How to Flash an LSI HBA to IT-Mode (IT-Firmware) for ZFS
ZFS / TrueNAS / Unraid require HBAs in IT (Initiator-Target) mode — direct disk access without RAID abstraction. Most enterprise HBAs (LSI 9300-8i, Dell HBA330, IBM M1015) ship in IR (Integrated RAID) mode and need re-flashing.
What You Need
- LSI HBA card (9300-8i, HBA330, M1015, similar)
- Bootable USB with sas3flash / sas3ircu utilities
- IT-mode firmware (.bin file from Broadcom/LSI Support)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Identify your HBA model and current firmware
Boot to existing OS. Run `sas3ircu LIST` (LSI) or `lspci | grep -i lsi`. Note the exact model (e.g., SAS3008 = LSI 9300-8i). Download the matching IT-mode firmware from Broadcom Support.
Step 2: Create bootable USB with flash utility
Use a tool like Rufus (Windows) or `dd` (Linux) to create a FreeDOS bootable USB. Copy sas3flash.efi (or sas3flash.exe), the IT-mode firmware .bin file, and the BIOS .rom file to the USB root.
Step 3: Boot to UEFI shell or FreeDOS
Insert USB, reboot, press F11/F12 to boot menu, select UEFI USB. Browse to /sas3flash directory.
Step 4: Erase existing firmware
In the UEFI shell: `sas3flash.efi -o -e 6` (or `sas3flash -o -e 6` in DOS). This erases firmware. WARNING: the card is now non-functional until step 5 completes. Do not power off or interrupt.
Step 5: Flash IT-mode firmware
`sas3flash.efi -o -f 9300-8i_IT.bin -b 9300-8i_IT.rom`. Replace filenames with your downloaded firmware names. This writes IT-mode firmware + BIOS. Takes 30-90 seconds.
Step 6: Reboot and verify
Power cycle the server. Boot to OS. Run `sas3ircu LIST` — should show new IT-mode firmware version. ZFS/TrueNAS/ESXi vSAN now see individual drives directly without RAID abstraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need IT-mode for ZFS?
ZFS manages all disk redundancy itself — RAID-Z is software RAID using ZFS checksums. ZFS expects raw disks; if it sees a hardware RAID volume, it can't do its own scrubs, replacements, or healing properly. IT-mode = "just pass me the disks" to the HBA.
Will I lose data when flashing to IT-mode?
Data on disks survives the HBA flash — disks are not touched. But the RAID configuration stored on the HBA itself is erased. If you had a hardware RAID array, the array metadata is lost (the disks will appear as individual disks after IT-mode flash).
Can I flash an HBA without booting to DOS/UEFI?
Some HBAs support flash from inside Linux via `sas3flash` Linux binary. But UEFI shell is safest because no other OS process can interfere. We pre-flash IT-mode on request for any HBA we ship — free of charge.
Need the parts?
Pro Disk Network stocks all the parts referenced in this guide. Email sales@prodisknetwork.com with your server model — we will send a quote within one business day.