Issue with Proliant 6000/Smart Array 3100es

[John Galt_1]

I'm redeploying a ProLiant 6000 right now.

When I run the system erase utility, it hangs erasing the drive array configuration for the first array controller (1 of 1).

I rebooted, and it chastises me for rebooting and attempts to continue, promising it will take only 8 minutes or so per volume. After about an hour, I'm guessing either something is seriously wrong or it's using some other type of "minute" for it's measurement of time.

Finally, I rebooted again. I noticed that the firmware on the array controller is a little out of date, so I downloaded the latest update (SP19677.exe), made the diskettes and booted it up from the diskette. Now, the machine is hung on the screen that says "Reprogramming firmware ... Do NOT reboot or power cycle your machine!" How long should this take? It's been about an hour and a half, and I don't think anything more is going to happen now.

What is my next step here? What can I do? Will anything bad happen if I reboot it now? How do I get this machine and controller back to a functional state?

[Tom Mucha_1]

That is WAY too long for a firmware update.

Here's what I would do since your at a real bad spot now anyways. Take the array controller out and make sure the system ROMPAQ is up to date. If it is all and dandy, pop the card back in and see if it will initialize during the bootup. If it does, I'd say create another rompaq diskette, and try again. However, if it doesn't init, your array controller will need to be replaced. Unfortunatly, the older controllers didn't have a backup BIOS which would save you in a situation like this.

[John Galt_1]

UPDATE:

I left it hung up in the ROMpaq update overnight. There was no change this morning when I got here. Still on the "Updating firmware ... Do not reboot" screen.

I rebooted anyway (I doubt that any more time would help at this point.

Now, the machine doesn't show any messages from the Smart Array 3100es Controller during the boot process. I can't see any drives in the array. Also, when I tried to re-apply the ROMpaq firmware upgrade, on the screen where you select the firmware image to use, it shows:

Device to reprogram: ALL COMPAQ Smart 3X00 Ctlr(s)
Current ROM revision: COMPAQ Smart 3X00 Controller ?.??

I select the 4.50 version of the firmware from the ROMpaq diskette. Then, I get the "Caution!" screen that says:

----- Caution -----
If you continue, your firmware will be reprogrammed. Once the reporgramming of the ROM has begun, it cannot be interrupted. This process will take only a few seconds. Do not reboot or turn off your machine while the reprogramming is in progress.

Device to reprogram: ALL Compaq Smart 3X00 Ctlr(s)
Current ROM revision: COMPAQ Smart 3X00 Controller ?.??
Selected ROM revision: COMPAQ Smart 3x00 Controller 4.50
--------------------

I hit enter to let it go, and it hangs again at the next screen.

Is this Smart Array controller toasted and non-functional? What can I do to fix this problem?

[John Galt_1]

Tom,

Thanks for the answer. I'll look at either replacing the array controller now or just running the SCSI drives directly off one of the on-board SCSI ports. This server was going to be used for some testing and development. It's not a performance critical system at the moment, so it should not be a huge problem.

[Tom Mucha_1]

You can't just put the drives on the SCSI controller, since they are already in an array. If you wanted to do that you would need to format and do a restore from tape (once they are on the reg. scsi controller).

And it does sound like the card it fried! I doubt it's under warranty either.

[John Galt_1]

I understand that I lose everything on the drives. That was the plan from the beginning.

I'm redeploying this server. It's an old server that we upgraded onto new hardware. I'm in the process of setting it up with new and different OS and software for some testing and development work. I was in the middle of the system erase utility when things got flakey with the array controller. It's working OK now with the drive cage attached to the system board SCSI port. I'm installing the OS and stuff now.