MSA1000 suddenly started blue-screening DL380

[Paul_637]

DL380 G4, Server 2003 SP1 fully MS-patched
MSA1000 (FW latest as of 3 weeks ago)
SAN Switch 2/8 FW 3.1.0
QLogic FCA2101 HBA, Driver 9.0.2.11
Using Storage Virtual Replicator 4.1

Server / Storage been running for a few weeks without problems. Been creating / chaning logical drives in VR no problems during testing.

Yesterday, in prep for going live (installing final apps etc. next week) I killed the logical drives in VR / ACU in prep for final disk config.

Zapped storage pools in VR & then logical drives in ACU. Created new logical drives in ACU but VR wasn't seeing them when trying to create new pools.

Rebooted server and could see new pool.

Repeated to create remaining logical drives in one go & rebooted server to see them but server now blue-screens the moment it tries talking to MSA1000.

Proved this by disconnecting MSA during bootup and server boots fine. Within 5 seconds of connecting server fibre to MSA, bluescreen again.

Swapped fibre, no change. Swapped port on switch, no change.

I do have a second HBA (this was the MSA starter SAN (NOT small business SAN)) but would like to get an idea of problem before swapping them due to WWN changes etc.

I also had an image of the server I took 3 weeks ago so restored that but the problem still stands so doesn't appear to be driver / OS corruption.

Any suggestions REALLY appreciated. I'm not in next week so need these guys to have nice smooth access to the server!!!

Regards,

Paul

[Paul_637]

Having now dug around, I found a new driver released on 4th December so installed that but no difference.

I then installed the second HBA in place of the original.

This initially worked, in that I could see the MSA and configure it. However, within 5 seconds or so of adding the new controller to the SSP settings (so that it could "see" all the logical drives) the server blue-screened again.

So, there must be something up with the MSA I'd say. (EMU 1.86, controller f/w 4.48.B342).

I'm currently on hold with HP (who are, as usual, trying to tell me that the unit is "out of warranty" despite purchasing it less than 2 months ago!!!).

Actual STOP error is:

Error code 000000ca, parameter1 00000002, parameter2 8a312cb0, parameter3 00000000, parameter4 00000000.

Any help / pointers would be appreciated

Regards,

Paul

[John Kufrovich]

Are you running Secure Path?

[Paul_637]

No Secure Path. Single Server, single controller, single Switch 2/8.

HP came back to me and suggested (as I had no data to worry about) resetting the controller through the CLI.

However, on trying it (with the correct lead and on two different servers) I can't seem to get HyperTerminal to connect to it (19200, 8-N-1 no Flow Control).

I've emailed HP back but am now away from the office on training until Monday week although I may be able to dial in for a nose during the evenings.

[John Kufrovich]

Paul, you have some conflicting information.

FCA2101 is a emulex, not Qlogic. The HBA driver version is Qlogic.

[Paul_637]

My apologies. It is the QLogic (I typed the original in a bit of a hurry!) 2124 I think?? Single port jobbie...

Paul

[Thor-Ivar Lund_1]

Hi Paul.

I had the same trouble (and many other...) with VR 4.0 and MSA1000 (also with that firmware).
Did never get any good answer or help from HP support.
My solution to the problem was removing VR, setup a new volum, restoring from backup, and NEVER use VR again in a critical production environment.

This was the 4th time it caused strange bluescreens and stop in production in a about year.
First time was after a windows patch, second was a bug in VR, third was after i used a disk-info utility, and fourth was MSA firmware upgrade.

Maybe this is "fuel on fire" but I know many
storage people agree wih me. It's just to risky since this is software-controlled.
And when it fails it's just not so quick and easy to get the data or snapshots mounted on another server.

So my strong recomandation is, DONT USE IT!!
If you strongly neeed this funcionality then
then buy an EVA controller with some disks. The price on the smallest EVA's are pretty cheap now.

I know this doesnt help you with your problem
right now, but i just felt for letting you know my opinion.

:-)

Regards
TIL

[Håkan Persson_1]

Also have this problem at a customer. Both with V3.0c on w2k and with V4.1 on w2003.
I get different errors depending on what I present to the server. Sometimes it bluescreens directly at boot, sometimes I can see a LUN from disk manager, but cant access it.

Also running FW 4.48 on the MSA1000.

Is it supported to create one array on the MSA and then create LUNS from that, and present them to different machines (I know the MSA supports it) when using VR on them ?

For example, in Array A, there is 3 LUNs, the first LUn is presented to SrvA, the second to SrvB and the last is presented to SrvA.

[John Kufrovich]

Paul, this is very unusual.
Concerning your hyperterm, try connecting at 57600. The Uart on the controller may have been changed for FW download.

What is you ACU version?
In ACU, do a clear configuration on the MSA. This will reset the box to factory specs.

Have you run the latest PSP on the box.