unRAID has killed three flash drives


Kaldek

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My unRAID 6.7.2 server has so far killed three Flash Drives.  Each time, the server will keep running fine with no alerts or warnings but as soon as I reboot I will get either:

  • "Kernl panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block(0,0)"; OR
  • "RIP: 0010:panic+0x1e6/0x227"

 

On one instance, I managed to reformat the flash drive and copy back the flash backup I had, and it recovered.  On the other two occasions (including the most recent), only replacing the USB flash drive and restoring my config to that new drive fixes it.  Unfortunately, because I need my server 24/7, the last time it died I was stuck with no license.  As this was the second key regeneration, I had to raise a support ticket - which I cannot wait for - and instead had to buy another license because I needed my server now.

 

This is getting beyond a joke.  Where is the online license option where there can only be one instance of a server running?  I can't wait for support to fix issues when I'm on the other side of the planet.  I need my licenses to work - always - regardless of whether I have just had to recover from yet another flash drive failure.  At least allow more than one key reset per year without having to raise a support ticket!

Edited by Kaldek
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What specific USB sticks are dying? I've had multiple servers running for many years, and only had 2 outright failures. I'd guess 6 years is about an average life span, I've had one stick that lasted 8.

 

Watching trends here on the forums, it seems smaller capacity with larger physical size are the longest lived drives, and high capacity super tiny USB 3.0 drives are the most problematic.

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9 hours ago, Kaldek said:

My unRAID 6.7.2 server has so far killed three Flash Drives.  Each time, the server will keep running fine with no alerts or warnings but as soon as I reboot I will get either.

...

This is getting beyond a joke.  Where is the online license option where there can only be one instance of a server running?  I can't wait for support to fix issues when I'm on the other side of the planet.  I need my licenses to work - always - regardless of whether I have just had to recover from yet another flash drive failure.  At least allow more than one key reset per year without having to raise a support ticket!

Your post is beyond a joke.

 

You are blaming the OS for clearly hardware issues.

LimeTech does not manufacture your server nor your USB sticks.

 

Do you blame Windows if your laptop breaks down?

No! You blame Lenovo, Asus or whoever MANUFACTURES your laptop!

 

Perhaps it needs to be told in the post-Trump world that screaming loudly doesn't really get anything solved.

  • Like 1
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You either have a MB USB port defective, a rogue app or script that is writing to the USB flash drive, or a bad USB thumb drive. Non of these things involves unRaid. The fact that you have replaced several makes me think it might be one of the first 2.

Sent from my chisel, carved into granite

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10 hours ago, testdasi said:

You are blaming the OS for clearly hardware issues.

LimeTech does not manufacture your server nor your USB sticks.

No, I'm blaming the OS for locking its license to hardware IDs.  Australia is the ass end of the world when it comes to support from overseas and when you need your server all the time, having to wait for a license reset or buy a new  license isn't suitable when your vendor is asleep for the next 8 hours, and then working through the list of other support tickets for the following four hours.

My server potentially having a USB hardware port fault wouldn't cause a problem in relation to unRAID if I was able to rapidly recover to a new USB drive and use on an online license authorisation.

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1 hour ago, tr0910 said:

You either have a MB USB port defective, a rogue app or script that is writing to the USB flash drive, or a bad USB thumb drive. Non of these things involves unRaid. The fact that you have replaced several makes me think it might be one of the first 2.

No apps or scripts writing to the flash drive.  If it's hardware then it will have to be the motherboard.  I've got other devices connected via USB though that keep working (Logitech Unifying receiver, and external USB 3.0 8TB disk).  Only the flash drives die.  They've been in multiple ports, but all USB 3.0 ports so far.

For reference, the motherboard is an EVGA X99 Micro2 with an Intel i7-6950X.   

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i have almost 5000 reads and also 4800 writes on my flash and its only 3 days old now... have also had 3 USB Flash die on me this year....
i tried to run "lsof" on /boot but it only shows 3 open files in /config 1 for bash and 2 for lsof.....

i have checked all plugins for log settings and i only do flash backup once a week...due to this  usb flash deaths.... 

but 3 days and almost 5000 reads and also writes.....  

im no linux expert.... so i must say im giving up...not sure what to do anymore...

anybody got any idears?

appriciate any help.  Thx.

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It would seem to me that, if the operation is critically dependent on the functionality of your server, that you would have materials in place to ensure that functionality in the case of failure.  If that means having duplicate hardware or software (licenses) then that's what's required.  I mean, I'm just a lowly little computer guy with a small hosting operation, and I have a cold spare of my main server sitting here, ready to have everything dropped on it at a moments notice.  (reminds me... i'm due for an a-periodic bare metal restore test... thanks for that.) I do that because I've made a promise to my clients, and that requires me to do everything in my power to keep it, including keeping $20k+ (original purchase price) of gear sitting idle.

 

If the necessity of maintaining 2 licenses of unRAID is needed to satisfy your uptime requirements due to the fact of you being in the, as you  put it, ass end of the world, then that's just the cost of doing business.  I would also suggest that you consider looking at your hardware in terms of, can this REALLY satisfy my requirements? I think an honest evaluation might find it wanting.

Edited by sota
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It would help if the specs of your setup were included and the actual USB drive manufacturers/models were provided. For all we know, you can be using drives you got off Wish.

 

I've been using unRAID for almost 4 years now, never had a single issue with the flash drive dying and I'm using a SanDIsk Cruzer Fit 16GB flash drive.

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First Flash died : Sandisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 32GB
second Flash died :  : Sandisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 32GB
theird Flash died : Sandisk Ultra USB 3.0 32GB
current Flash : Sandisk Ultra USB 3.0 32GB

All of them brand new never used for anything else....

And yes im looking into have a second Licens. 

Edited by mdsloop
update
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11 minutes ago, mdsloop said:

First Flash died : Sandisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 32GB
second Flash died :  : Sandisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 32GB
theird Flash died : Sandisk Ultra USB 3.0 32GB
current Flash : Sandisk Ultra USB 3.0 32GB

All of them brand new never used for anything else....

And yes im looking into have a second Licens. 

 

I'm using a Sandisk Ultra Fit 3.0 16 GB (in a USB 2.0 port), so can't say I'm feeling great about that after reading your post.    I'm about 2 months in, so far so good...

 

I have to say it raises an eyebrow to see you buying the same thing over and over.   If mine ever fails I might give it one more chance before moving to another brand.   There is no way I'd suffer 3 failures and try for a 4th with the same model USB drive 😛

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5 minutes ago, danull said:

 

I'm using a Sandisk Ultra Fit 3.0 16 GB (in a USB 2.0 port), so can't say I'm feeling great about that after reading your post.    I'm about 2 months in, so far so good...

 

I have to say it raises an eyebrow to see you buying the same thing over and over.   If mine ever fails I might give it one more chance before moving to another brand.   There is no way I'd suffer 3 failures and try for a 4th with the same model USB drive 😛

i bought 2 at the same time.... and i heard that the small fit versions was bad..so i bought the larger more expensive ones... and 2 as i like to have one ready if anything happends... 

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On 12/5/2019 at 7:14 AM, testdasi said:

Your post is beyond a joke.

 

You are blaming the OS for clearly hardware issues.

LimeTech does not manufacture your server nor your USB sticks.

 

Do you blame Windows if your laptop breaks down?

No! You blame Lenovo, Asus or whoever MANUFACTURES your laptop!

 

Perhaps it needs to be told in the post-Trump world that screaming loudly doesn't really get anything solved.

 

Sorta, but not really... who wants to be forced to boot of of a usb flash drive in this day and age?  They need to fix their licenses to not be centric around a single drive, or, at least, allow us to mirror a couple of drives since they are not reliable.  I wouldn't care as much if they allowed us to boot off of anything and simply have the drive there for the license, but making us use the drive kills it, and it's really stupid to force it on all users.

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