topic Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Dormelchen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:28:28 GMT

Hello,

i have an problem and excuse my english :-)
System: Windows 2003 Server
HP ProLiant DL 385 G2 (Smart Array 400 Controller - 2 Arrays)

Last week we had a problem with the smart array Controller - not initializing -> defect.

A few days later a HP technician replaced the Smart Array 400 Controller and the cache module with new ones.

We boot the system - seems fine.

We use this machine for Management.
So we have HP SIM , IBM tools..etc and Backup Exec.
So i tried to make Backups from other servers to this repaired machine.

Before Hardwarechange it was possible to backup servers and "work" normally on this server with HP SIM or IBM etc.

But now i cannot do anything.
It seems like the system run at 100 %, but that isnt so.
CPU is at 4 % - Idle Process is at 98 %...
Memory 500 MB..
So Windows has nothing to do.

So what is it ?
Backups take normally 20 mins.
Now more than one hour.

before the array controller is crashed everything worked fine.
After ... Big problems..

I tried to disable all services which are not needed - run perfmon with Disk Write read parameters.

So i copied one big file from this server (2nd array) to another server in the network.. worked fine. Speed seems ok.
Copied this file back - runs fine - speed is ok but after this copy it wasnt possible to do anything on this machine and i see a lot of high peaks in perfmon write to disk...
system: cpu 3 % processes .. idle 97 % Ram empty.. but very high peaks every 2 seconds (i think)

Tried to copy from first array to second ( logical harddrive to the other)
Worked fine - no problems.
Copied back - Problems and is see the peaks.

So - what could it be ?
Is it the controller ? or another component ?

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Dormelchen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:30:30 GMT

I forgot :
Disks 1 and 2 are in RAID0+1
Disks 2-x are in RAID 5

Newest Firmware and drivers
Maintenance CD 8 + PSP 7.91A

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

juan quesada — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:20:10 GMT

Hi,
Sometimes when you received the new controller it will have the FW (firmware) outdated, I recommend you to update your storage subsystem. Just boot from the FW CD 7.91. Let us know theresults.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&swItem=MTX-26a0f9e294764a91b76b282f2a&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

KarloChacon — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:21:22 GMT

hi

well you already has latest firmware and PSP

just like Juan said check in case controller does not have latest firmware

and check if this applies to you
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945977/en-us
(Non-Paged Pool (KERNEL) memory becomes exhausted) maybe...

so it is more that CPU/memory/load issue that HDDs issue right?

regards

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:51:06 GMT

Hello

i have Controller Firmware Rev 4.12

CPu Memory etc is just fine...
No load to see in the task manager but
System Idle 98 %
CPU Usage 2 %
Physical Memory available : 3619800

Copy from Disks2 -> Disks 1 : not ok - max 1500 kb/s but works

The i copied the file back to DISKS2.
worked BUT now i have Write Peaks in performance Monitor - it looks like he writes every 2 (or ever second) on disk
(Disk Write Bytes / sec + Disk Writes /sec in perfmon)
So whats wrong there ?

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

balintezer — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:18:44 GMT

Try to set the partition to active status.

You can do it in the disk management mmc console. Right click on the affected partition and "Mark partiton as active".

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:21:52 GMT

the partition is active ..

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Norman Kuehn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:08:23 GMT

How is Write Cache / Read Cache set? You can check this with ACU utility.

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:01:44 GMT

Cache Ratio 100 % Write / 0 % Write

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Norman Kuehn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:11:43 GMT

you wrote 100% write/0% write. ;-)
Don't know, whether you have 100% read or 100% write cache.

Try 50% read / 50% write.

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:23:19 GMT

Ã¤Ã¤hhm 100% Read / 0 % Write..

but how to change .. i cannot see how

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Norman Kuehn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:28:58 GMT

On the left select the controller.

On the right under "Common Tasks" choose "Controller settings".

I then see additionally "Logical Drive Array Accelerator Settings" but I do not know exactly how it works...but it sounds worth to check for further information :-)

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:09:20 GMT

Controller Settings: i see
- Rebuild Priority (high medium low)
- Cache Ratio 100% read / 0 % write (nothing to change)
- Surface Scan Delay ( in sec to change)
OK and Cancel
thats all
_____
Logical Drive Array Accelerator Settings

Array Accelerator is enabled and present

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Norman Kuehn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:54:22 GMT

Perhaps the controller cannot be configured? Hard to believe...

I saw the following by accident when updating the ACU Software in the version history of ACU. I suggest to download the latest PSP (7.91?) and install this version.

Component Name: HP ProLiant Array Configuration Utility for Windows

Component File: cp007578.exe

Version History:
--------------------------------------------

7.85.18.0

Enabled drive write cache for all SAS controllers

7.80.6.0

Support SATA NCQ status

7.73.1.0

The ACU utility was modified to display a message informing customers that a firmware update is required if firmware version 2.04 is detected on a Smart Array P400, P400i, or P800 controller.

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

KarloChacon — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:06:57 GMT

hi

a p400 controller needs 512 for BBWC to have the option to change it

so Dormelchen do you know if your p400 has 256 or 512?

regards

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:05:18 GMT

our P400 has 256 MB

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

KarloChacon — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:46:48 GMT

hi

check this

http://forums12.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1207324

about P400 too

regards

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

JT_DPS — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:28:48 GMT

You can have a P400 with 256mb and a 50/50 cache split, as long as the battery is connected and charged. P400 write performance is terrible without a battery.

Use the system management page to check the battery status.

If there is no battery fitted, you can purchase the battery kit (383280-B21) or the combined 512mb and battery kit (405148-B21)

Cheers,

Justin.

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

Marcus Breitenbach — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:03:06 GMT

Ok
we got an new controller.. (the 4.th one)
now it works fine.
So the "old" new controller was also defect.
So we had at last 4 defect controllers
delivered from HP Support...

Re: Big Problem after Smart Array Change

KarloChacon — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:43:08 GMT

wow 4 faulty controllers, no way

glad that now all is OK