Problem with RAID SCSI on Dell 2450 - please help!

I am having some problems starting up my server. I just got it, and
this is what happens upon startup:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PowerEdge 2450/667

Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

!!***** System backplane error *****

One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/Si, BIOS V2.1-3 [Build
2951]

(c) 1998-2000 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

Waiting for Array Controller #0 to start….

Array Controller started

Controller monitor V2.1-3, Build 2951

Controller kernel V2.1-3, Build 2951

Controller POST operation successful

No Logical Drives Found

BIOS not installed!

Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

(c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

No boot device available –

Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

Alternatively, F1 – reboot does nothing besides reboots and brings
me to the same screen. F2 – setup just leads me to the BIOS. There
is little to configure in here, but if I change the SCSI/RAID
Controller from RAID Enabled to SCSI Enabled (I know it’s not
suppose to be like this, but I did it just to see what happens) then I
get this readout:

PowerEdge 2450/667

Embedded server management firmware revision 5.24

!!***** System backplane error *****

One 667 MHz Processor, Processor Bus: 133MHz, L2 cache: 256 KB Advanced

Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI BIOS v25305

(c) 1999 Adaptec, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<<< Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSI Select(TM) Utility! >>>

No boot device available –

Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

If I run the SCSI Select(TM) Utility it finds 0-zero drives

any help would be more than greatly appreciated!
Thanks
-Joe

 

I really don't know. I'm still stuck here. Here is a "gathering" of all
of the informaiton that i have collected so far. hopefully clearing up
any confusion or questions and raising some possible solutions

I have 3 <a
href='http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/specs/scsi/st318404lc.html'>seagate
cheeta st318404LC</a> 9.1gb hard drives installed
I have tried taking all of them out besides one, tried different orders
of the drives, and still the same thing. (all SCSI Drives, no IDE).
These drives are attached to a backplane board that automatically sets
the drive ID and termination. (however, i am getting that "System
backplane error")

I looked up the documentation for the <a
href='http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/pe2450/en/index.htm'>Dell
Poweredege 2450 Server</a>. Everything IS connected correctly

the RAID Controller hardware key is in place, and so is the RAID
controller DIMM (as they were from the beginning).

Lights on the hard drive:
1 Drive online indicator light off
2 Drive activity indicator green light on
3 Drive failure indicator light off

I never get to a point in the startup where i can configure the RAID
bios

I tried doing a <a
href='http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?releaseid=R81212&c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs='>Firmware
Upgrade</a> and a system BIOS upgrade. but i keep getting the same type
of results

There is no OS currently installed. I have tried installing Fedora Core
3, but it fails to find any drives as well.


hope this can help someone help me