unRAID and USB DOM

[Kaldek]

So Linux Tech Tips just released this video about server grade USB 2.0 storage which should be excellent for unRAID OS.

What are the community thoughts on this?

[Dephcon]

I just saw this as well, they specifically mentioned unraid but I'm not sure they actually tested it.

 

@limetech could you comment on support for these types of disk?  Is it just a matter of whether it was a GUID or not?

[chrissi5120]

Also,the availability of this things seem to be fairly limited.. 

I can only find weird ebay listings

[wgstarks]

AliExpress has some. 30 day shipping though.

[tjb_altf4]

11 minutes ago, wgstarks said:

AliExpress has some. 30 day shipping though.

You'd be lucky if AliExpress vendors ship out within 30 days 

[macdvd]

Got mine here:

 

https://uk.farnell.com/swissbit/sfui008gj1ae1to-i-5s-2ap-std/industrial-usb-flash-drive-module/dp/3527088?CMP=i-ddd7-00001003

 

But be warned.... my attempt to use this dom has not gone well. I am now suffering from a problem that many have seen (not necessarily with a dom... but regular usb drives too) where unraid will start from power up, but not from reboot.

 

There is nothing wrong with the DOM... indeed it works fine on three other machines, and tests with no error....clearly a mystery compatability issue.

 

Am still messing with bios setting to see if there is any effect (some have reported resolution this way).

 

My problem shows itself as i/o errors on sda and many Bread Block fails when a restart is commanded after Syslinux loads. However exactly the same DOM boots fine following a Power Off.

 

Best plan would be to use a test build to verify all is well before moving a live server over. I have a problem now in that I moved over to the DOM to make the machine more reliable long term..... moving my licence with it.... and have cause a problem as bad as i was trying to prevent.  

 

I may have to contact UNRAID support to do a second move of my licence... if allowed.

 

 

[macdvd]

Since my orginal build of UNRAID, my only real concern was the reliance on a USB Drive for boot and config. My experience with even the good ones, is that they fail, and usually when you lest expect.

 

So having seen Linus's review of the use of a USB DOM, with its proper wear leveling and SLC flash, this seem slike a great way to enhance the availabilty of my UNRAID solution.

 

This however has proven to not be the case, and a new problem has appeared which i cannot resolve.

 

Having used the UNRAID tool to migrate to the new USB dom I installed in my system and turned it on and all appeared ok.

 

However when the system is soft restarted (from webui or console), UNRAID does not come back. Noteably on the console amongst all the other boot lines I obeserve IO Errors for sda, and Bread block errors.... end result is either boot drops to a restart request... or I get a default Tower login.. and a blank system.

Sometime it will say sda is no longer avaiable.

 

Just the sort of thing you would get with a failing Flash drive... except it isnt failing.

 

The odd bit (and also confirmation the dom is ok) is if I power the server off. And then on ... it boots fine, no sign of any IO erros or Bread Block errors, the smb flash mount is browasable... and all appears to be ok..can copy config or whole drive with no error... clearly its fine. And it continues to work for weeks.... This occurrs 100% repeatble.

 

I have tested the DOM on a number of different machines, mac, windows and Linux and all confirm the DOM is working fine,,, with no error.

 

Problem occurs both with UEFI or Legacy boot.... however in legacy boot only gets to "syslinux dd" and dies, but from power up no problem.

 

I have also noted that even with the failed boots, the initial image is copied and checksummmed ok.... it seem its not until syslinux boots that everything goes nuts.

 

Have attached diag file...

 

The dom is (incase some one else whats a challenge!):

https://uk.farnell.com/swissbit/sfui008gj1ae1to-i-5s-2ap-std/industrial-usb-flash-drive-module/dp/3527088?CMP=i-ddd7-00001003

 

Anyone had anything similar?I have seen others have had a very similar experience with USB Flash drives too...but it seem to be very rare, and all BIOS tweaks that have worked for some have been tried with no impact.

 

I could end up having to revert back to a normal USB stick (my previous Samsung FIT 32G worked fine), but as i have used my 1 time licence move, i will have to go through UNRAID support to see what can be done. I am concerned i might get the same problem again... but cant tell until after i move a licence.... but also kinda defeats the whole point of this exercise.

 

 

borg-diagnostics-20220521-1112.zip

[JonathanM]

3 hours ago, macdvd said:

I am now suffering from a problem that many have seen (not necessarily with a dom... but regular usb drives too) where unraid will start from power up, but not from reboot.

This is often caused by a BIOS setting, where not all devices are fully cycled and initialized to save time. Look for "Fast Boot" or something similar, may possibly be effected by other boot settings like USB controller device detection, legacy or not, etc.

[JonathanM]

Did you read my reply in to your other post about the same thing?

 

[trurl]

I have merged your thread into that other thread you already posted on about this.

 

Please don't post in multiple threads for the same issue. It makes it impossible to coordinate replies.

[macdvd]

21 hours ago, JonathanM said:

This is often caused by a BIOS setting, where not all devices are fully cycled and initialized to save time. Look for "Fast Boot" or something similar, may possibly be effected by other boot settings like USB controller device detection, legacy or not, etc.

 

Yeah it's something I suspected as much, I've gone through all the settings to no avail unfortunatley. I'm currently suspecting that it's something that cannot be changed with the board I'm using, which is a shame.

 

Unfortunatley without proper USB debugging tools, I don't think I'll ever know what's actually going on.

 

14 hours ago, trurl said:

I have merged your thread into that other thread you already posted on about this.

 

Please don't post in multiple threads for the same issue. It makes it impossible to coordinate replies.

 

Apologies, that was not my intention. I had followed the link from the main unRAID support page and believed I had to raise a forum post to raise a ticket directly with unRAID support.

 

Thanks for merging the topics.

[trurl]

8 hours ago, macdvd said:

raise a ticket directly with unRAID support

Free support is on the forum from your fellow Unraid users. Paid support can be negotiated.