I'll reply to the questions on my other post but I think this is the root of the problem or at least the most obvious symptom so I will start a new thread for it:

 

As a test, I copied large amounts of data onto a drive in my unraid array and, then, deleted it through Windows Explorer (through My Network Places) from a WinXp machine.  While deleting a few folders with a few GB of data appears to work, when I wholesale deleted 150GB of data, maybe 500 files, the delete process basically froze to a halt in Windows Explorer.  It appears to have stopped deleting files, and although some of the folders still show up on the drive, they cannot be accessed and trying to do so freezes Windows Explorer.

 

Moreover, that seems to have frozen the web interface on the array.  I tried to spin down the disks and have been getting a persistent "wait" message.  I can still see all the drive shares through My Network Places (although as I said trying to access some of the folders that I had tried to delete, which still show up, freezes Windows Explorer).  Can't shut it down, either, without hitting the power button on the box. 

 

This is repeatable behavior.  Clearly there's a problem, but is this indicative of a particular issue? 

 

I should add, this is unlikely to be a problem with RAM because I've replaced it with 2GB of new fancy OCZ memory since the problem started, and not the power supply since I've replaced that with a 650W Corsair supply (8 drives), and not with the controller since I've replaced the Promise controller with a RocketRaid 464. 

 

Thanks!

I'll reply to the questions on my other post but I think this is the root of the problem or at least the most obvious symptom so I will start a new thread for it:

 

As a test, I copied large amounts of data onto a drive in my unraid array and, then, deleted it through Windows Explorer (through My Network Places) from a WinXp machine.  While deleting a few folders with a few GB of data appears to work, when I wholesale deleted 150GB of data, maybe 500 files, the delete process basically froze to a halt in Windows Explorer.  It appears to have stopped deleting files, and although some of the folders still show up on the drive, they cannot be accessed and trying to do so freezes Windows Explorer.

 

Moreover, that seems to have frozen the web interface on the array.  I tried to spin down the disks and have been getting a persistent "wait" message.  I can still see all the drive shares through My Network Places (although as I said trying to access some of the folders that I had tried to delete, which still show up, freezes Windows Explorer).  Can't shut it down, either, without hitting the power button on the box. 

 

This is repeatable behavior.  Clearly there's a problem, but is this indicative of a particular issue? 

 

I should add, this is unlikely to be a problem with RAM because I've replaced it with 2GB of new fancy OCZ memory since the problem started, and not the power supply since I've replaced that with a 650W Corsair supply (8 drives), and not with the controller since I've replaced the Promise controller with a RocketRaid 464. 

 

Be careful with "fancy memory"!  Fancy memory usually means fast memory.  And fast memory ususally requires a voltage boost and twiddling with the memory timings to get it working right.  The cheap value RAM, from a respected company, is usually the easiest to set up at stock settings.

Thanks.  I think this is just standard DDR PC3200 but I will run memtest on it.  However I would be very surprised if memory had anything to do this with problem since it started before I replaced the memory and the last batch of RAM also passed the test.  I just upgraded mostly because I planned on using a lot of user shares on this unraid box and it appeared from my readings that more RAM helps user shares with large amounts of files. 

 

Can anyone else chime in as to the problems with deleting files?

Journalling files systems and numerous "small" files apparently leads to looooong delete times.... I bet if you had left it alone and waited it out, the delete would have completed.