v6 Server Problem? [SOLVED]

[StevenHB]

I recently upgraded to v6. My server worked okay for a while (about a week) but I've had issues lately.

 

I had an error on a data disk (" No device identification present"). I shutdown the server and unplugged it. After rebooting, the problematic drive "returned to normal operations" but I'm now having trouble restarting the array.  I reassigned the drive to the array and clicked "start," which left the array unstarted, drives unmounted, and the control panel hour-glassing indefinitely.  I copied off the v6 log file and have zipped and attached it here.

 

I've since reverted to v5.05 which has indicated an error with the drive but started without issue. I'm wondering if there's some problem with failed drive handing in v6. (for the record, I've ordered a replacement drive that I'll install next week)

 

Can anyone help me figure out what happened with v6?  And once I get the new drive cleared, installed, and rebuilt, can I just restore by v6 backup, run make_bootable, and be on my way?

syslog-20151030.zip

[trurl]

You use the word "error" several times, but it has many possible meanings and without some more specific information I don't know exactly what you mean.

 

I had an error on a data disk

What kind of error? Read? Write? Something else? How did you know about the error?

 

(" No device identification present").

Is this text in quotes something you actually saw on your system somewhere? Where?

 

I shutdown the server and unplugged it. After rebooting, the problematic drive "returned to normal operations"

Is this text in quotes something you actually saw on your system somewhere? Where?

 

but I'm now having trouble restarting the array.  I reassigned the drive to the array and clicked "start," which left the array unstarted, drives unmounted, and the control panel hour-glassing indefinitely.  I copied off the v6 log file and have zipped and attached it here.

In the future with v6, instead of just giving us the syslog, you should go to Tools - Diagnostics and post the complete diagnostic zip. This includes the syslog, smart reports of all drives, and other information that gives a more complete picture of your system.

 

I've since reverted to v5.05 which has indicated an error with the drive but started without issue.

How is this error "indicated".

 

I'm wondering if there's some problem with failed drive handing in v6.

None that I'm aware of. I have done many rebuilds with v6, but they were all just replacing drives with larger ones. And I am aware of many other people who have rebuilt failed drives with v6.

 

(for the record, I've ordered a replacement drive that I'll install next week)

 

Can anyone help me figure out what happened with v6?  And once I get the new drive cleared, installed, and rebuilt, can I just restore by v6 backup, run make_bootable, and be on my way?

If you restore your backup v6 installation, you must be sure and not restore the file config/super.dat, since that file contains your array configuration, which you will have changed when you changed disks. You should instead take that file from your v5 installation after you have made your array changes.

[StevenHB]

Is this text in quotes [No device identification present] something you actually saw on your system somewhere? Where?

Yes, it was presented on the console.

 

Is this text in quotes something you actually saw on your system somewhere? Where?

Displayed as a notification on the v6 console (in the upper right hand corner, black text on a green background)

 

In the future with v6, instead of just giving us the syslog, you should go to Tools - Diagnostics and post the complete diagnostic zip. This includes the syslog, smart reports of all drives, and other information that gives a more complete picture of your system.

Thanks, I will. However, in this situation, I was generally finding the console to be unresponsive. I tried clicking on Tools but continued to get indefinite hourglassing.

 

How is this error "indicated".

The drive indicator (the one that's usually a green dot) is red and "Not Installed" is displayed in italics on the unraid main screen.

 

Overall, my experience has been that v6 performed much slower than v5 (which was even more noticeable after I reverted).

 

Thanks for the pointer about the re-upgrade.

[trurl]

Another way to get diagnostics zip is to just type diagnostics at the command line and it will be written to your flash.

 

If the drive is not installed but parity is valid, then unRAID should be emulating it.

 

Another thing that will cause unRAID to emulate a drive is if it disables it due to a write error. If a write to a drive fails, unRAID disables the drive, indicated by a redball (red X in v6). unRAID will not use a disabled drive until it is rebuilt.

 

See this recent post of mine on another thread which spells out what unRAID does when it emulates a drive.

[StevenHB]

Is there something more that I should do now, or just wait for my new drive, rebuild, and re-upgrade?

[trurl]

Is there something more that I should do now, or just wait for my new drive, rebuild, and re-upgrade?

You have no protection from another drive failure until you rebuild. Whether you want to continue to use your server is up to you. If you read my linked post you will know that reading and writing to the emulated drive will actually involve all of the other disks, perhaps increasing the risk of another failure. And if you have 2 failed disks you can't rebuild either.

[StevenHB]

Yeah, thanks. I'm not probably not going to need to use it for the next few days.  Your warning is well-taken.

[StevenHB]

if you have 2 failed disks you can't rebuild either.

 

Thanks for all of your help. It took a couple of orders but I've now received my replacement drive and a SATA->IDE converter (it turned out that I needed to replace an IDE drive with an IDE drive in the box I'm using).  I ended up with an extra 3T of storage.

 

In any case, I replaced the failed drive with a new 250M IDE drive which rebuilt without issue (in v5.0.5).  I then re-upgraded to v6.1.3, copying super.dat as suggested. Worked like a charm. I'm preclearing the new 3T drive and will swap it for one of two older 250M drives, so that in the end, I'll have a hot spare for the oldest drive in the array.

 

I've come into a newer motherboard, so I may look at upgrading the processor hardware next, but I'd like to get the new storage online before I start screwing with the motherboard.  Thanks again.