We use Adaptec RAID controllers for servers with a hardware RAID.
These controllers have their own software for control and monitoring - the Adaptec Storage Manager (arcconf).
Installation
The following commands are used for installation
apt-get install python-argparse python-apt libstdc++5 java-common sudo -y
mkdir /usr/StorMan
cd /usr/StorMan
wget --no-check-certificate www.ip-projects.de/arcconf/arcconf_x64 && mv arcconf_x64 arcconf && chmod 0744 /usr/StorMan/arcconf
After running, the Adaptec Storage Manager is installed. Now it can be used.
Usage
Here we have summarized the most important commands for the RAID controllers.
Show RAID arrays and hard disks in RAID
/usr/StorMan/arcconf getconfig 1
Show running rebuilds
/usr/StorMan/arcconf GETLOGS 1 DEVICE
Display logs of the controller
/usr/StorMan/arcconf GETLOGS 1 DEVICE
Empty logs of the controller
/usr/StorMan/arcconf GETLOGS 1 DEVICE clear
Adaptec RAID Controller - Firmware Upgrade
Meanwhile the 6-series of Adaptec RAID controllers is a bit outdated. Old firmware versions can therefore be responsible for the RAID array switching to OFFLINE mode in the event of a hard disk failure or the server's file system only providing readable data. For this reason we recommend an update of the respective RAID controller firmware to the latest version. We have already performed this Adaptec firmware update on our infrastructure systems several times without any problems. If, contrary to expectations, difficulties should still arise, we will of course replace the RAID controller free of charge.
Since the graphical user interface of the Storage Manager often causes connection problems to the RAID controller, this manual deals exclusively with the firmware upgrade using the arcconf management software - Adaptec's command line tool.
Install arcconf on the Linux server
The latest version of arcconf can be found for each controller type in the Downloads section of the Adaptec website - select the Storage Manager link and download the Arcconf Commandline Utility. For an Adaptec 6405E hardware RAID controller you can find the downloads e.g. under - http://storage.microsemi.com/en-us/support/raid/sas_raid/sas-6405e/.
Then select the appropriate Linux from the downloaded .zip archive. Mostly this is linux_x64 for all current Debian/Ubuntu installations based on 64 bit. Simply upload this folder to the /root directory of the server. The necessary Adaptec storage drivers are mostly already provided by the Linux kernel.
Upload current firmware to the server
Also in the download area on the Adaptec website you will find the link Bios Updates and Other Downloadable Files - in this area you will find the latest available firmware version. Whether an upgrade to this version is necessary must first be checked.
chmod 700 /root/linux_x64/cmdline/arcconf
This command sets the necessary write permissions to allow us to run arcconf.
/root/linux_x64/cmdline/arcconf GETCONFIG 1
This command shows the current status of the controller and the RAID arrays on it. For the firmware update here is the line
Firmware : 5.2-0 (19109)
is relevant. This line shows the currently installed firmware version and the build information (19109). In this example the Adaptec 6405E Hardware RAID Controller has the mentioned build version. According to the Adaptec website, the current version is: Adaptec RAID 6405E Firmware/BIOS Update Ver. 5.2.0 Build 19144 - according to this, there is already a newer firmware version of the controller and we can perform the update.
Perform Firmware upgrade
To perform the firmware upgrade, the current firmware is uploaded from the Adaptec website to the /root/linux_x64/cmdline/ folder. The firmware file ends with the file extension .ufi.
Then execute the command
/root/linux_x64/cmdline/arcconf ROMUPDATE 1 a6405E01.ufi
where 1 stands for controller 1. If the server has multiple Adaptec RAID controllers, this number may of course vary accordingly.
After executing the firmware update the following information is returned:
root@s35:~/linux_x64/cmdline# /root/linux_x64/cmdline/arcconf ROMUPDATE 1 a6405E01.ufi Controllers found: 1 Are you sure you want to continue? Press y, then ENTER to continue or press ENTER to abort: y Updating controller 1 firmware...Succeeded A new software image has been applied to controller 1. You must restart the system for firmware updates to take effect. Command completed successfully.
The update has been completed successfully. After restarting the server it is active.