Configure LSI MegaRAID Controllers 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.
RAID Card Array Configuration
1.1 View RAID Status
The POST image shows an INSPUR 3008 iMR firmware 4.650.01-6224, while later HII figures use 3108 and also list a 9460 and PM8204. The selected 3108MR-2GB HII is 03.25.05.04; these are separate controller/firmware examples, not one supported combination.
During the Power-On Self-Test (POST), you will see the CTRL-R array status on the POST screen, as shown in the figure below.
1.2 Delete RAID Array
After seeing the Logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card and press Enter to access it.
Select Main Menu.
Select Virtual Drive Management.
Select the array to be deleted, choose Delete Virtual Drive in Operation.
Select Go.
A prompt asks to confirm whether to delete the array; select Confirm and then Yes.
1.3 RAID Configuration Recommendations for Large Storage
UEFI mode alone does not guarantee installation on a boot volume over 2 TB. Verify the actual OS edition, GPT partition layout, installation-media boot mode, controller firmware and driver support. The source’s blanket no-additional-configuration claim is not sufficient.
1.4 RAID 0 Configuration
The source reuses the same RAID 5 drive-selection, parameter and result figures in its RAID 0/1/5/6 sections: three selected drives, array_5, 2.182 TB and Optimal. Those shared illustrations do not demonstrate creation of all four levels. Select and verify the actual intended RAID level, member count, capacity and result instead of copying the reused RAID 5 values. The repeated Chinese-annotated parameter crops are represented by one equivalent English instructional illustration.
After seeing the Logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card and press Enter to access it.
Select Configure.
Select Create Virtual Drive.
Select the RAID level: RAID 0.
Select Select Drives to choose the hard drives for the array.
Press the Spacebar to select the drives; after selection, click Apply Changes.
Select OK.
Configure array parameters in CONFIGURE VIRTUAL DRIVE PARAMETERS, including array name, stripe size, IO read/write policy, etc. After configuration, select Save Configuration to save.
A prompt appears stating that creating the array will result in data loss. Select Confirm and then select Yes to confirm.
Select OK.
Verify if the array was created successfully; return to the main interface and select Main Menu.
Select Virtual Drive Management.
The reused source result is array_5, RAID 5, 2.182 TB, Optimal. For this section, verify the actual intended RAID 0 result independently; the supplied result does not prove RAID 0 creation.
1.5 RAID 1 Configuration
The following source result/parameter pictures still show the shared RAID 5 example described above. They are not a verified result of creating this section’s RAID level.
After seeing the Logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card and press Enter to access it.
Select Configure.
Select Create Virtual Drive.
Select the RAID level, RAID1.
Select Select Drives to choose the hard drives for the array.
Press the Spacebar to select the hard drives. After selection, click Apply Changes.
Select OK.
Configure array parameters in CONFIGURE VIRTUAL DRIVE PARAMETERS, including array name, stripe size, IO read/write policy, etc. After configuration, select Save Configuration to save.
A prompt will appear stating that creating the array will delete data. Select Confirm and then select Yes to confirm.
Select OK.
Verify if the array was created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Main Menu.
Select Virtual Drive Management.
The source’s shared result shows an Optimal RAID 5. Verify the actual intended section’s RAID level and members; a reused RAID 5 screenshot is not proof that RAID 1 or RAID 6 was created.
1.6 RAID5 Configuration
After seeing the Logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID controller and press Enter to enter.
Select Configure.
Select Create Virtual Drive.
Select the RAID level, RAID5.
Select Select Drives to choose the hard drives for the array.
Press the Spacebar to select the hard drives. After selection, click Apply Changes.
Select OK.
Configure array parameters in CONFIGURE VIRTUAL DRIVE PARAMETERS, including array name, stripe size, IO read/write policy, etc. After configuration, select Save Configuration to save.
A prompt will appear stating that creating the array will delete data. Select Confirm and then select Yes to confirm.
Select OK.
Verify if the array was created successfully. Return to the main interface and select Main Menu.
Select Virtual Drive Management.
The source’s shared result shows an Optimal RAID 5. Verify the actual intended section’s RAID level and members; a reused RAID 5 screenshot is not proof that RAID 1 or RAID 6 was created.
1.7 RAID6 Configuration
The following source result/parameter pictures still show the shared RAID 5 example described above. They are not a verified result of creating this section’s RAID level.
After seeing the Logo screen during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID controller and press Enter to enter.
Select Configure.
Select Create Virtual Drive.
Select the RAID level, RAID6.
Select Select Drives to choose the hard drives for the array.
Press the Spacebar to select the hard drives. After selection, click Apply Changes.
Select OK.
Configure array parameters in CONFIGURE VIRTUAL DRIVE PARAMETERS, including array name, stripe size, IO read/write policy, etc. After configuration, select Save Configuration to save.
A prompt will appear stating that creating the array will delete data. Select Confirm and then select Yes to confirm.
Select OK.
Check if the array has been created successfully, return to the main interface and select Main Menu.
Select Virtual Drive Management.
The source’s shared result shows an Optimal RAID 5. Verify the actual intended section’s RAID level and members; a reused RAID 5 screenshot is not proof that RAID 1 or RAID 6 was created.
1.8 RAID10 Configuration
This separate walk-through uses two two-disk spans of 558.406 GB SAS disks. Confirm all intended members and span grouping before saving. It demonstrates a different configuration from the repeated RAID 5 examples above.
When the logo screen appears after POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select the RAID card and press Enter to proceed.
Select Configure.
Select Create Virtual Drive.
Select the RAID level: RAID10.
Select Add More Spans to add groups.
Select Select Drives under each group to assign hard drives to each group.
Select virtual drive name to name the array; no specific requirement for the name.
Select virtual drive size to input the array capacity; default indicates the maximum capacity of the array.
Select strip size to set the stripe value; keep the default if not required by business needs;
Write Policy: Write policy used to configure whether write caching is enabled for the current VD configuration. There are 1-3 options, as follows:
1) Write Through acknowledges writes after the disk subsystem receives them; this is distinct from disabling every read cache or drive cache. Check the complete policy and power-loss protection.
2) Write Back acknowledges writes in controller cache. Required working backup protection normally determines whether effective policy remains write-back or falls back to write-through. Forcing write-back without protection can lose acknowledged data during power failure. The source BBU field is No, so its pictured Write Back setting is not a universally safe default.
3) The original source describes a protected BBU/ZMM write-back option. Actual menu names, effective fallback and cache protection depend on the controller, firmware and protection hardware; a BBU and a flash/supercapacitor module are not identical devices.
Default initialization: Hard drive initialization selection
1) No: Skip initialization;
2) Fast: performs limited initialization. The source firmware help describes the first 100 MB; verify the actual controller/version semantics. It does not verify all media or existing data.
3) Full: initializes the entire selected virtual drive and can destroy required data. Choose only for the intended new configuration after checking the target and required data.
Save configuration
The source’s RAID 10 parameter form shows test at 1.090 TB, while its later result lists test at 1.000 TB. Treat these as different source-stage values, not one proven unchanged capacity. The result is Optimal with Initialization at 13%; initialization has not completed in the supplied figure. Monitor actual progress and status to completion and verify the intended data separately.
1.9 JBOD Configuration
When the logo screen appears after POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select Configure.
Select Make JBOD.
Select the hard drives that require pass-through mode and press Space to confirm. After selection, click OK.
A prompt will appear indicating that data on the hard drives will be deleted. Select Confirm and choose Yes.
Select OK.
A later source prompt actually concerns existing JBOD devices during Create RAID: the controller may need to convert selected JBOD drives to Unconfigured Good before using them for the intended array. It is a different operation from Make JBOD, not an instruction to skip arbitrary warnings or convert required data disks.
1.10 Hot Spare Configuration
When the logo screen appears after POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select Main Menu.
Select Drive Management.
Select the desired disk for the array and press Enter to confirm.
Select Operation, where Assign Global Hot Spare Drive is for global hot spare and Assign Dedicated Hot Spare Drive is for dedicated hot spare.
The source selects Assign Global Hot Spare Drive and Go for the verified unused disk. Its next warning states that the spare cannot protect protected drive groups; do not dismiss that limitation. Verify compatibility, capacity and required protection features before confirming the intended assignment.
Select Confirm and then click Yes.
Click OK.
The hot spare drive configuration is now successful.
1.11 Controller Attribute Configuration
When the logo screen appears during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select Main Menu.
Select Controller Management.
The controller configuration is highlighted in the red box.
II. Common Problem Recovery
2.1 Single Disk Offline and Handling Steps
Using RAID 5 as an example, if one disk in the array goes offline, the array status will change to Degraded, as shown below.
On the main interface, the array status displays Needs Attention.
A suitable replacement may trigger rebuild when the surviving members and metadata are usable. The source mixes a Degraded raid555 at 3.273 TB with later member lists; it does not prove these are one continuous configuration. To inspect the actual intended rebuild, select Main Menu.
Select Drive Management.
The later source list shows a replacement at Port 4–7:01:07 rebuilding at 3% and a separate Unconfigured Bad disk at :01:05. This is not a completed recovery; verify the actual array association, eventual completion, events and data.
2.2 Multiple Disk Offline and Handling Steps
RAID 5 cannot tolerate two unavailable members. The Offline source example is a different raid5 at 2.182 TB, not the earlier raid555 at 3.273 TB. Preserve original disks/member order/metadata and seek an appropriate recovery assessment; data recovery is not guaranteed and initialization or blind recreation can make recovery harder.
2.3 Initialize Hard Disk
Initialize Drive is potentially destructive and is not a recovery remedy for a required array member. The source starts this section with 0 drive groups/0 virtual drives and then selects one of five Unconfigured Good drives. It supplies no final initialized result; do not interpret it as an in-place procedure preserving an existing array.
When the logo screen appears during POST, press Esc to enter the Front Page interface.
Select Device Management.
Select Main Menu.
Select Drive Management.
Select the hard disk to be initialized.
In Operation, select Initialize Drive.
English references and source scope
- https://www.ieisystem.com/qa/raid/14545.html
- https://docs.broadcom.com/wcs-public/user-guide/products/design--reference-guides/user-guide/574/208/pub-005110_db15-001199-08_2017-06-09_mr-6.14-sw-ug.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.