SATA FAQ:

1. Q: Is it possible to use IDE drives to install and run ESX server?
A: It is possible to install ESX on an IDE drive, but to create a VMFS partition, you will need a SCSI disk. Without a SCSI disk available the VMkernel will not load, and you will be unable to allocate any disk space for a virtual machine.


2. Q: What about SATA disk drives?
A: SATA disk drives fall under the same category as IDE drives. However, there are a few SATA RAID cards that will present logical drives to the VMkernel that look like scsi disks. They are listed in the tables below.


3. Q: There aren't a lot of SATA RAID cards listed below, will card X work?
A: If the SATA RAID card has no memory on it, the odds are that the card uses software drivers to provide the RAID functionality. Because VMware only supports a limited number of devices, and there is no support for SATA it is almost certain that the card will not work. The tables below are what I have gathered and are certainly not comprehensive. If you do get a card working please send me an email with details.


4. Q:Where can I purchase an inexpensive SATA RAID card listed below?
A: I have found some of the cards listed below on ebay for around $120-$160. At my local Fry's the LSI 150-4 retails for around $300. It is often much less expnsive to purchase SCSI gear to get a functional system. Personally I have found that most SCSI gear is far too loud for my home office and doesn't provide adequate storage space. Realize that there is no support for SATA gear, and it is not suitable for production use.

Confirmed Working

Controller	Driver	vmware-devices.map	lspci
LSILogic MegaRAID 150-4	megaraid2	unknown	unknown
LSILogic MegaRAID 150-6	megaraid2	unknown	unknown
Dell Cerc 1.5/6ch	aacraid-115	device,0x9005,0x0285,scsi,CERC SATA RAID 2 PCI SATA 6ch (DellCorsair)	RAID bus controller: Adaptec Adaptec SCSI (rev 01)
Adaptec 2610SA	aacraid-115	device,0x9005,0x0285,scsi,AAR-2610SA PCI SATA 6ch	RAID bus controller: Adaptec Adaptec SCSI (rev 01)
Intel SRCS14L	gdth	device,0x8086,0x0600,scsi,RAID Controller	RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation RAID Controller





Suspected to work

Controller	Driver	vmware-devices.map	lspci
Adaptec 2410SA	aacraid-115	device,0x9005,0x0285,scsi,AAR-2410SA PCI SATA 4ch (Jaguar II)	RAID bus controller: Adaptec Adaptec SCSI (rev 01)
HP P600	unknown	unknown	unknown





Confirmed not Working

Controller	Driver	vmware-devices.map	lspci
Intel SRCS28X	unknown	unknown	unknown