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Re: ML350 Multiple Drive Fails

 
Nigel Holmes
Occasional Contributor

ML350 Multiple Drive Fails

Hello,

I wonder if any one can help. I have a new ML350 with a Smart array 641 and 3 x 72 Gb drives in it. The server has 2Gb RAM and twin 3.2GHz processors. It is a G4 machine.

I have been building the server with Smartstart v7.1 and trying to put windows 2003 on the server.

However during the many reboots that helpful Microsoft require I have drive fail lights come on (often in pairs). The lights come on about every 10th reboot. I have wiped and rebuilt the server twice but still have the issue.

I have swapped out 2 of the disks thinking this was the problem, but I continue to have difficulties. Drive fail lights keep appearing sometimes one often pairs and different drives each time. Often (but not always) on reboot.

I think I have a hardware problem so have called in Compaq under warranty. The engineer told me there was no problem and I needed to do a wipe and rebuild. After a short (stressy!) conversation he swapped the backplane and RAID controller. The system continued to fail so I reported the issue to Compaq again. This time the (same) engineer replaced the motherboard.

7 reboots later and yet another drive light has come on!

Has anyone else seen this and what was the fault or if anyone has any suggestions I would be very grateful.

Nigel
3 REPLIES 3
Robin_37
Trusted Contributor

Re: ML350 Multiple Drive Fails

Run the Hp diagnostics utility and check your harddrives for any error. use a different scsi cable, upgrade the system and option firwere.
e4services
Honored Contributor

Re: ML350 Multiple Drive Fails

I am thinking it is a problem with the preemptive failure system seeing something in the drives that does not match the values it has. Strange though that everyone out there has not seen this problem if that were the case.
The only thing left is the drive though, he has replaced everything else.
Hot Swap Hard Drives
Nigel Holmes
Occasional Contributor

Re: ML350 Multiple Drive Fails

Just to inform you I have been in contact with Compaq again and it **appears** the problem is with a small batch of the 72Gb drives and their firmware.

An update is available (you need the firmware CD 7.1 (download from the smartstart web site) and a diskette with the firmware on. I did not have any success with this (the CD hung examining the system) so I had the drives replaced instead.

Fingers crossed this is it!

Thanks for all those that have helped on this one.
regards

Nigel