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If your Avago MegaRAID SAS 9361-16i is “recognized but stops working,” first identify what recognizes it and where operation fails. PCIe detection does not prove the controller firmware, operating-system driver, StorCLI management path, virtual disk, or attached drives are working. Check those layers in order, preserve the current RAID state, and avoid resets or configuration changes until you know whether the data is at risk.
What does “recognized but stops working” mean?
The symptom can describe several different failures. A card visible in firmware setup may still fail to initialize; a controller visible to the operating system may have a driver or management problem; or the controller may remain available while drives or a virtual disk disappear. These cases call for different next steps.
- PCIe or firmware setup: Does the system firmware list the card in its PCIe inventory?
- Controller firmware: Does the card initialize during boot, or does startup stall or report an error?
- Operating system: Does the OS list the controller, and is its driver loaded?
- Management: Can StorCLI query the controller and return status?
- Storage: Are the virtual disk, physical drives, enclosure, and ports visible and healthy?
Also record when the failure occurs: during boot, after the OS loads, or only during I/O or sustained load. Note whether the card disappears, hangs, loses drives, or loses a virtual disk. “Recognized” and “stops working” are not precise enough to establish a cause by themselves.
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Before troubleshooting, write down the exact controller and OEM/part identity, host model, operating system, controller firmware and driver versions, and the time and circumstances of the failure. If StorCLI still works, save its readable controller, virtual-disk, and physical-drive status. Preserve relevant OS and system logs as well.
#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with: LSI 9300-8i; Controller: LSI/Broadcom SAS3008 (12Gb/s SAS)
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 12Gbps SAS, SATA 6Gbps
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. --Direct attach up to 8 drives, and expand via external SAS Expander for large arrays
- PERFECT FOR: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab & NAS storage
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1; 2× SFF-8643 to 4× SATA cables (8× SATA ends). --Cables in box are for SATA drives. They are not compatible with SAS drives. To connect SAS drives, use SFF-8643 to 8482 SAS cables (sold separately) or our matched HBA + cable kit.
Do not clear the controller configuration, initialize disks, create a replacement virtual disk over existing members, or repeatedly reset a controller that is failing. Those actions can complicate recovery. If a virtual disk is missing or the data matters, stop state-changing work and seek qualified storage support with the logs, disk inventory, RAID level, and configuration details. The available official material does not establish one universal recovery procedure for this symptom.
Work through the likely failure layers
1. Check the physical and platform path
Follow the system’s service procedure and power down as required before inspecting hardware. Check that the card is seated, its slot is functioning, attached drives and any backplane have power, cables are seated, and cooling and airflow are adequate. Change one thing at a time and record the result so the change can be correlated with the symptom.
Rank #2
- Compatible with: D3307/LSI 9300-8i; Controller: LSI/Broadcom SAS3008 (9300-8i class).
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: SAS 12Gb/s (backward-compatible with SATA 6Gb/s).
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. Direct attach up to 8 drives, and expand via external SAS expander for large arrays.
- PERFECT FOR: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox/ESXi passthrough, JBOD NAS builds.
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1
A user report describes ports dropping on a 9361-16i installation, but that anecdote does not establish a general defect or show that a cable, card, or port is the cause in another system. Diagnose the actual connection path rather than treating a similar report as a repair instruction.
2. Confirm the OS driver and management path
If firmware setup sees the card but the OS does not, check whether the OS has loaded a driver compatible with the exact card and host. If the OS sees the controller but StorCLI cannot query it, record the exact command output or error; that points to a different layer than a virtual disk that has gone offline.
Rank #3
- Compatible with: LSI 9300-8i & 9211-8i; Controller: Broadcom/LSI SAS3008 (12Gb/s SAS3, 8-port)
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 12Gbps SAS, SATA 6Gbps
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. --Direct attach up to 8 drives, and expand via external SAS Expander for large arrays
- PERFECT FOR: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab & NAS storage
- Packing List: HBA Card: 1; SFF-8643 to 4× SATA Cables: 2. Cables in box are for SATA drives. --They are not compatible with SAS drives. To connect SAS drives, use SFF-8643 to SFF-8482 cables (sold separately) or our matched HBA + cable kit
Broadcom’s 9361-16i Quick Installation Guide, dated March 4, 2016, directs users to the model-specific Driver area in Broadcom’s support/download search. It is a useful route to model-specific support, not proof that a package from 2016 is current. Check both Broadcom’s guidance and the system vendor’s compatibility information for the host and OS.
3. Match firmware and software to the exact controller
The MegaRAID SAS 9361-16i is a specific legacy 12Gb/s MegaRAID controller. Do not assume firmware for a newer, superficially similar MegaRAID card is appropriate. OEM-branded variants may have their own firmware lineage; confirm the exact card identity and supported package before considering an update.
Rank #4
- ▲ Supports X8 PCI Express 3.0 Host Interface
- ▲ Supports 16 internal 12Gb/s SATA+SAS ports
- ▲ Supports SAS link rates of 3Gb/s, 6Gb/s, and 12Gb/s
- ▲ Provide 4 x4 internal small SAS HD connectors (SFF-8643)
- ▲ Supports up to 1024 SATA or SAS terminal devices
Broadcom’s firmware guidance says to use StorCLI when the operating system is running, cautions against online ResetNow for a controller that is already having problems, and directs users to shut down gracefully and restart after flashing. Its warning is explicit: “If you are having problems with your controller, do not use the online ResetNow parameter.” Given an unstable controller, firmware flashing is not a first diagnostic step. Preserve the current status and confirm the exact approved image and procedure before any firmware work.
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If member drives show foreign, offline, or failed states, the virtual disk has vanished, or controller resets coincide with I/O errors, stop writes and avoid configuration changes. Keep the drive inventory and logs intact and involve a storage specialist rather than guessing whether to import, clear, or initialize a configuration.
Best Value
- Compatible with: LSI 9300-8i; Controller: LSI/Broadcom SAS3008 12Gb/s SAS HBA controller for server, NAS, workstation and home-lab storage builds.
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 12Gbps SAS and SATA 6Gbps, designed for direct disk passthrough and software-defined storage.
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. Direct attach up to 8 drives, and expand via external SAS Expander for large arrays.
- PERFECT FOR: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab and NAS storage builds that need stable HBA passthrough for SAS or SATA drives.
- Packing List: HBA Card: 1; SFF-8643 to 4× SFF-8482 SAS Cables: 2. Cables in box are for SAS drives. They are not compatible with SATA drives. To connect SATA drives, use SFF-8643 to 4× SATA cables sold separately or our matched HBA + cable kit.
Use official support material for the exact model
Broadcom’s MegaRAID and HBAs Support area and Common MegaRAID Solutions/FAQ collection provide official support routes for MegaRAID and legacy-controller topics. The 12Gb/s MegaRAID SAS Software User Guide, dated June 9, 2017, documents StorCLI functions and controller and drive management. Because that guide is dated, use current model-specific release material and system-vendor guidance for exact present-day procedures.
When a controller replacement is justified
Consider replacement only after diagnosis supports a card fault rather than a driver, slot, power, cable, cooling, or drive-path problem. Before swapping or buying a controller, verify the precise 9361-16i and OEM identity, firmware and driver compatibility, cache and backup configuration, and RAID metadata compatibility. Replacing the card alone does not recover data, and changing hardware without understanding the existing array can add risk.
Quick Recap
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