3200 Smart Array LEDs show fault

[Wesley W.D. Summers]

I have a Compaq 3200 Smart Array controller installed in a ProLiant 5500 that is not working.

It doesn't Initialise during the POST, so there is no display of what it is doing.

The only clue to what the problem might be is in the 16 LEDs on the upper edge of the card, just near the Internal SCSI connectors. Unfortunately, I don't know how to read them.

The LED display (as shown in the attached picture) is:
CR01 - Green
CR02 - N/A
CR03 - Off
CR04 - Green
CR05 - Off
CR06 - Off
CR07 - Off
CR08 - Off
CR09 - Off
CR10 - Off
CR12 - Off
CR13 - Green
CR14 - Green
CR15 - Orange
CR16 - N/A

If anyone can help by suggesting where I could find a PDF manual (Or anything else) for this controller card that will help me determine what the problem is, I would be very pleased.


Regards, Wesley.

[Sunil Jerath]

Hello Wesley,
The best thing to do would be try to move the controller to a different slot. If still does not show up during post then remove it first. Please make sure that you have the latest bios on the system. Run the system configuration first via SP19619 which can be downloaded from the following link:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/13227.html

If still no go then you will have to replace the controller.

Regards,

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

Hope this information will help you, it is ery much correct.

CR15 This LED is will flicker if the battery-backed cache is enabled and I/O is going through the cache.

The LED will be amber if there is a battery-backed cache error

Regards,
Prashant S.

[Wesley W.D. Summers]

Dear Sunil & Prashant,

Sorry for not anticipating your questions, and not saving you time posting them.

My situation is:
- I have run the System Erase and System Configuration using a SmartStart CD compatible with the ProLiant 5500 (Sys. Con. v2.54a)
- The system BIOS is flashed to the latest version for this machine
- I have three of these 3200 Controller Cards
- Two work in Slot 2
- Only one Shows the above lights (Different from the two controllers that work)
- I have tried the Cache Memory cards from the 2 working controllers on the Faulty Card, but this doesn't solve the problem
- All 3 Cache cards work on the two working controllers

So, given that I know my two existing controllers and 3 Cache cards all work, the problem would seem to be in the NEWLY aquired 3200 Smart Array controller (Not the Motherboard or the Cache boards.


---
I just used the SmartStart CD to look at the hardware, and the Smart Array 3200 in Slot 2 is NOT visible (i.e. Slot 2 is shown as EMPTY).

So, we are back to the original question, of what doe the lights mean?

It is possible that the card has a damaged ROM (Incorrectly flashed), and trying to reflash it might solve the problem.

Is it possible to flash a card that SmartStart can't 'see'?

I guess we would know a whole lot more if we knew what the LED display meant!


Regards, Wesley.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

then you are very right get it replaced, i suppose let see the inputs of sunil also regarding same.

Regards,
Prashant S.

[Sunil Jerath]

Hello Wesley,
Please drop me a line at sunil.jerath@hp.com so that I can email you SA3200 guides since they are too big to post on the Forum. Just to let you know that if the Controller does not get picked up during the POST then you won't be able to update the firmware of the controller.

Regards,

[Wesley W.D. Summers]

Dear Sunil,

Thanks for the PDFs, while they were very interesting and will be useful in the future, they didn't help resolve my problem.

Any other suggestions from anyone?


Regards, Wesley.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi Wesley,

As i have told u this earlier
----------
The LED will be amber if there is a battery-backed cache error
-----------
as issu is still pending just give some time and try to remove battery-backed cache from card keep it disc for 25 min then connect it and then check any change in error information.

Not by swapping the cache since it is good option u have tried earlier.

Regards,
Prashant S.

[Wesley W.D. Summers]

Dear Prashant,

The battery-backed cache has been disconnected for about 5 days, and CR15 is still amber.

When I put the Cache back on, CR15 is still Amber.

I think the problem with the SA3200 must be something else other than the Cache.


Regards, Wesley.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

Then nothing much left in there from my end, to check for getting a replacement will will be good thing to do i suppose. Meanwhile did you come across any other information to solve same.

Regards,
Prashant S.