unable to install at all -- dell server with raid card

[cloudsense]

Hi,

we are not able to install this version at all.

This is on a dell server R730  with raid card ( which we are not  able to bypass)

There are 3 possible configs from the bios for the raid card and disks.

1. raid controller on raid mode and  disks on raid
2. raid controller on raid mode and disks non-raid
3. raid controller on hba mode and disks non-raid

on the opnsense side, the config options are:

zfs (stripe) on  top of raid
zfs (mirror ) on non raid
zfs (mirror ) on hba , non-raid
ufs install on first disk

All of these 4 options fail.

Research points to using mrsas and disabling mfi driver, but I was not able to figure out how to do it from the installation iso. I was hoping to tackle this after installation, but it does not install at all and just hangs.

Screenshots
- zfs mirror takes ages with disks on non-raid mode .. in 6 hours, it moved 1%
- rest of the 4 modes give io errors as in the screenshot

If somene else has dell servers and the raid card, can you please let me know what raid card you are using, or what is done to install it. In 24.1 the only possible way to install was doing non-raid mode and zfs mirror, but its full of erros and the system is slow with constant errors as in the screenshot.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Which RAID card exactly? Possibly it can be flashed to IT mode.

I'd join the TrueNAS forum, explain the situation, and ask for help. This is where you find the folks who know Dell hardware, cross-flashing, FreeBSD etc.

https://forums.truenas.com

[cloudsense]

Thanks,
Will try.

The controller is PERC H730P Mini

[fakebizprez]

I am having the same issue. When I was reading your post I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't me who wrote this earlier.

Did you find a solution?

This is the ONLY device I've ever had trouble installing OPNsense. I used to run it on a PowerEdge R900 with no issues from the Raid controller.

[fakebizprez]

I have been researching this topic for 48 hours now, and I can't even find any documentation on flashing the PERC H730 to IT mode, but just about every other older RAID card. It appears from other comments I've read that this card does not require to be flashed into IT mode because it is newer, and if the drivers are up to date then it does have a true HBA mode.

I followed the instructions on how to correctly move into HBA mode (after updating every available driver), and the OPNsense crashes on install. I have run out of solutions other than ordering an HBA card. I'm ready to throw this server out of a window.

Anyone running OPNsense on a PowerEdge R730, please feel free to chime in .

[allan]

I am not running this hardware, but have you checked out this thread? OP mentioned turning off X2APIC so it might apply here as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/136o9xi/freebsd_on_dell_r730xd_woes/