Please help.

 

My server seems to habe died and I don't know what to do. Here is what has happened.

 

I had just finished copying some large Blu Ray rips to the server and everything seemed to be fine - at least there were no error messages from the windows PC I was using. I have UnMenu as a tab on my windows explorer home page, and at this point I thought I'd just check how the disc space was doing. So, when I looked at the UnMenu main, the 6 log messages were all red. Like a fool, I didn't think to write them down. All I can remember is that they had something to do with I/O errors. I seem to remember seeing something about buffer. They ended in block 1, through 7. At this point I thought I'd better get the whole log so I pressed the syslog menu item at the top of UnMenu and it listed a whole heap of errors. I then went to UnRaid Main and saw that all the disk lights were green. Then I switched back to UnMenu with the intention of downloading or printing the sys log but at this point, I got an internet explorer message saying it could not connect. I managed to get back to "tower" and from there I stopped the array and powered down. I've restarted but since then, I can no longer access the server at all. None of the shares work and it is just not visible on the network.

 

What I do please? Where do I start? 

Can you hook up a monitor to the server and see what is displayed on the console?  It could be as simple as it didn't boot from the flash drive, but can't tell without taking a look at the server.

Ok. This might be a clue. The last two lines before the login prompt read:-

 

/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.comf: line18:/boot config/network.cfg: No such file or directory.

...as above................:line 19:/var/tmp/network.cfg: No such file or directory.

 

 

Update. Something else that's flaky. For the root login, I had assigned a password but now I just need type "root" and it doesn't ask for a password.

Update. Something else that's flaky. For the root login, I had assigned a password but now I just need type "root" and it doesn't ask for a password.

They both indicate your flash drive was not mounted properly.

 

Move the flash drive to your window's PC, run scandisk/chkdisk on it.

 

then, move it back to the unRAID server and reboot.  Expect to see it start a full parity check since you did not cleanly stop.

 

Then post a system log (attach a zipped copy to your next post)

 

Joe L.

Thanks Joe. Bear with me while I try to rememebr how to run chkdisk

Thanks Joe. Bear with me while I try to rememebr how to run chkdisk

Just right-click on the flash drive in window's file-explorer and it will be there under "properties->tools" to check/repair the drive.

Thanks. I got there on anyway. There were two options to select. I've selected "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors". should I also select "Automatically fix file sytem errors"?

Thanks. I got there on anyway. There were two options to select. I've selected "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors". should I also select "Automatically fix file sytem errors"?

yes

Thanks again. This'll take a while - it's a big flash drive....

Update. Something else that's flaky. For the root login, I had assigned a password but now I just need type "root" and it doesn't ask for a password.

They both indicate your flash drive was not mounted properly.

 

Move the flash drive to your window's PC, run scandisk/chkdisk on it.

 

then, move it back to the unRAID server and reboot.   Expect to see it start a full parity check since you did not cleanly stop.

 

Then post a system log (attach a zipped copy to your next post)Joe L.

 

Joe, when I get to that point, how do attach the file to the post? Sorry to be a pain but you are dealing with a 57 year old carpenter, not an IT pro.

Update.

 

Well I've run chkdsk, replaced the flash drive and re-booted the array but I still cannot access it. I still have the same two messages  just before the login prompt regarding network.cfg no such file or directory.

Any chance you've ever backed up your flash drive?  The missing config folder contains share info, password, network config, etc.

 

If the answer to the above question is no, do you have a record of which hard drive was the parity drive, which was disk 1, disk 2, etc?  Or a screenshot of your Unraid web page when it was working?

To attach a file, from the "Post Reply" screen look for "Additional Options." Information about how to obtain a System Log is in the wiki:

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting#Capturing_your_syslog

Any chance you've ever backed up your flash drive?  The missing config folder contains share info, password, network config, etc.

 

If the answer to the above question is no, do you have a record of which hard drive was the parity drive, which was disk 1, disk 2, etc?  Or a screenshot of your Unraid web page when it was working?

 

I can remove the flash drive from the server, put it in a PC and read it. The disk label is UNRAID (all upper case and as it should be). Within the root of the flash are the following folders - config, logs, packages and unmenu. Also within the root are the following files - bzimage, bzroot, license, memtest, menu.c32, memtest, syslinux.cfg and unmenu_install.

 

Within the config folder is a folder labelled "share" and the following files - disk.cfg, go, ident.cfg, network.cfg, passwd, Plus.key, secrets.tdb, share.cfg, smbpasswd, and super (dat file). So it looks like everything is there? I've just copied everything which is on the flash to a folder on a PC but I hadn't done this since the server stopped working.

I do have a written record of which physical drive is which. So what now please?

To attach a file, from the "Post Reply" screen look for "Additional Options." Information about how to obtain a System Log is in the wiki:

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting#Capturing_your_syslog

 

Thankyou. Much appreciated.

I've just bought and prepared a new usb flash drive. I guess I could try copying all the stuff from the old one to the new one but I'm not sure what to do about the "plus key" which I guess is the license I bought but is linked to the GUID of the current flash drive. At the moment, the server only has 3 HDDs and I was just about to add another before this all happened so I don't actually need the license just yet.

 

I appreciate it's Sunday but I really could use some help.

I've just bought and prepared a new usb flash drive. I guess I could try copying all the stuff from the old one to the new one but I'm not sure what to do about the "plus key" which I guess is the license I bought but is linked to the GUID of the current flash drive. At the moment, the server only has 3 HDDs and I was just about to add another before this all happened so I don't actually need the license just yet.

 

I appreciate it's Sunday but I really could use some help.

Does the new flash drive boot properly?  (You'll need to select it as the boot device in your BIOS as it will still be looking for the old flash drive)

 

 

If it does, the you can try re-formatting and re-loading the older flash drive.  (don't forget to save the .key file so you can put it back in the config folder when you are setting up the files on it or, better yet, copy the config folder to your PC and then set up the old flash drive, and then copy it back.

 

If it still does not work, (same errors as now) then send lime tech an e-mail describing the failure of your flash drive along with the GUID of the new working flash drive and he'll get a new .key file to you.

In troubleshooting, I believe in the replacement strategy. I once experienced a problem where the symptoms were similar to what you are experiencing. The cause of the symptoms you are seeing could be many-fold and I can't predict what everyone could be. I agree with the strategy of preparing another flash drive just to see if you can get your system to boot with proper network support. It doesn't need to be able to start the system, that's not the point. When you prepare the flash drive. Start fresh from square one and download the software from Lime and prepare it according to Lime's instructions.

 

I keep an old known working power supply around for situations just like this, I also have swapped memory modules in an out and even swapped in an old motherboard when trying to diagnose a problem. My problem when I couldn't boot, turned out to be that the flash degraded so that it could not be read a 2.0 speeds and so I set my motherboard to read it at 1.0 speed and it worked. I'm not saying that your problem is the same, just that something changed in your system and that swapping in known good parts, or working with a subset of your system (fewer disks, remove one memory module, etc.) will eventually allow you to boot again and then it will be easier to identify the problem component.

 

If you do not know which is your parity drive a trick to help you identify it is to add all the drives to your array from the "Devices" tab of the UnRAID GUI, leaving the parity slot empty. Start the array, the parity drive will show as unformatted on the "Main" tab.

 

Don't panic, things will get working again, it's just a matter of patiently eliminating options.

 

-Scott

 

I've just bought and prepared a new usb flash drive. I guess I could try copying all the stuff from the old one to the new one but I'm not sure what to do about the "plus key" which I guess is the license I bought but is linked to the GUID of the current flash drive. At the moment, the server only has 3 HDDs and I was just about to add another before this all happened so I don't actually need the license just yet.

 

I appreciate it's Sunday but I really could use some help.

Does the new flash drive boot properly?  (You'll need to select it as the boot device in your BIOS as it will still be looking for the old flash drive)

 

 

If it does, the you can try re-formatting and re-loading the older flash drive.  (don't forget to save the .key file so you can put it back in the config folder when you are setting up the files on it or, better yet, copy the config folder to your PC and then set up the old flash drive, and then copy it back.

 

If it still does not work, (same errors as now) then send lime tech an e-mail describing the failure of your flash drive along with the GUID of the new working flash drive and he'll get a new .key file to you.

 

Joe. I think I confused you when I said I had prepared a new flash drive. All I've done is format it and make the volume lable UNRAID. Oh and I've run the syslynux tool to get the ldlinux file onto the new flash. What I want to know is, can I now copy the files from the old to the new? What about the .key file? Just copy everything apart from that?

Thanks

I've just bought and prepared a new usb flash drive. I guess I could try copying all the stuff from the old one to the new one but I'm not sure what to do about the "plus key" which I guess is the license I bought but is linked to the GUID of the current flash drive. At the moment, the server only has 3 HDDs and I was just about to add another before this all happened so I don't actually need the license just yet.

 

I appreciate it's Sunday but I really could use some help.

Does the new flash drive boot properly?  (You'll need to select it as the boot device in your BIOS as it will still be looking for the old flash drive)

 

 

If it does, the you can try re-formatting and re-loading the older flash drive.  (don't forget to save the .key file so you can put it back in the config folder when you are setting up the files on it or, better yet, copy the config folder to your PC and then set up the old flash drive, and then copy it back.

 

If it still does not work, (same errors as now) then send lime tech an e-mail describing the failure of your flash drive along with the GUID of the new working flash drive and he'll get a new .key file to you.

 

Joe. I think I confused you when I said I had prepared a new flash drive. All I've done is format it and make the volume lable UNRAID. Oh and I've run the syslynux tool to get the ldlinux file onto the new flash. What I want to know is, can I now copy the files from the old to the new? What about the .key file? Just copy everything apart from that?

Thanks

Yes, exactly.

 

Joe L.

Thanks all - no doubt I'll be back soon. Watch this space........

Update.

 

OK, so I've copied all the files and folders from the old flash to the new (apart from the pluskey file in config folder). The system now boots again and I'm able to login via my PCs. All the HDDs are shown present and correct. It's started a parity check which'll take another 6 hours so I guess I can do no more for now.

 

A great big thankyou to everyone for your help so far. I had visions of a major calamity but now I can relax a bit.

 

I'll report back when the parity check is over.

 

Once again, many thanks (you've made an old man very happy).

Excellent news!

 

Before emailing support for a replacement plus key, you may want to reformat / syslinux the old flash drive, copy the flash info back over and see if it works.  The flash may be dying, but it may also have just been a random blurp that caused it to no longer be able to read the config folder.

Thanks - that's what Joe said too. I'll give it a try later.

 

Quick question. Would this faulty flash be the cause of the error messages I saw just after I'd finished copying some large Bru Ray rips to the server. Does the server need to access the flash drive on any sort of regular basis or is it just at boot?