System will not boot when the SAN storage device is attached

[Qcheck]

I am running rhel5.4 and server boot fines when storage is down or not attached, but when storage is powered on or attached to the server, then it fails to boot from the hard disk. Is it possible it was looking the hard disk on the storage. The server h/w is xseries server. x3850s. All 4 nodes does the same thing, installed O/S on all these 4 nodes. While the server is up and then power on the storage then, the server can see the luns. The problem is when the storage is up and then when we try to reboot the problem exists. It fails to boot from the hard disk and then goes to the PXE boot.

Any assistance will be highly appreciated. Solution needed ASAP.

Thank you in advance....

[Gerardo Arceri · Accepted solution]

Yes, can you check the Boot Order on BIOS Setup to ensure the local hard disk controller is above the SAN Controller or that the Local controller is selected as the default boot device?

[Qcheck]

Gerardo,

Is that the boot order in BIOS settings? I only have 1)CDROM/DVD 2)FLOPPY 3)Hard disk0 4) PXE.

Is that you are referring or can you please point the step-step in the BIOS settings so that I can verify. I have been working 12hrs a day since 3 days and didn't know where it is going wrong?

On one of the nodes, there is one fiber card bad, and that node is rebooting fine when the server is attached to storage.

Can you please provide the steps in BIOS, to check the SAN controllers are not above the hard disk?

Thank you and waiting for the response.

[Qcheck]

It appears to be the slot2 fiber cards on x3850s. When I take off the cards on slot and reboot when the storage is attached, then it reboots fine.

In the x3850's guide it says they are x8 Elec cards. Any one has any idea?

Thank you

[P Muralidhar Kini]

Hi Pratibha,

Was the boot order in the BIOS changed in the recent past ?

>> When I take off the cards on slot and reboot when the storage is
>> attached, then it reboots fine.
This looks odd.
Can this be a problem with the x8 Elec cards ???
just guessing.

Regards,
Murali

[Gerardo Arceri]

Prat:
I don't know that particular server brand BIOS, but my best guess is that it's set to boot first from the pci storage controller (in this case the FC Cards)
Another option that i'm pretty sure will work is to enter the FC Cards configuration utility during post and make sure the BIOS is disabled on each card, that way the system will NOT BOOT from them..

Thanks a lot!