Using the sata_sil24.c posted in another thread here on the boards, I've built an oem.tgz file that I am currently using with a Sil3132-based Rosewill PCI-e 1x 2-port SATA controller:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132008

I also have an Adaptec 1220SA that uses the same chipset, which shows as loaded in the console (the device has "vmhba2" next to it in lspci, but does not appear in the Storage Adapters list in the vSphere client). I am still working with this device. Any clues here would be greatly appreciated.

Which PCI id does the Rosewill adapter use?

For the Adaptec card I would take a look through /var/log/messages for the section when the driver is loaded. It may show you something.

The Rosewill uses 1095:3132, while the Adaptec uses 1095:0242. The Adaptec has a *much* larger BIOS-baed configuration utility so I'm assuming there's some other logic on the card, where as the Rosewill is much simpler.

The Adaptec card has RPMs for Redhat on the driver card, but I haven't taken them apart to see if they can be used.

Most any of the sub-$50 Sil3132 controllers should work with the OEM.TGZ above, at most requiring a simple.map change:
SYBA SD-SA2PEX-2IR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815124027

SYBA SY-PEX40015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6816124030

SYBA SD-SA2PEX-1E1I
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6816124004

CABLES UNLIMITED IOC-7707
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815340011

I've got the Adaptec card working, I had to the PCI ID to the accepted cards struct in the sata_sil24.c file.

The OEM.TGZ attached to this post will supports all Silicon Image 3124, 3131, 3132, and 3531 chipsets. The 3531 chipset is mapped to a 3131 device in the driver, and the Adaptec 1220A is supported as a 3132 chipset. An Intel (PCI vendor ID 8086) branded 3124 chipset is also supported.

I've also built the sata_mv.c file, which adds support for about 7 Marvell PCI-X / PCIe SATA I & II chipsets. These are:

- 88sx5040 (11AB:5040)
- 88sx5041 (11AB:5041)
- 88sx5080 (11AB:5040) - HighPoint RocketRAID 182x
- 88sx5081 (11AB:5081)
- 88sx6040 (11AB:6040)
- 88sx6041 (11AB:6041)
- 88sx6042 (11AB:6042)
- 88sx6080 (11AB:6080)
- 88sx6081 (11AB:6081) - HighPoint RocketRAID 2220
- 88sx7062 (1103:2310) - HighPoint RocketRAID 2310 PCIe

Both drivers are from the 2.6.20.21 kernel, and have NCQ support.

Thank you for this. I installed a Sil3132 PCI-E SATA card (a generic Chinese card labelled Best Connections on the box and sold as a Skymaster brand) and the oem.tgz (unchanged) from this post. It worked beautifully.

Awesome, I'm glad someone found this useful.

Hi,
Thanks for this oem.tgz.

I'm thinking of bying an adaptec 1220SA to make raid0 for esxi 4U1,
but does it work in raid mode ?
I'm looking also on the adaptec 1430SA (Marvell 88SX7042), will your oem.tgz already integrated this drivers too ? (for raid mode).

Thanks.

Adaptec's website lists both models as being base on HostRAID which is basically software based RAID. The drivers with ESX(i) don't support software RAID.

I have an DC-4230 sata controller in my ESXi 4.0 host, also with a "Sil 3124 chip" on it. I replaced the oem.tgz, did the reboot and my device is now shown up in the "lspci"-list. I have connected a hard disk.

But when I open up my VI-Client I neither see it in "Storage Adapters" nor in "Data Storage"

Did I something wrong?

What's the PCI id for your contoller. It may be that it's not included in the oem.tgz file attached to this thread. You can try to manually load the driver with vmkload_mod /path/driver. If the driver can recognise the controller then it will load and you'll be able to see the controller in the vSphere client (at least until you reboot). But if vmkload_mod works then all you have to do is to modify the oem.tgz to edit simple.map to include the pci id for your controller.