MPTCTL errors in Linux while starting the ServeRAID Manager agent service - IBM ServeRAID

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H193475

Issue

MPTCTL errors appears, in the /var/log/messages, when raid_agent service starts.

The error will appear as follows:

Affected configurations

This tip is not machine specific.

The system is configured with one or more of the following IBM Options:

• ServeRAID-8i Controller, Option part number 13N2227
• ServeRAID-8k SAS Controller, Option part number 25R8064
• ServeRAID-8k-l SAS Controller, Option part number 39R8729
• ServeRAID-8s SAS PCIe Controller, Option part number 39R8765

The system is configured with at least one of the following:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, Update 5
• ServeRAID Application CD, 9.00
• ServeRAID Support CD, 9.0

Note: This does not imply that the network operating system will work under all combinations of hardware and software.

Please see the compatibility page for more information:

• IBM ServerProven

Additional information

There are currently two workaround solutions available:

Option 1

Use the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 inbox 64-bit driver version 1.1-5 (build 2412). This driver is fully supported by IBM and does not exhibit the above error condition.

Option 2

1. Install the IBM (Adaptec) provided 64-bit Linux driver version 1.1-5 (build 2449) found on the IBM ServeRAID Support CD and the ServeRAID matrix at the following URL:
   • IBM ServeRAID software matrix
2. Install the ServeRAID Manager application for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 64- bit.
3. Locate the /usr/RaidMan/RaidAgnt.sh script and open the file in a text editor.
4. Locate and comment out the two lines noted below by placing a "#" sign at the start of the line. The "#" sign prevents the script from executing these two unneeded lines of code:

   ------------------------------------------------- # load LSI ioctl module if necessary if /sbin/lsmod | grep " mptctl" > /dev/null 2>&1 then : else # /sbin/modprobe mptctl > /dev/null 2>&1 <--- COMMENT LINE : fi # make the device node if it is not there if /bin/ls /dev/mptctl > /dev/null 2>&1 then : else # /bin/mknod /dev/mptctl c 10 220 > /dev/null 2>&1 <--- COMMENT LINE : fi

5. Save the file and exit the text editor.

The MPTCTL error is logged when the corresponding LSI 1020/1030 SCSI controller is not found. This is a minor incompatibility of a legacy LSI driver with a new Linux operating system. Commenting out the MPTCTL lines, in the ServeRAID agent script, prevents the script from attempting to load a driver that is not needed or used. The 32-bit versions of Linux drivers are not affected.