Unable to format a new drive

[tunetyme]

I am running 4.7 and I have 4 Samsung HD204UI 2TB drives (1 parity 3 data) and a HD103UJ 1TB cache drive.  I am trying to add the third data drive that was formatted for windows and I successfully ran preclear (28 hours).  The format button has not appeared in any of my screens.  I've tried everything I can think of to find the format button.

 

What am I missing?

 

Tunetyem

[Joe L.]

I am running 4.7 and I have 4 Samsung HD204UI 2TB drives (1 parity 3 data) and a HD103UJ 1TB cache drive.  I am trying to add the third data drive that was formatted for windows and I successfully ran preclear (28 hours).  The format button has not appeared in any of my screens.  I've tried everything I can think of to find the format button.

 

What am I missing?

 

Tunetyem

You must first stop the array and then assign the drive to a slot in the array.

After you then start the array a button will be present to format the drive and it will show as "unformatted" in the main unRAID display until formatted.  The actual formatting will just take a few minutes for a large drive.

[tunetyme]

I've tried that several times.  The drive is assigned but the start array button is greyed out.  I have a message that says the replacement drive is too small???  This replace a drive that had intermittent failures.  They are the same size and model drive.  I've tried rebooting the system as well and the format button still does not appear and the same message remains saying the replacement drive is too small.  The prior drive did not have any data stored on it.

 

Tunetyme

[BRiT]

Post a system log. It's possible your new drive has HPA, which will need to be resolved before proceeding further.

[tunetyme]

Yes the drive has HPA.  I will post a log.

[tunetyme]

Here is the log.  BTW what is HPA?

syslog-2011-09-12.txt

[tunetyme]

This drive was originally formatted in a XP Pro box with a Gigabyte MB. 

[prostuff1]

This drive was originally formatted in a XP Pro box with a Gigabyte MB. 

There is the "problem"  The Gigabyte board is what added the HPA to the disk.

 

You will need to remove HPA from the drive. There a few ways to do this, do a search on the forum and the wiki to find them.

[tunetyme]

I found a good write up in the forum for the Samsung drive.  I am unclear the steps.  Do I need to run initconfig first or can I run pre_clear.sh -z /dev/sdX?  The drive does not contain any data.  I have already removed the drive from the array. 

[prostuff1]

I found a good write up in the forum for the Samsung drive.  I am unclear the steps.  Do I need to run initconfig first or can I run pre_clear.sh -z /dev/sdX?  The drive does not contain any data.  I have already removed the drive from the array. 

 

I don't think HPA can be removed with the preclear script.  You will need to use HDPARM or seatools, or something of the like.

[mbryanr]

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=10866.0

 

and

 

You can probably remove the HPA by performing the following on each disk in turn:

Stop the array

un-assign one of the disks with the HPA

type

hdparm -N p1953525168 /dev/sdX

(where sdX = sdd, sde, or sdf as appropriate)

Start the array with the disk un-assigned

Stop the array

Re-assign the disk

Start the array with the disk re-assigned.  Let it reconstruct the contents of the disk onto itself.

Repeat with the next disk.

 

Joe L.

 

(the "1953525168" is the native size as reported in your syslog for that disk. Preceding it with a "p" is the syntax for the hdparm command to make the change permanent. )

[tunetyme]

This is the thread I was referring too.

 

Topic: [solved] HPA Removal / Samsung HD204UI Issue

[Joe L.]

I found a good write up in the forum for the Samsung drive.  I am unclear the steps.  Do I need to run initconfig first or can I run pre_clear.sh -z /dev/sdX?  The drive does not contain any data.  I have already removed the drive from the array. 

Your question is confusing.

 

You basically asked the equivalent of:

    Is a roller or a brush best when painting my car?

    or

    should I change my socks?

 

initconfig will immediately invalidate parity and set a new disk configuration based on the currently working and assigned disks.  When you then subsequently start the array a completely new "initial" parity calculation will occur.  Your array will be unprotected from any disk failure until parity is re-established.  DO NOT TYPE initconfig if you expect to recover data on a currently failed drive.

 

preclear_disk.sh -z will zero out the MBR of a disk.    It has absolutely nothing to do with disk configuration or parity.  The "-z" option will erase the existing partitioning on that disk and make the disk look un-partitioned, and un-cleared.

 

Zeroing the MBR does not clear an HPA.  You need to use the hdparm command, or SEATools, or some other third party utility. 

 

Joe L.

 

 

[tunetyme]

OK!  I am a real noob at this and I am not familiar with all the commands yet.  Thanks, I will run hdparm now.

[tunetyme]

I ran hdparm as you recommended.  The system still sees a problem and claims the disk is too small.  Where do I go from here?

[prostuff1]

I ran hdparm as you recommended.  The system still sees a problem and claims the disk is too small.  Where do I go from here?

 

If HDparm did not work would will need to use seatools to remote the HPA.

[SSD]

Did you power down and then power back up after running hdparm? 

[Joe L.]

I ran hdparm as you recommended.  The system still sees a problem and claims the disk is too small.  Where do I go from here?

did you reboot?  The sizes may not be re-read until you do.

What does

hdparm -N /dev/sdX

now say?

 

post a syslog.    describe EXACTLY what you did, EXACTLY what command you typed, and what the system response was...

 

Otherwise, do not waste our/your time. 

 

The HPA entries in the wiki give lots of pointers how to proceed.

 

 

[tunetyme]

Here is what the wiki says:

Removing the Gigabyte HPA

 

This is intended to help users with removing the Gigabyte HPA, needs contributors!

 

    Preface defining it, with links to history of HPA issue, Topical Index link

    How to identify a Gig HPA

    Why you need to backup files first, from the target drive

    Why you need to power off first, and after command

    Using the HDPARM -N method, from Joe's posts with small mods

    If that does not work, then how to prepare for and use the HDAT2 method (with links), (and screen shots?)

    Also how to use SeaTools to "Set capacity to MAX"

    Comments about drive rebuild, ReiserFS resizing

    Running a full parity check

 

Important, needs testers to verify all steps

 

This is where I started then I searched the forum and posted the above report of a successful removal of HPA on an identical drive.

 

I entered the hdparm command just as you gave it to me in the above post.  I don't recall the exact wording but it said it was done and the new permanent size of the drive.  I rebooted and for several reboots I could not log on from firefox but was able to use both putty and the console.  After shutting both computers down for 6-8hours I was able to again access via firefox.  Under "mymain" it still identifies that the drive has an HPA problem.

 

Under the Unraid Main menu it sees the drive with 1,953,513,492 with 1,953,422,088 free.  I try to assign it and it says the drive is too small.

 

Putty: typed hdparm -N /dev/sda

/dev/sda

max sectors = 3907027055/14715056 (18446744073321613488), HPA setting seems invalid (buggy kernel device driver?)

 

I assure you I am more frustrated than you are.  If I am wasting time it may be I wasting time trying work with you trying to fix a basic problem.  I would like to be able use the forum without being demeaned due to lack of knowledge and experience.  JoeL your attitude is doing more to drive people away from buying unRaid.  I am ready to trash this whole project and move to a more stable and user friendly software and support group.  I am sure that blogging the abuse one receives on this forum will drive future users away. 

Check with queegtech, I bought this to try and develop a turnkey media server that I could recommend to thousands of user who are being forced to add a server to handle all their media files.  If I can't get some friendly advice on this forum tell me now and I'll trash this system and unraid.

 

 

[mbryanr]

Seatools process...

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=10577.msg136289#msg136289

[tunetyme]

That explains why seatools for windows doesn't work.  I do not have a CD drive in my server.  I do not have a slot available.  Do you think I could move the offending drive back to my Gigabyte MoBo and use seatools for DOS in that machine?

[mbryanr]

That is exactly what I would do...

 

[Joe L.]

Putty: typed hdparm -N /dev/sda

/dev/sda

max sectors = 3907027055/14715056 (18446744073321613488), HPA setting seems invalid (buggy kernel device driver?)

 

I assure you I am more frustrated than you are.  If I am wasting time it may be I wasting time trying work with you trying to fix a basic problem.  I would like to be able use the forum without being demeaned due to lack of knowledge and experience.  JoeL your attitude is doing more to drive people away from buying unRaid. 

I apologize for any attitude in my prior post.  Indeed I was frustrated by my inability to help any more, since you did not provide information needed to help more.

 

If you had provided a syslog in the original post I would have seen the "HPA seems buggy" warning and suggested either seatools or one of the alternatives.  Typically, if it appears, then the hdparm command is not able to fix the HPA.  I'm pretty sure it can be loaded on a flash drive, so you really do not need a CD drive.

 

Moving the drive back to the Gigabyte board might work, but it might put the HPA back on as soon as it sees it is missing upon reboot, so if you remove it there, power down and disconnect the drive before rebooting.

 

 

 

 

[tunetyme]

It appears that every time we submit a problem we need to attach a syslog and then post a new syslog based on what we have done.  It would be helpful if that was stated somewhere so we can comply. 

 

It takes time for noobs to become familiar with working on a command line system again.  Frankly I prefer it but there are a lot of tasks that a shell program could be written for to make it easier to make the transition from Windows environment to Linux.  Noobs are hesitant to try to do things for fear of screwing up the system.  We need a detailed step by step process for awhile until we become comfortable with unRaid.

 

As it stands right now, I do not see a way to clear my drive.  The only tool available to me is the same Gigabyte system to clear it.  My question is did I execute the hdparm command correctly?  I should have seen more space available.  I do not have a cd drive on my server nor a method to create a boot flash drive to run Seatools for Dos.

 

Did I correctly define the sectors for this Samsung drive? Is it worth trying to run hdparm again?

 

Is there a means to find all the syslogs from the past two days?

[mbryanr]

It appears that every time we submit a problem we need to attach a syslog and then post a new syslog based on what we have done.  It would be helpful if that was stated somewhere so we can comply.

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=9880.0  

No it doesn't state to attach a syslog after every change, maybe that should be noted as well.  Oftentimes, people panic when their system fails - and forget the basic troubleshooting steps.  I know I do.  Anyways, maybe someone a moderator revise or add to that sticky thread.

 

As it stands right now, I do not see a way to clear my drive.  The only tool available to me is the same Gigabyte system to clear it.  My question is did I execute the hdparm command correctly?  I should have seen more space available.  I do not have a cd drive on my server nor a method to create a boot flash drive to run Seatools for Dos.

 

You can verify if the hdparm was successful by entering:

hdparm -N /dev/sdX

 

where X is your drive letter that has HPA.

 

Looks like you already did that

typed hdparm -N /dev/sda

/dev/sda

max sectors = 3907027055/14715056 (18446744073321613488), HPA setting seems invalid (buggy kernel device driver?)

Did I correctly define the sectors for this Samsung drive? Is it worth trying to run hdparm again?

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=13958.msg132432#msg132432

Trying won't hurt.

 

Boot Seatools from USB <to boot from your unRAID server.

http://samehfakoua.blogspot.com/2011/04/boot-seatools-from-usb.html