PCIe SATA III RAID controller card Linux setup

Question

I recently added a StarTech 4 port PCIe SATA card to a Linux server. The card is connected via SFF-8087 to a Norco 4224 backplane and 4 new hard drives that I'd like to configure into a new software RAID.

The mobo (Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5) already has 8 onboard SATA ports using a similar chipset (2 x Marvell 88SE9172 chips), which are working fine and are currently configured into 2 separate software RAIDs (using mdadm).

However, the system does not detect the new hard drives, and I also cannot get into the BIOS for the controller card using ctrl+M as suggested by the manual. Has anyone encountered a similar issue, or have any advice for how to troubleshoot? Thanks in advance!

Output from lspci (seems to detect the SATA card, 5th entry from the end):

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (external gfx0 port B) [1002:5a14] (rev 02)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5000]
00:02.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port B) [1002:5a16]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:09.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port H) [1002:5a1c]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:0a.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (external gfx1 port A) [1002:5a1d]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:0b.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (NB-SB link) [1002:5a1f]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:0c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890S PCI Express bridge for GPP2 port 1 [1002:5a20]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:11.0 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1002:4391] (rev 40)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:b002]
    Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:12.0 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller [1002:4397]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
    Kernel modules: ohci_pci
00:12.2 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller [1002:4396]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:13.0 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller [1002:4397]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
    Kernel modules: ohci_pci
00:13.2 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller [1002:4396]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:14.0 SMBus [0c05]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 SMBus Controller [1002:4385] (rev 42)
    Kernel modules: i2c_piix4, sp5100_tco
00:14.2 Audio device [0403]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) [1002:4383] (rev 40)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:a132]
    Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
    Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel
00:14.3 ISA bridge [0601]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller [1002:439d] (rev 40)
    Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller [1002:439d]
00:14.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge [1002:4384] (rev 40)
00:14.5 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI2 Controller [1002:4399]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
    Kernel modules: ohci_pci
00:15.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB700/SB800/SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 0) [1002:43a0]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:15.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB700/SB800/SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 1) [1002:43a1]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:15.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 2) [1002:43a2]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:15.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 3) [1002:43a3]
    Kernel driver in use: pcieport
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:16.0 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller [1002:4397]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
    Kernel modules: ohci_pci
00:16.2 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller [1002:4396]
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5004]
    Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:18.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 0 [1022:1600]
00:18.1 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 1 [1022:1601]
00:18.2 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 2 [1022:1602]
    Kernel modules: amd64_edac_mod
00:18.3 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 3 [1022:1603]
    Kernel driver in use: k10temp
    Kernel modules: k10temp
00:18.4 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 4 [1022:1604]
    Kernel driver in use: fam15h_power
    Kernel modules: fam15h_power
00:18.5 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 5 [1022:1605]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G98 [GeForce 9300 GE] [10de:06e0] (rev a1)
    Subsystem: Pegatron Device [1b0a:9004]
    Kernel driver in use: nouveau
    Kernel modules: nvidiafb, nouveau
02:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: Etron Technology, Inc. EJ168 USB 3.0 Host Controller [1b6f:7023] (rev 01)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5007]
    Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
    Kernel modules: xhci_hcd
03:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88SE9172 SATA 6Gb/s Controller [1b4b:9172] (rev 11)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:b000]
    Kernel driver in use: ahci
04:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Emulex Corporation OneConnect 10Gb NIC (be3) [19a2:0710] (rev 01)
    Subsystem: Emulex Corporation Device [10df:e722]
    Kernel driver in use: be2net
    Kernel modules: be2net
04:00.1 Ethernet controller [0200]: Emulex Corporation OneConnect 10Gb NIC (be3) [19a2:0710] (rev 01)
    Subsystem: Emulex Corporation Device [10df:e722]
    Kernel driver in use: be2net
    Kernel modules: be2net
05:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88SE9230 PCIe SATA 6Gb/s Controller [1b4b:9230] (rev 11)
    Subsystem: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88SE9230 PCIe SATA 6Gb/s Controller [1b4b:9230]
    Kernel driver in use: ahci
06:0e.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6306/7/8 [Fire II(M)] IEEE 1394 OHCI Controller [1106:3044] (rev c0)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd GA-7VT600-1394 Motherboard [1458:1000]
    Kernel driver in use: firewire_ohci
    Kernel modules: firewire_ohci
07:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 06)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Motherboard [1458:e000]
    Kernel driver in use: r8169
    Kernel modules: r8169
08:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: Etron Technology, Inc. EJ168 USB 3.0 Host Controller [1b6f:7023] (rev 01)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:5007]
    Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
    Kernel modules: xhci_hcd
09:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88SE9172 SATA 6Gb/s Controller [1b4b:9172] (rev 11)
    Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:b000]
    Kernel driver in use: ahci

Output from lsblk (only existing drives are detected):

NAME    MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
sda       8:0    0 111.8G  0 disk  
├─sda1    8:1    0    11G  0 part  [SWAP]
└─sda2    8:2    0 100.8G  0 part  
  └─md0   9:0    0 100.8G  0 raid1 /
sdb       8:16   0 111.8G  0 disk  
└─sdb1    8:17   0 111.8G  0 part  
  └─md0   9:0    0 100.8G  0 raid1 /
sdc       8:32   0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─sdc1    8:33   0   1.8T  0 part  
  └─md1   9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share
sdd       8:48   0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─sdd1    8:49   0   1.8T  0 part  
  └─md1   9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share
sde       8:64   0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─sde1    8:65   0   1.8T  0 part  
  └─md1   9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share
sdf       8:80   0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─sdf1    8:81   0   1.8T  0 part  
  └─md1   9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share
sdg       8:96   0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─md1     9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share
sdh       8:112  0   1.8T  0 disk  
└─sdh1    8:113  0   1.8T  0 part  
  └─md1   9:1    0   7.3T  0 raid6 /Lab_Share

You mustn't believe, you should know it. If the second CPU socket on the motherboard is empty and you had insert PCI card into PCI socket which is connected to second CPU it wount work. — Mikhail Khirgiy, Mar 09 '18 at 09:20

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 26 '18 at 10:28

2

We finally did end up figuring out the problem, it was the wrong type of cable.

We were using a forward breakout cable.

This particular setup requires a Discrete to SFF-8087 (Reverse breakout) cable.

Unraid.net has an explanation of the difference between forward and reverse breakout SFF-8087 cables, even though from the outside they look identical.

edited Dec 26 '18 at 10:28

Pro Backup

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answered Sep 07 '18 at 17:39

fanli

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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 08 '18 at 23:19

0

That PCI device fifth from the bottom is not the StarTech SATA card, but a Marvell 6Gbps chipset.

I don't see the PCI SATA card listed. It might be defective, and I wouldn't doubt it. I worked in a computer shop back in the day that used those everywhere and they had an out-of-box failure rate of about 10%. That may be sampling bias, but out of several hundred I tend to trust the trend.

Make sure that you don't have settings in your BIOS disabling PCI cards or PCIe to PCI bridges. Some setup programs refer to this as "legacy free" mode.

answered Mar 08 '18 at 23:19

Spooler

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As far as I can tell, that Marvell 88SE9230 is the chipset for the StarTech SATA card (see https://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/HDD-Controllers/SATA-Cards/4-Port-PCI-Express-SATA-6Gbps-RAID-Controller-Card~PEXSAT34RH) – fanli Mar 09 '18 at 07:55
The card that you linked to in your question is a PCI card. The one you linked to above this comment is a PCIe card. So is the card in question really a PCIe card? – Spooler Mar 09 '18 at 07:57
Oh, good catch. I had the wrong link in the question - it has been updated. It is definitely a PCIe card. I'm wondering though, would it need to be in a specific PCIe slot on the motherboard? Or are they all in theory compatible? – fanli Mar 09 '18 at 20:11
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Nah, they should all work the same. HOWEVER, I just had the idea that this card may not have a UEFI on it. Are you booting in UEFI or BIOS mode, and do you have the option to load only legacy or only UEFI cards enabled? You can optionally scan for both, but that might explain why it doesn't even seem to offer the firmware setup for this on boot. – Spooler Mar 09 '18 at 20:18
Hmm, not super sure about the boot mode. I'll do some digging next time I have access and try booting in different modes. Thanks for the helpful suggestion! – fanli Mar 10 '18 at 20:46

PCIe SATA III RAID controller card Linux setup

2 Answers2