I seem to have done a similar kind of thing. I used fw comming from IBM for (apperently not) this controller. The difference is: I used the 'ignore vendor' command to get it done.
Now my SAS BIOS looks at a device sitting on PCI bus 11, but the windows driver sees a controller on PCI bus 17. And so does the MegaRAID Storage Manager.
The thing is: I cannot seem to find ANY .fw file for this controller on the HP site. I do keep running into a document on the HP site mentioning the .fw for this controller.
I would be so helped out if someone could use (from the OS) sasflash to ceate a FW backup file form a working XW8600 SAS controller and send it to me somehow. I think that will be the only way to obtain the correct firmware.
I am still able to flash the controller firmware with the wrong .fw file. So I'm quite sure I will be able to do so with the right file.
Another thing that does not become clear for me somehow, is the fact that there's a lot of talk about the XW8600 having a 1068e B1 chip, but I could only use a .fw file for the 1068 B1 without the 'e'. If there's anyone with a xw8600, please let me know what kind of controller your system tells you you are having?
Thanks very much in advance. It seems to me this might take a long time to be followed up on, but I'll be patient. I've got all drives hooked up to the Intell controller now. But the machine was so much more 'snappy' with the RAIDs connected to the SAS controller.