Unraid Version: 6.8.2

 

within the last hour, I got a "Device is disabled, contents emulated" on one of my hard drivers within my array, which has also resulted in some of my share folders and contents, not to be shown.

 

I have read a few posts and my plan of action is to replace my damage HD with a new one and then investigate the issue of the old HD and maybe get it replace.  but before I do this I have attached a copy of my diagnostics.zip file, in the hope of that someone can tell me if my array itself is OK. and that in replacing my HD will no force me to loss any data.

 

at the moment I haven't any a Parity test, until I hear back from the forum

.

tower-diagnostics-20200225-2058.zip

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by chris_netsmart

Disks are most likely fine, you're using a SATA port multiplier, those are not recommended, multiple disks got disconnected at the same time:

Feb 25 20:16:56 Tower kernel: ata9.01: status: { DRDY }
Feb 25 20:17:06 Tower kernel: ata9.15: softreset failed (1st FIS failed)
### [PREVIOUS LINE REPEATED 2 TIMES] ###
Feb 25 20:17:51 Tower kernel: ata9.15: limiting SATA link speed to 3.0 Gbps
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.15: softreset failed (1st FIS failed)
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.15: failed to reset PMP, giving up
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.15: Port Multiplier detaching
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.00: disabled
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.01: disabled
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.02: disabled
Feb 25 20:17:56 Tower kernel: ata9.00: disabled

Reboot and post new diags so we can check SMART, but you should also get rid of the port multiplier or will very likely continue to have issues.

Thanks for the reply. I will try your suggestion later on day. When i fet home.from work.

 

Regarding the sata extensions. I ran into a lack of sata ports so i purchase the card.  As buying a new mitherboard at this time is  ot a option to lack of funds.

 

What would you recommend to replace the cards ?.

1 hour ago, chris_netsmart said:

What would you recommend to replace the cards ?.

Any LSI with a SAS2008/2308/3008/3408 chipset in IT mode, e.g., 9201-8i, 9211-8i, 9207-8i, 9300-8i, 9400-8i, etc and clones, like the Dell H200/H310 and IBM M1015, these latter ones need to be crossflashed.

I will update this tonight, but to my knowledge I don't have a Port Multiplier but one of the following

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QKVV4H6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

thanks johnnie.black  but now this has bought up a few questions 

 

if I replace my current sata expension cards, will I loss any data within my raid ?

how easy is it to install the LSI SAS card into unraid ?

and lastly for the moment and I right that if I purchase one, then I will be able to connect 8 sata hard drivers off it ?

 

Edited February 26, 20206 yr by chris_netsmart

6 minutes ago, chris_netsmart said:

if I replace my current sata expension cards, will I loss any data within my raid ?

No, Unraid is controllers agnostic, as long as RAID controllers are not used, those can sometimes require a rebuild/new config.

 

7 minutes ago, chris_netsmart said:

how easy is it to install the LSI SAS card into unraid ?

Plug and play, though it should be in IT mode, if 4/5 ports are enough you can also get a JMB585 controller instead.

 

8 minutes ago, chris_netsmart said:

then I will be able to connect 8 sata hard drivers off it ?

Yes, you can even connect more than that if used together with a SAS expander.

1 hour ago, chris_netsmart said:

and lastly for the moment and I right that if I purchase one, then I will be able to connect 8 sata hard drivers off it ?

It is worth pointing out that if you are short of PCIe slots that the LSI cards also come in 16 port variants.

as promises here is a copy of my diagnostics log files after a reboot.

I am sad to report that I am still getting the same error "Device is disable, contents emulated.

 

so to this end, I await you reply,  before I go ahead and replace Disk 2, with a new PreCleared HD

tower-diagnostics-20200226-1621.zip

13 minutes ago, chris_netsmart said:

I am sad to report that I am still getting the same error "Device is disable, contents emulated.

That was unavoidable, once a disk gets disable it needs to be rebuilt, you can re-enable the disk now or if you plan on replacing the controller soon do it after that.

35 minutes ago, johnnie.black said:

That was unavoidable, once a disk gets disable it needs to be rebuilt, you can re-enable the disk now or if you plan on replacing the controller soon do it after that.

thanks for the reply.

 

as this is all new, and I don't want to loss anything, and sorry if this sounds dumb, but can you please walk me through the steps on how to re-enable the disk as I will not be replacing the controller for about 2 mouths was I investigate and learn how to set one up.

https://wiki.unraid.net/Troubleshooting#Re-enable_the_drive

19 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

get rid of the port multiplier or will very likely continue to have issues

In the first set of diagnostics the syslog showed multiple disks with errors, could this lead to corrupt FS on each of those disks, or is being disabled by the OS the worst case scenario?

It always possible to cause some fs corruption, even when errors are limited to a disk, more likely when multiple disks get affected, but it will also depend if it happens on the middle of write activity, or there were recent writes and all data wasn't flushed to disk.

 

 

2 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

https://wiki.unraid.net/Troubleshooting#Re-enable_the_drive

thanks for the link, I through that before I swap out the HD's I better do a backup which, I am doing right know.

 

question about the SAS Controllers. 

 

I have had a look around eBay and offer sites looking for a middle of the range 8i board and I think I might have found two

both of them are £100 mark from Amazon,  the 9207-8i and 9211-8i   looks like like there are PCIE 2.0 running at 6gb/s

and I am guesting that they both will work with the B450 Tomahawk board.

 

I would like a 16i sas but at the moment the price is out of my range,

9207 is PCIe 3.0, but both should work fine on that board.

I would like your opinion

 

I have found two which I like and I would like your comments

 

Broadcom 8 Port 6Gbps SAS 9207-8i SGL PCI-E Host Bus Adaptor

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broadcom-Port-6Gbps-9207-8i-Adaptor/dp/B0085FT2JC

 

LSI 9211-8I PCI Express SAS/SATA HBA RAID Controller Card, 8-Port 6Gb/s, LSI SAS2008 Chip, High Profile & Low Profile

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiber-com-9211-8I-Express-Controller-SAS2008/dp/B07H876T47/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

and I am thinking about the following brakeout cables

Mini-SAS Cables, 0.5m Internal Mini-SAS to 4x SAS SATA Forward Breakout Cable Hard Drive Data Transfer Cable (SAS Cable)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VanDeSaiL-Mini-SAS-Internal-SAS-Breakout/dp/B01HZFUNVS/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_pd_crcd_1_4/257-6615962-9959119?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01HZFUNVS&pd_rd_r=63d59319-9ec8-4fbc-8780-b95142738bef&pd_rd_w=0lATq&pd_rd_wg=vj0ZU&pf_rd_p=616a8cf7-bb88-4c15-bbd1-1854046edbed&pf_rd_r=XRTPFBCT5373WQG0179Q&psc=1&refRID=XRTPFBCT5373WQG0179Q

 

NOTE: I am not endorsing Amazon, just using them as a reference site.

 

Assuming they are genuine the 9207 would be a better option, cables are the correct ones (forward breakout), can't speak about their quality.

17 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

Assuming they are genuine the 9207 would be a better option, cables are the correct ones (forward breakout), can't speak about their quality.

I hope they are genuine as i am thinking about getting from amazon. Or can you suggest a company.   

 

Note i am loving in the UK.

 

Regarding the cables.  If you can't speak about the ones i posted then what type would you.go for. As i will be purchasing the 9207.

 

Cables should be fine, I just don't know the brand, can't say if they good quality are or not, but I just know a couple of brands, so it will be the same with most.

 

As for the LSI, it's not clear from the link posted where it comes from, new cheap LSI from China can be suspect, I usually prefer buying used server pulls from Ebay, less likely to get a fake.

5 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

I usually prefer buying used server pulls from Ebay, less likely to get a fake.

@johnnie.black  I just had a quick look on Ebay, but I can't find any reference to Used Server Pulls. would you might giving me a example so that I can go and have a look for myself.

 

@chris_netsmart It may not say "used server pull" that is simply saying that it is used and someone tested it coming from a working server. If buying from eBay read carefully, some sellers may be selling new units from china.

• I've purchased from these guys before.
• This guy says "pulled from working unit" 
• This guy seems to be thorough, talks about unraid in description and mentions that he weeds out fakes.

thanks for your posts, I have looked that the links and I do like the seller, but taking in the cost, shipping and then import Tax I am looking around £130.

 

so i had a look around and I found this person,  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-H220-9205-8i-2-Port-SAS-6GB-s-PCI-E-3-0-x8-Host-Bus-Adapter-Card-660088-001/202889058970 , so what do you think ?

 

before I do and purchase the above card. I have been lookign around for a clear installation procedure, and I think I might have found one.

https://nguvu.org/freenas/Convert-LSI-HBA-card-to-IT-mode/    can you please confirm that this is right,

 

and for the firmware this is the right version, I want here, but I am not sure on what I need to download

https://www.broadcom.com/products/storage/host-bus-adapters/sas-9207-8i .

 

can someone please advise.  - anyone ?

Edited March 2, 20206 yr by chris_netsmart
added firmware referance