topic Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400 in Disk Enclosures

Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Yaboto — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:10:33 GMT

Hi,

I have an EVA4400 Storage. There is a disk failure every week. Now the situation is so worse that 2 EVA disks are failing at the same time every week. If it were not because of the double protection level, all the data would have been wiped out.
I am using Blade / RHEL5 / LVM with the EVA Storage.
Could it possibly be that I have to upgrade the firmware version ?
What are the prerequisites for firmware upgrade ?

Best Regards,
Yaboto

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Cass Witkowski — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:58:13 GMT

Yes you should upgrade to the latest firmware for the EVA4400. Do this first and see if the disk errors continue or disappear. If they continue then I would suspect they are real or someother hardware is failing.

Cass

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Sivaramakrishna_1 — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:14:40 GMT

What type of Disks you are using in EVA and what type of load on EVA.

You can update the storage to latest XCS (9534) and Disk image to latest.

You can get the HDD latest image from below link

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software11/COL35161/co-87106-1/HDDBundled_Image_2010_08_27.zip

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

CLEB — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:05:46 GMT

There are several steps that need to be performed before upgrading the XCS version.

Check out these articles:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c02248615&dimid=1056415184&dicid=alr_jun10&jumpid=em_alerts/us/jun10/all/xbu/emailsubid/mrm/mcc/loc/rbu_category/alerts

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c02250662&dimid=1056415184&dicid=alr_jun10&jumpid=em_alerts/us/jun10/all/xbu/emailsubid/mrm/mcc/loc/rbu_category/alerts

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Tim Nelson — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:00:30 GMT

before blindly making changes I would place a call with HP.. why jeopordize your data even more by making random changes.

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Yaboto — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:21:57 GMT

Thanks for all your replies.

I upgraded the EVA successfully with the following:

300_09534000.SSS from XCS_09534000_Media_T4256_10039.ISO

I know this upgraded the controllers, but I don't know wether it upgraded other components like disks drive enclosures, HDD etc..

Please Advice

Yaboto

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Mark... — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:17:15 GMT

Hi,
NO, this will not have done the disk drives.
The controllers and I/O modules (if required)are code loaded when you code load the controllers.
You will potentially still need to do the disks.
Disk f/w from here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/ProductList.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=329290&prodSeriesId=3302267&taskId=135

scroll down and one from the bottom is the EVA HDD bundle. Download that and then read the release notes about HDD upgrades.

Mark...

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Sivaramakrishna_1 — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:23:21 GMT

Hi,

I have provided the HDD firmware link in my earlier reply.

Just download the zip file and apply from codeload button on CVEVA.

You need to select the second option (Codeload drives online). specify the zip file and proceed.

Make sure that you dont have any vraid0 volumes. If it is CVEVA 9.3 then it will give an option to continue even if it is vraid0(continue with risk)

Else you need to delete if any vraid0 volumes and complete. It is a complete online activity which can be planned in least IO period.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software11/COL35161/co-87106-1/HDDBundled_Image_2010
_08_27.zip

Siva

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Yaboto — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:41:59 GMT

Thanks for all your replies, there are very helpfull.

Just after the controller firmware upgrade, the defauld disk group (contains Data) started levelling and the levelling is very slow: only 5% after 1 hour 8 minutes.

Please do you recommend HDD firmware upgrade in that condition or I should wait till the levelling is completed.

Please Advise

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Sivaramakrishna_1 — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:46:25 GMT

You can plan the same during less IO period. I have executed several times during levelling activity and didn't experience any issues.

The activity will take more time if Array is busy.

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Yaboto — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:58:17 GMT

I have upgraded the firmware for the whole EVA Storage including the HDDs successfully.
Thanks for your very helpfull contributions.

After the firmware upgrade, can you suggeste to me any other preventive mesuare to help keep my EVA Storage better ?

Thanks

Re: Frequent multiple disk failures in EVA4400

Mark... — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:20:03 GMT

Hi,

Keep an eye on HP software depot for CV and EVA updates from here:

https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/index.do

Create an a/c in HP smart portal. From here you can sign up to be notified for all HP products h/w, s/w, management s/w, networks etc whatever you are interested in.

http://h20375.www2.hp.com/portal/site/publicsmartportal/

And once you have an HP passport you can go to SPOCK for all sorts of good info on HP products:

https://passport2.hp.com/hppcf/login.do?TYPE=33554433&REALMOID=06-000dbdc0-c08e-16fc-808e-a14d91447abd&GUID=YES&SMAUTHREASON=0&METHOD=GET&SMAGENTNAME=$SM$KZFTaxglpH1gtkIG3uvw8gHYOEP9wuqbTECwkSuG9Mn%2b7Gj91Bqi9HGYeV9SbUKH&TARGET=$SM$http%3a%2f%2fh20272%2ewww2%2ehp%2ecom%2findex%2easpx

Mark...