DL320s with non-HP SATA disks (Seagate 7200.11)

[GaryF]

We installed Barracuda 750GB and 1500GB SATA disks (for cost and density reasons) in a DL320s + P400 running Win2003. This is the first and only time we've gone with non-HP drives, but the largest available HP-branded SATA was a 1TB at >> $600 (the 1.5TB drives were < $200). Anyway, the 750s are in a RAID1, the 1.5 disks in a RAID6. They all ran fine for a few months, then one morning I got *many* event log entries reporting unrecoverable read errors on a controller consistency check (or surface scan). This kind of snowballed, as the controller marked down the drives, then eventually the volumes. I was able to re-enable the volume(s) with the ACU and pull the data off, but have otherwise pulled them from the machine. Has anyone else experienced success or failure using this controller/drive combo? Obviously, with the recent Seagate trouble, I'll update the HDD firmware (though these disks did not "brick" as seems to be the notorious failure mode). The 750s are using firmware SD15, while the 1.5s are SD17. All the HP is latest.
Thanks!!

[gregersenj · Accepted solution]

Are you running FW 5.22 on smart array, and FW 1.24, on the backplane?

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=1161723&prodTypeId=329290&objectID=c01635634

Cheers
/jag

[GaryF]

Thank you for the reference - I missed that one! I had updated the P400 FW to 5.22, but only after the incident occurred. I updated the backplane to 1.24 today, and also updated the driver (to 6.13.xx after the incident, and another minor tick to 6.14.xx today). Also upped the Seagate FW to the latest they've posted: SD1A on the 750GBG, and SD1B on the 1.5TB. That's about all I can do at this point, so I've fired it back up and we'll see what happens. The HP advisory does fit our symptoms, and would also comport with the more generally reported Seagate issues. Fortunately, the disks report clean - no abnormal error counts in the stats now - so I'm cautiously optimistic. Thank you again for your kind assistance!

[gregersenj]

You're Welcome. :)

Cheers
/jag

[GaryF]

Wow, time flies. Should anyone happen by here, the system - as updated above - has run rock-solid for the past year plus.

[GaryF]

See solution above.