RaidTec FlexArray RAID configuration
in [Storage]
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From: Marco De Vitis on 20 Sep 2009 07:26 Hi, I need to understand what's wrong in a SCSI storage enclosure like this: http://www.dmi-inc.com/pdf/raidtec/flexarray_hi12.pdf It was mounted on a Linux system, and suddenly appeared to have bad filesystem errors. I couldn't work around the problem in any way through software. I'd like to check its RAID configuration and see if just some HDs are damaged, but I can't find a way to do it! Its LCD panel, its serial port and a related Windows application (the latter two according to the manual, as I didn't have a way to check myself) are only used for a few configuration options like alarms etc. By the way, the only error shown in the LCD panel is about a fan receiving low current. How on earth is that thing actually configured?? I mean RAID levels, etc... Any clues? Thanks. -- Ciao, Marco.
From: Arno on 20 Sep 2009 09:14 Marco De Vitis <starless(a)spin.it> wrote: > Hi, > I need to understand what's wrong in a SCSI storage enclosure like this: > http://www.dmi-inc.com/pdf/raidtec/flexarray_hi12.pdf > It was mounted on a Linux system, and suddenly appeared to have bad > filesystem errors. > I couldn't work around the problem in any way through software. > I'd like to check its RAID configuration and see if just some HDs are > damaged, but I can't find a way to do it! > Its LCD panel, its serial port and a related Windows application (the > latter two according to the manual, as I didn't have a way to check > myself) are only used for a few configuration options like alarms etc. > By the way, the only error shown in the LCD panel is about a fan > receiving low current. > How on earth is that thing actually configured?? I mean RAID levels, etc... > Any clues? Thanks. First, if the device itself and its monitoring software does not display any problem, then this may actually not be a problem with the storage. Can you post the exac first error messages from the Linux system log here? As to the hardware, I think this may be SCSI-Raid controller on the drive side with an SCSI host interface showing the RAID array as a single drive. If so, you only chance may be the Windows application, and that immediately shows the stupidity of such a setup. If you want to test the individual disks, you habe a differenc option: Stop this thing and test the disks one by one in a different computer. This is SCSI, so a bit different procedure to the usual SMART stats query is needed. What you can do is read the complete disks (dd_rescue <disk> /dev/null, e.g.) and then query the SCSI device error pages (scsictl, if I remember correctly). Incidentially, this shows (again) the superiority of software RAID, were you do not have to jumt through hoops like inadequate proprietary management software. Arno
From: Marco De Vitis on 20 Sep 2009 10:25 Il 20-09-2009 15:14, Arno ha scritto: > the storage. Can you post the exac first error messages from the > Linux system log here? Hard to remember, also because it's not mine. But it was first noticed that some files were unreadable, and the error was something like "short read". Then, when trying to reinitialize the thing (mk2fs etc.), things got even worse, and it seemed to "lock" during access attempts, starting to emit a sort "beep - beep" sound alert which, of course, the manual does not mention at all :-P. > If you want to test the individual disks, you habe a differenc This can be a bit hard in this specific case, I'd prefer to find out how to manage the thing and let it make its checks... -- Ciao, Marco.
From: Arno on 20 Sep 2009 18:05 Marco De Vitis <starless(a)spin.it> wrote: > Il 20-09-2009 15:14, Arno ha scritto: >> the storage. Can you post the exac first error messages from the >> Linux system log here? > Hard to remember, also because it's not mine. > But it was first noticed that some files were unreadable, and the error > was something like "short read". THis basically only means the device stopped to supply data. It can be anything, and does not need to be a disk problem. > Then, when trying to reinitialize the thing (mk2fs etc.), things got > even worse, and it seemed to "lock" during access attempts, starting to > emit a sort "beep - beep" sound alert which, of course, the manual does > not mention at all :-P. Ah, but this is not a data-recovery operation then? Good. >> If you want to test the individual disks, you habe a differenc > This can be a bit hard in this specific case, I'd prefer to find out how > to manage the thing and let it make its checks... Understandable. Regard the manual drive check as a fallback option then or as the "we could do this, but it is not really cost effective" option. Arno
From: Marco De Vitis on 21 Sep 2009 02:20
Il 21-09-2009 0:05, Arno ha scritto: > Ah, but this is not a data-recovery operation then? Good. Exactly. We (they) have a backup of the data. We just need to know if the array is still usable. -- Ciao, Marco. |