So we got in two new Dell Precision 690s at the shop yesterday and our first task was to install Windows 2003 Server on it (it comes with Windows XP Pro). After trying all the normal stuff (I used to think I knew a thing or two about computers) nothing was working because the Windows 2003 Server disk couldn’t identify the SAS drive installed and according to Dell Tech Support, they didn’t have a driver available for Windows 2003 that I could use with that controller. Incidentally the WinXP driver from the install disk didn't work with W2K3 either.
So I went to Dell’s web site thinking we’ll just return these boxes and get a “Tower Server” instead and found while I was “shopping” that the Dell 2900 uses the exact same SAS 5/i Integrated controller that my boxes have and by gosh they have a Windows 2003 driver available for it. Thanks Dell…well I guess it’s not totally their fault, the level 1 guy I was speaking too at least admitted he’d only been there a short while and if I called back later I might get a more experienced support rep.
So in the end we were able to slick the system, hit F6 during setup to install the additional driver (that Dell “doesn’t” have) and now I have a functioning system :)