I'm scratching my head on this one.

For this post, we have two Intel Xserves in question -- both a couple years old. A Dual 2.0GHz and a Dual 3.0GHz. The 2.0 GHz machine is running 10.5.8 just fine. We wanted to move those services to the 3.0 GHz machine.

We should be able to shut them all down, pull the drives (2 mirrored drives) from the 2.0 and put it in the 3.0, and boot up. Unfortunately, the 3.0 won't see the drives at all. Even if we hold down the option key at boot time, it won't see the drives. It just goes to the folder with the flashing question mark.

The 3.0 will boot off of another drive, either external or internal, 10.4, 10.5, whatever. It just doesn't like the drives from the other Intel Xserve.

To make sure we had all the right Software Updates, we installed 10.5.8 Mac OS X Server on that machine and ran all the software updates, including the LOM firmware update. It now reports that all software is up to date.

Any idea why it won't see the drives?

Thanks!

Neil

Yes, it is the theory and the simplicity of the OS. It should work as advertised. It even boots off of 10.4 so OS version isn't it.

Disk Utility won't even see the drives booted from another device?

May have found the solution...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10240772&#10240772
http://www.afp548.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=23982

I don't have any extra jumpers here, but I'll get some this week and give it a try.

Thanks!

Neil

Let us know how that works out. Yours must have the RAID card option then. The machine has built in 3.0 SATA, but from the one link you posted it says the RAID card option only has 1.5? I don't get why they do things like that, a server class piece of hardware with 1.5 SATA RAID.

Well, it doesn't have the RAID option card, but I'm guessing it's the boot rom difference that is keeping us from using the drives in one and not the other. We'll see if this works.

Thanks!

Neil