loc_az_hci/docs/architecture/driver-matrix.md

Driver Version Matrix

Driver Compatibility and Version Information

This document provides a comprehensive driver version matrix for all hardware components in the Azure Stack HCI environment.

Network Interface Cards

Intel i350-T4 (4× 1GbE WAN)

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	Intel PROSet	27.0	Latest	Intel Download Center
Linux	igb	5.15+ (kernel)	Latest kernel	Kernel built-in
OpenWrt	igb	Included in OpenWrt	Latest OpenWrt build	OpenWrt packages

Installation:

• Windows: Use Intel PROSet installer
• Linux: Kernel module (usually built-in)
• OpenWrt: Included in standard builds

Intel i350-T8 (8× 1GbE LAN)

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	Intel PROSet	27.0	Latest	Intel Download Center
Linux	igb	5.15+ (kernel)	Latest kernel	Kernel built-in
OpenWrt	igb	Included in OpenWrt	Latest OpenWrt build	OpenWrt packages

Installation:

• Windows: Use Intel PROSet installer
• Linux: Kernel module (usually built-in)
• OpenWrt: Included in standard builds

Intel X550-T2 (2× 10GbE)

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	Intel PROSet	27.0	Latest	Intel Download Center
Linux	ixgbe	5.15+ (kernel)	Latest kernel	Kernel built-in
OpenWrt	ixgbe	Included in OpenWrt	Latest OpenWrt build	OpenWrt packages

Installation:

• Windows: Use Intel PROSet installer
• Linux: Kernel module (usually built-in)
• OpenWrt: Included in standard builds

Intel i225 Quad-Port (4× 2.5GbE)

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	Intel PROSet	27.0	Latest	Intel Download Center
Linux	igc	5.15+ (kernel)	Latest kernel	Kernel built-in
OpenWrt	igc	Included in OpenWrt	Latest OpenWrt build	OpenWrt packages

Installation:

• Windows: Use Intel PROSet installer
• Linux: Kernel module (usually built-in)
• OpenWrt: Included in OpenWrt 22.03+ builds

Storage HBAs

LSI 9207-8e (SAS2308)

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	mpt3sas	2.00.00.00	Latest	Broadcom Support
Linux	mpt3sas	5.15+ (kernel)	Latest kernel	Kernel built-in
OpenWrt	mpt3sas	Included in OpenWrt	Latest OpenWrt build	OpenWrt packages

Firmware:

• IT Mode Firmware: P20 (recommended)
• IR Mode Firmware: P20 (if RAID needed, not recommended for this setup)

Installation:

• Windows: Download from Broadcom support site
• Linux: Kernel module (usually built-in)
• OpenWrt: Included in standard builds

Firmware Flash:

• Use sas2flash or sas3flash utilities
• Ensure IT mode firmware is flashed before use

Crypto Accelerator

Intel QAT 8970

Component	Driver	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Source
Windows	qatlib	1.7.0	Latest	Intel QAT Downloads
Linux	qatlib	1.7.0	Latest	Intel QAT Downloads

OpenSSL Engine:

• OpenSSL QAT Engine: 0.6.0+ (bundled with qatlib)
• OpenSSL Version: 1.1.1+ or 3.0+

Installation:

• Windows: Use Intel QAT installer
• Linux: Build from source or use distribution packages

Verification:

# Linux
qat_service status
openssl speed -engine qat -elapsed -async_jobs 36 rsa2048

# Windows
qat_service.exe status

Operating System Compatibility

Windows Server Core

Component	Windows Server 2019	Windows Server 2022	Notes
Intel NICs	✓	✓	PROSet 27.0+
LSI HBAs	✓	✓	mpt3sas 2.00.00.00+
Intel QAT	✓	✓	qatlib 1.7.0+

Proxmox VE

Component	Proxmox VE 7.x	Proxmox VE 8.x	Notes
Intel NICs	✓	✓	Kernel 5.15+
LSI HBAs	✓	✓	Kernel 5.15+
Intel QAT	✓	✓	Requires qatlib installation

Ubuntu LTS

Component	Ubuntu 20.04	Ubuntu 22.04	Ubuntu 24.04	Notes
Intel NICs	✓	✓	✓	Kernel 5.15+
LSI HBAs	✓	✓	✓	Kernel 5.15+
Intel QAT	✓	✓	✓	Requires qatlib installation

OpenWrt

Component	OpenWrt 21.02	OpenWrt 22.03	OpenWrt 23.05+	Notes
Intel NICs	✓	✓	✓	Included in builds
LSI HBAs	✓	✓	✓	Included in builds
Intel QAT	Limited	Limited	Limited	Requires custom build

Driver Installation Order

Windows Server Core

1. Base OS Installation

   • Install Windows Server Core
   • Install Windows Updates

2. Network Drivers

   • Install Intel PROSet for all NICs
   • Verify all ports detected

3. Storage Drivers

   • Install LSI mpt3sas driver
   • Flash HBAs to IT mode
   • Verify shelves detected

4. Crypto Drivers

   • Install Intel QAT drivers (qatlib)
   • Install OpenSSL QAT engine
   • Verify QAT acceleration

Linux/Proxmox VE

1. Base OS Installation

   • Install Proxmox VE or Ubuntu
   • Update kernel to latest

2. Network Drivers

   • Verify kernel modules loaded (igb, ixgbe, igc)
   • Configure network interfaces

3. Storage Drivers

   • Verify mpt3sas module loaded
   • Flash HBAs to IT mode (if needed)
   • Verify shelves detected

4. Crypto Drivers

   • Install qatlib from source or packages
   • Configure OpenSSL QAT engine
   • Verify QAT acceleration

OpenWrt

1. Base OS Installation

   • Install OpenWrt x86 build
   • Update packages

2. Network Drivers

   • Verify kernel modules loaded
   • Configure network interfaces

3. Storage Drivers

   • Verify mpt3sas module loaded
   • Configure storage if needed

Driver Verification Commands

Windows

# List all network adapters
Get-NetAdapter | Select-Object Name, InterfaceDescription, Status

# List all storage controllers
Get-StorageController | Select-Object FriendlyName, Status

# Check QAT status
qat_service.exe status

Linux

# List network interfaces
ip link show
lspci | grep -i network

# List storage controllers
lspci | grep -i storage
lsblk

# Check QAT status
qat_service status
lsmod | grep qat

OpenWrt

# List network interfaces
ip link show
uci show network

# List storage controllers
lspci | grep -i storage
lsblk

Troubleshooting

Network Driver Issues

Problem: NIC not detected

• Solution: Verify PCIe slot connection, check BIOS settings, update driver

Problem: Slow performance

• Solution: Verify driver version, check for firmware updates, verify PCIe lane allocation

Storage Driver Issues

Problem: HBA not detected

• Solution: Verify PCIe slot connection, check BIOS settings, verify IT mode firmware

Problem: Shelves not detected

• Solution: Verify cable connections, check HBA firmware, verify shelf power

QAT Driver Issues

Problem: QAT not detected

• Solution: Verify PCIe slot connection, check BIOS settings, verify driver installation

Problem: QAT acceleration not working

• Solution: Verify OpenSSL engine configuration, check QAT service status, verify application configuration

Related Documentation

• Hardware BOM - Complete bill of materials
• PCIe Allocation - Slot allocation map
• Bring-Up Checklist - Installation guide