added successfully.
The detailed figure reports an assigned spare with member states Ok. Assignment does not prove a successful rebuild or restored data.
1.11 Controller Attribute Configuration
When you see the Logo interface during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the array card and press Enter to proceed.
Select Configure Controller Settings.
Modify Controller Setting and Advanced Controller Settings are the controller configuration options.
II. Troubleshooting for Common Issues
2.1 Single Disk Offline and Handling Steps
Taking RAID 5 as an example, if one hard disk in the array goes offline, the array status will change to Interim Recovery, and the disk status will become Failed.
A compatible replacement may trigger rebuild when the surviving array and replacement are suitable. The source’s separate before/after RAID 5 examples show Interim Recovery and then Ok; verify the actual target, completion, events and data rather than assuming replacement always restores them.
2.2 Multiple Disk Offline and Handling Steps
In the source RAID 5 example, two failed members leave the logical drive Failed. Preserve original disks, member order, metadata and event evidence and obtain an appropriate recovery assessment; initialization or blind array recreation is not a recovery procedure and data restoration is not guaranteed.
2.3 Locate Hard Disk
Select Disk Utilities.
Select the hard disk to be located and press Enter to confirm.
Select Identify Device.
Start/Stop controls identification for the selected actual device. The source changes from CN1 box 1 bay 0 in the list to CN0 box 1 bay 0 in the form; verify identity rather than assuming continuity. The pictured duration is 86400 seconds. Indicator color and behavior depend on the server; the source describes a blue light, not a universal convention.
English references and source scope
- https://www.ieisystem.com/qa/raid/14543.html
- https://onlinedocs.microchip.com/oxy/GUID-A735A5E3-4456-4763-9EA6-B7AE0E5FE7E8-en-US-19/GUID-FBAE3544-95EF-4EB2-86F2-1B7FB1DCA1C1.html
- https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/aemDocuments/documents/adaptec/documents/adaptec_smarthba_smartraid_x200_iug_7_2024.pdf
No exact English edition of this OEM QA was verified from its language navigation. The English manufacturer references clarify terminology and policy distinctions; newer Microchip guides do not certify PM8204/PM8060 OEM firmware support, and Broadcom documentation does not make every displayed OEM model interchangeable. All original sections and working image references are retained, with source inconsistencies identified above.