[KLUG Hardware] RedHat 7.3 "installation note" for 3Ware Escalade owners ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

RedHat 7.3 includes 3w-xxxx driver 1.02.00.016.

Escalade 6000-series:

This _is_ the same driver as the latest Escalade 6000-series 6.9
firmware revision, 1.02.00.016.  RedHat 7.3 should install fine on all
6000-series systems (upgrading to firmware 6.9 _recommended_).

Escalade 7000-series:

This is _older_ than the latest Escalade 7000-series 7.4 firmware
revision which expects the _newer_ 1.02.00.018 version.  If you haven't
upgraded to 7.4 yet, you're okay (although you should do so along with a
drive update) to install RedHat 7.3 on earlier firmware revision
boards.  If you have, you'll need to either A) create your own RedHat
driver disk (for install or upgrades), B) upgrade in "real-time" (with
RPM) instead of via CD boot and compile the updated driver before you
reboot the 3Ware volume (again, upgrades only), or C) install to a
non-3Ware controlled "helper disk" so you can compile the updated driver
before transferring files to the 3Ware volume.

Do NOT "tempt fate" by installing with the older driver on a board with
the newer 7.4 firmware -- especially if you are upgrading an existing
install.  Not worth it IMHO. ;-P

-- Bryan

P.S.  Don't confuse hardware BIOS/firmware revisions with driver
revisions -- they _will_ differ, even they use the same x.yy.zz.aaa
revision nomenclature.

-- 
The US government could be 100x more effective, and 1/100th the
Constitutional worry, if it dictated its policy to Microsoft as
THE MAJOR CUSTOMER it is, and not THE REGULATOR it fails to be.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan J. Smith, SmithConcepts, Inc.   mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org
Engineers and IT Professionals     http://www.SmithConcepts.com