3SI - and scsi target id 1 dropping

[Robert Searle]

3SI - and scsi target id 1 dropping (second bay) on LPR..
I think I have the latest bios and firmware for the card..

I have tried 3 servers and 3 drive trays..

I disconnected the internal scsi cable from the mother board riser.. Terminated the onboard riser with the terminater taped to the inside the case (have no need for the onboard SCSI).. Added the 3SI to slot 2.. connected the end of the SCSI cable that was on the repeater card to the (second or third) channel on the 3SI.. I can format drives.. Create, initialize, and check consistency several times.. I can start the OS install, create and format the partition, but shortly after files start to be copied the second slot drive fails.. if i switch the drives around and do it all over it is still the second drive bay that fails..

We bought the servers and card from HP 2 years ago and have never added this card to a server..
We are now out of support and I do not have the install document nor can i find it online..
The closest I found was a docdescribing how to install the cable kit so the onboard external scsi port works after installign the 3SI

Any insight on this one??
Many thanks in advance..

[Robert Searle]

Another question if i may..
What is the back plane that holds the two drives called in a Netserver LPR??
Does it have a bios or firmware upgrade available??

Adittional info for the first post..
Just two internal drives -- system is not a cluster

3SI Firmware C.02.06
Bios Version B.02.04
transfer rate Ultra 2
Fast initialization Disabled

=============================
Number Of Logical Drives: 1.

Logical Drive 0
State : Degraded
RAID TYPE : 1
Write Policy : Write Back
Read Policy : Adaptive Read Ahead
Cache Policy : Cached I/O
Stripe Size : 64K Bytes
No. of Stripes : 2
Size : 35002MB
Component Physical Drives :

RANK 0
CHANNEL : 1, ID : 0
CHANNEL : 1, ID : 1

[Terri Harris]

Just to clarify, you have 3 different Netserver LPr servers all dropping SCSI ID # 1?

1. Does this occur both with the NetRAID-3Si card and when the drives are connected to the built-in SCSI?

2. There is no backplane firmware update for the LPr. Your NetRAID firmware rev is current. System BIOS should be 4.06.35PR, if not update from here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?locale=en_US&pnameOID=18328&taskId=135&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=50457&cc=us&swEnvOID=54

3. Are there any errors on POST?

[malvin drakley]

Hi you should be able to find all the documentation you need here

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Resource.jsp?locale=en_US&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=50457

hope this helps
malvin

[Robert Searle]

I experiance the issue with all three servers.. As soon as I get to the part where the OS starts to copy files (after about 10 percent) the alarm goes off and the drive in the second slot changes to failed..

changing position of the drives, its always id 1 that drops, the drive in ID 0 is fine

[Robert Searle]

Just to clarify, you have 3 different Netserver LPr servers all dropping SCSI ID # 1?
yes

1. Does this occur both with the NetRAID-3Si card and when the drives are connected to the built-in SCSI?
no because the onboard scsi does not support hardware raid.. All drive diagnostics from the manufacturer report all is well with the world

2. There is no backplane firmware update for the LPr. Your NetRAID firmware rev is current. System BIOS should be 4.06.35PR, if not update from here:

system Bios is current

[Robert Searle]

HP NetServer LPr BIOS for Windows 2000 6 Nov 2002 4.06.34 PR 520 KB -- Is listed under the "Microsoft Windows 2000 section, but I later found the version you list under the "Cross operating system (BIOS, Firmware, etc.)" section

All three servers were upgraded with the latest version before the last round of testing..

[Mark Young_2]

Hi,

I also would like a bit of clarification. when you say it is happening on your three different LPr's, is this with the same 3Si card and the same two drives?

Your cabling is all correct, so that would lead me to question the harddrives. Are they both HP (i.e. not third party)? If they are HP, are they supported for this server. If you aren't sure, post the Product ID number off of the drives and I will check them for you. If both of theses criteria are met I would suspect that the drives have an older firmware and need to be updated. Also, when you are looking at the properties of the drives to get the current firmware version, check to see if any Media errors are showing up.

Also, I don't know if you mentioned it or not, but you want to be sure you have the latest Driver for your 3Si. If you are using the latest firmware, but an older driver, it can cause problems.

[Robert Searle]

It is not the drives..

Same raid controller with three diff servers and 2 sets of drives..

I just loaded Windows 2k using an Adaptec AAA-131U2 and both drives are still in operation status after several reboots and service packs..

2 sets of drives (one set shipped with the server from HP with hp logo's all over them)
2 18 GIG HP DRIVES -- D7175A

2 36 GIG SEAGATE DRIVES -- ST336704LC
I was able to get support for the Seagate drives and loaded the latest firmware for them

If the drive on SCSI id 1 fails, I can clear the config, power off the machine, switch the drives between bay 0 and 1, reconfigure everything exactly the same and again SCSI ID 1 fails..

If I remove the 3SI and connect the internal SCSI back up and run Seagate Enterprise Utilities on the individual drives everything checks out ok on a per drive basis..
Full surface scans, SQL drive I/O test, defrags all work normally and no issues with the OS..

All of the same tests work on the raid set as well in degraded mode (except the tests where the utility requires direct access to the physical device)

The 3SI reports 0 errors .. just fails the drive.. After its been failed I can low level format it rebuild the array.. I can not rebuild the array without low level formatting the drive it instantly fails..
Once the array has been rebuilt the SCSI id drops again sometime before the log in prompt..

[Robert Searle]

Netserver Managegment Controller Firmware version C.05.09

[Greg Carlson]

Robert,
Are you connected to Channel 2 on the netraid? Channel 2 on the netraid 3si is only good for external connection. There is an issue with Ch 2 internal termination issues which could cause what you are seeing. Make sure you cable to Ch 0 or 1 internally.

Greg

[Robert Searle]

Number Of Logical Drives: 1.
Started on channel 2 currently on channel 1

Logical Drive 0
State : Degraded
RAID TYPE : 1
Write Policy : Write Back
Read Policy : Adaptive Read Ahead
Cache Policy : Cached I/O
Stripe Size : 64K Bytes
No. of Stripes : 2
Size : 35002MB
Component Physical Drives :

RANK 0
CHANNEL : 1, ID : 0 <--
CHANNEL : 1, ID : 1 <--


And I really appreciate the effort in helping me try to figure this out..

[Mark Young_2]

Ok,

Here is what I would recommend you try. Try hooking up the onboard SCSI controller to the hotswap cage again. Put a drive in the slot that always fails and install an OS to it. Run the server and see if that drive fails. If not, it would point to the NetRAID 3Si.

You could also try plugging the hotswap cage into the other 2 3SI SCSI channels to see if maybe the problem is only with the channel you are using.

Really, it can only either be a bad cable, a bad card, bad drives or a bad backplane. You seemed to have ruled out the backplane, cable and drives through your troubleshooting so it seems to only leave the card itself.

Keep us posted,

Mark

[Robert Searle]

Well, all I/O tests pass on the adaptec card..

I am thinking its the card as well..
It is the only piece I don't have an extra one of..

Brand new sitting on the shelf for better then 2 years doesn't help with trying to RMA it..



Anyone want a BRAND NEW 3SI cheap ?? /smirks

[Robert Searle]

Is there any chance of getting an RMA for the card ?

[Mark Young_2]

Hi,

I'm assuming your server is out of warranty as well? Or did you buy an extended warranty or support pack?

It would be replaceable under the warranty of whatever server it is in, as long as the card is supported on that server.

Mark

[Greg Carlson]

Robert,

One more piece of your configuration to look at. What are your hdd firmware levels? Hit F2 for driver property information on each hdd in Ctrl-M for objects, physical drive menu.

Also, Try to configure simple raid 0 with single hdd in suspect slot to see if even a single hdd fails. I would be curious though if hdd fw could be at issue due to communication issues.

Thanks,
Greg

[Robert Searle]

Created a raid 0 on scsi id 1 (second slot)..
Installed OS, service packs, I/O tests, etc..
Everything checks out..
Added drive in SCSI ID 0 (first bay) and re-ran tests, again everything is ok..

Installed NetRaid assistant and added drive and changed to raid 1..
It is rebuilding now at 31 percent..
Will perform I/O tests both before and after reboot if the process does not require reboot..

Would be VERY odd if everything works..
If it does I will start over assigning the SCSI ID 1 to the raid 1 set first..
It doesn't seem likely, but i have seen stranger things..

Will keep you all posted

[Greg Carlson]

Robert,

With Netraid assist you can check for the hdd fw by highlighting the physical drive and clicking for property. I would like to see what the hdd fw level is. Also in the netraid assist, in adapter, view log you can check and see if there are any communication errors like check condition sense key errors.

Thanks,
Greg

[Robert Searle]

Freaky !!
The raid set finished rebuilding to raid 1, performing the I/O stress tests before and after reboot and its fine..
Going to flush the config and start over adding the SCSI ID 1 drive to the config first..

As posted above I have been doing all the tests on 2 sets of drives..
In this test cycle I am using the Seagate drives..
I will redo this test with the HP drives once this cycle..
I will post the HP firmware revision when available..
I have had exactly the same results with both the Seagate and HP drives to this point in every case except starting with a raid 0 on SCSI id 1 (has not been tested yet on HP drives)..
There have NEVER been any Media Errors, Non-Media Errors, or Predictive Failure counts on any test, drive failure, or rebuild error on either sets of drives..
The drive has simply been marked failed..
I have to low level format the drive to be able to successfully rebuild the raid set..

I was able to get the latest revision of firmware for the Seagate drives
ST336704LC -- Firmware revision -- 0004 (0003 was stock)
Included 2 files one for the drive electronics and one for the actuator's

Please do not chime in about non-authorized parts etc..
I have no interest in beign berated over that issue..
Again the results of all test runs with either set of drive have been identical to this point..
I have been using the Seagate drives to rule out issues with the HP drives and wont go to production with a non approved config..

[Robert Searle]

There is a pattern but it makes no sense..
I performed each of these tests twice..

The only difference between a working and a non-working configuration appears to be the order I add the drives to the Raid 1 set..

Upon creation of a RAID 1
If I add SCSI ID 0 first, the OS install fails..
If I add SCSI ID 1 first, the OS install works..

Creating a Raid 0 using SCSI ID 1 (with or without SCSI ID 0 installed in the machine) The OS install works..
Adding SCSI ID 0 Migration to raid 1 works..

Creating a Raid 0 using SCSI ID 0 (with or without SCSI ID 1 installed in the machine)
the OS install works..
Adding SCSI ID 0 Migration to raid 0 initialy works, but fails shortly after..

p.s. The adding of the drive was in 2003 using netraid software..

Re-doing the last series of tests on HP drives..

[Mark Young_2]

Hi,

I am not going to berate you on the non-HP drives. In the interest of experimentation and thoroughness though, I would really like to know the firmware on the HP drives. I would suspect they are behind in revision.

I would be really curious to see what happens if we get the two HP drives up to the latest firmware version and then install them in the array the original way you were doing it when all of this starts.

I would be the first to admit it if i were wrong, but my bet is that it would work successfully.

Mark

[Robert Searle]

I am getting ready to go into a meeting..
As you can see by the number of installs and configurations I am testing that I am willing to invest the time into figuring out what the deal is.. I will post what the current FW revision of the HP drives when I do the first pass of tests on them..