To use DOS-based flash tools, you must boot in BIOS mode with CSM (and OPROMs too, I think) enabled. If you’re booting without a CSM, use an EFI shell with the EFI flash executables.

Number one cause of random hard crashes/hangs is RAM. Re-seat it, replace it, down-clock it, run a single stick, do everything you can to either rule it out as a problem, or to isolate the problem to a particular module or channel.

Maybe it’s clear this way:

For every 2 lanes you want allocated to the PCIe slot (up to 4), you lose two SATA lanes. Since there are 8 lanes total, but 12 possible lane destinations, they pre-made combinations of destinations that they think would be useful:

• All 8 lanes to SATA, 4 onboard and 4 through MiniSAS
• 2 lanes to PCIe and 6 to SATA, 2 onboard and 4 through MiniSAS
• 4 lanes to PCIe and 4 to SATA, either activating the 4 onboard ports or the MiniSAS (but not both)

Commscope/Ruckus/Brocade ICX7650-48ZP will do it. Be prepared for sticker shock.

Make the 10.0.0._ addresses loopback addresses, and do point-to-point connections from each box to every other box. No idea how to do this in ESXi, but it’s straightforward in *nix/BSD.