HP batteries for cache

[Anna Cheng]

Looking at the doc
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00687518/c00687518.pdf
on page 19, HP recommends that battery-backed cache replacement every three years.
besides opening the server, is there any way for me to check whether the cache has been used up?

thanks

[Greybeard · Accepted solution]

Hello Anna, there is no reliable way to tell if the batteries are likely to fail in a short time if the server power fails, hence the 3 year limit. Many users seem to wait untill they get a failure to charge message but by then the cache is offline and performance suffers. I assume you are using the write back option so cache battery is needed. Best to put in new ones if you suspect they are about three years old, then stick a note to the server with the date on for next time, it's an easy 3 minute job and the batteries are quite cheap. Worth it for the peace of mind.