Persistent Battery Failure on Smart Array 641

[Alex_450]

Hi,

I have a Smart Array 641 controller (firmware 2.80) on an ML350 G3 that keeps reporting a battery failure. I have replaced the battery twice and each time this happens:

1)'Charging' for a couple of hours
2) "Battery OK", accelerator is re-enabled
3) Then after 4 or 5 hours "Failed, Replace Battery" again.

Is the controller card at fault, or perhaps the cache module on which the battery is installed?

It can't be the batteries surely? Both were brand new, dated 2008!

any help gratefully received!

Alex

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi Alex,

There was an issue in early versions of the firmware as described here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01213272〈=en&cc=us&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=3745263&prodTypeId=329290

I wonder whether something got reverted in 2.80 ?

You could try downgrading the firmware to 2.68 and see if that makes any difference...

Cheers,

Rob

[Alex_450]

Rob,

Thanks for the reply. Sadly I was actually already on 2.68 with this problem and upgraded to 2.8 to see if it would solve it. I went through all the battery charging problems with earlier firmware versions with these servers over the past few years so it was the first thing I tried!

I have two of these servers with 641's and I'm beginning to think that they might be getting past their sell by date as I have had a string of problems lately with corrupted data when a disk fails despite the array having redundancy.

thanks,

Alex

[James ~ Happy Dude]

Hello Alex,
Run an Array Diagnostic utility & post the REPORT here.

Regards.

[KarloChacon]

hi

I think when Fw is updated and battery was replace NEXT cache module

regards

[Alex_450]

Thanks for your replies

HP Array Diagnostics report attached

Alex

[James ~ Happy Dude]

Hello Alex,
ADU report doesn't say much. I guess you have the 2.80(B) Firmware released this year. Is the BIOS also updated ??

I may be wrong But as far as I recall, this BBWC SHOULD have 2 Batteries in it. R u replacing the same Battery time-n-again ? Or have you replaced both Batteries.

Again, I may be wrong; but my experience says it could be.
;-)

Regards,

[Alex_450]

James,

Thanks for the follow up. Yes, it's rev B firmware, the very latest available.

I'm not sure what version the server BIOS is.

There is only one battery on the Smart Array 641 cache.

Its basically the same as the 642:

http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01127202/c01127202.pdf

as per diagram on page 7-1 with a single battery on the back of the cache module.

Alex

[Bellymonster]

Getting the same error with a Smart Array 641. Battery has been replaced and firmware upgraded to latest.

Anyone manage to fix it?