RAID5 Failover Container 0 No Failover Assigned

[etaylor]

We have one 5.1 Novell Server with Raid5 4 hard drives. One of the hard drive is blinking yellow indicator light. On the sys$log.err found the followings:

6-27-2004 3:47:42 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
ID(0:01:0); Selection Timeout [command:0x28]

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
ID(0:01:0) - IO failed, Cmd[0x28]

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
ID(0:01:0); Aborted Command [command:0x28]

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
ID(0:01:0) - IO failed, Cmd[0x28]

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
<...repeats 1 more times>

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
RAID5 Container 0 Drive 0:1:0 Failure

6-27-2004 3:47:43 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
RAID5 Failover Container 0 No Failover Assigned

6-27-2004 3:47:48 am: PERC2-2.70-0
Severity = 0
Drive 0:1:0 returning error

Its seems to me, it is hard drive falure. We appreciate if any one advice, whats are the setps should I do to resolve the issue.

Thanks,

 

[terry712]

i assume with a perc - it's a dell

i assume it's hardware raid - if it is it's just a case of removing failed drive - putting new one in
server will rebuild array automatically - you will see more disk activity

on hp'etc - it would noramlyy say disk failure - array placed in interim recovery mode - get your butt moving and fix my disk - or that kind of statement

alos normally you would check with cpqonlin - that would say whats happened or insight manager but no idea with dell - if it is a dell - i know they use perc's

 

[marvhuffaker]

Just one recommendation, Don't ask DELL to help you with your Novell problems. If they say it needs to flash the bios, tell them BS. If they say that you need to wipe out your RAID 5 system and install clean, tell them BS.. If they say that a few errors in VREPAIR is a serious problem, tell them to wang nuts where to go. (This comes from experience last weekend with a client of mine -- they had a Preemtive Failure on a Raid 5 -- The drive hadn't even failed yet -- but they Dell got involved -- server ended up being wiped out <see prior notes about what not to let them do>. single server tree. You can image the pain.)

Technically, since the drive has failed, you should be able to pop bad drive out, pop new drive in. end of story. However, your company opted for the lower end technology of Dell and so it doesn't always work that perfectly. (With Compaq you could have had this resolved and been playing solitaire again in the time it took you to post your message).

Look into a Dell tool called FASTCLI. and there is also a utility you can load up on your workstation to view the array and see the status, manage it, etc. That's my recommended route. However, you also have to have the agents running on the server. Again, the install process is hokey and may cause you fits. I can't remember the exact name of the utility, but it should be somewhere in your system media cd's.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[marvhuffaker]

hey I remember the utility.. It's called Dell Array Manager. You should have it on your CD's from dell when you bought the server.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[TheLad]

Yeah, just replace the failed drive ....

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&quot;It's true, its damn true!&quot;
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[LawnBoy]

Don't let these guys scare ya. The Dell Perc RAID controllers works just fine. That "blinking yellow indicator light" is the disk that failed, just pull it out and slide in a new one.

We've been a Compaq Server shop for many many years and the Proliants are top-notch kit. We decided to try a couple of Dells just for grins and I've beaten those PERC controllers to death, trying to get them to screw up.

You shouldn't need the Dell Array Manager unless you're changing the config of the array. A simple disk swap should be flawless (it will take a little time to rebuild the new drive, but it shouldn't significantly affect the server's performance).

 

[LawnBoy]

Oh, and, Marv is right, never contact Dell support except to say "send me this part". Their help desk is just reading scripts, and the scripts are for Winbloat...

 

[marvhuffaker]

Nothing beats a good discussion about Dell. I actually have a lot of clients that run Dells. And overall, they run really good. I won't argue that. But it seems that when things go bad, they go really bad. I've never had the same bad problems with Compaq. They are solid.

For example... Lets say one of your clients "accidentally" pulls a drive out of a dell. You're screwed. Put a new drive in place of it and now it doesn't know what's going on. You have to go into the utility and tell the raid that the drive has failed before it will recognize the new one.. On a compaq, when the same thing happens, their raid cards are smart enough to know that a missing drive is a failed drive. Put a new drive in and it rebuilds the array. done.



Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[LawnBoy]

Well my only experience is with the Dell PERC3 controllers; I don't know about earlier versions but I have popped out a running disk and slapped in an unformatted one with no issues. I also only run RAID1 and that may make lots of difference.

Like I said, we bought a couple of PowerEdge 2650's as a test run, and so far they've been great.