Isilon x210 Re-Imaging

Hi,

Are you using these instructions to reimage from USB? https://dell.to/36QJIpi if so how far is it getting before it stops?

Hey Josh

Yes, we are using the instructions from Dell as per my earlier post "Followed the download instructions and first time tried 9.3.0.5. Then we that failed we tried an earlier version (JIC) of 9.2.0.1."

As to how far we are getting - see the image above. They fail and hang at "Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/mirror/root1.

Rgds

N/

These steps to reset it may help, since they want it to operate without the cables connected. https://dell.to/3tLXDpF If you can’t get that far you may need to wait for the ownership transfer and phone support as they have some additional things that they can do.

Thanks Josh

I wanted to try that but first can you confirm for me that we have to have had a successful boot in order to talk to the via the serial port? Or is the serial port "live" when we are powered on but not booted? If it's the former then we are back where we started.

I'm trying to discover if there is any difference to talking via the serial management port and simply having a monitor and keyboard connected.

I currently have a USB / serial adapter plugged in the first node and using 115200,8,1,N seems to get me nothing regardless of what arcane incantations I perform.

Thanks

Nigel.

Hello Prosmart,

Here is a link to Isilon How to connect to the management port of a node.  If this kb doesn’t allow you to connect to your management port, then you will need to get assistance for tech support to resolve this issue.

https://dell.to/3iIA3nx

We're trying to get official Dell support but as yet they have not managed to transfer the registration these nodes to us, therefore we can't get service or support of any kind.

Hello Prosmart,

How long ago did you start the transfer of ownership?

We first requested the transfer 8 weeks ago. Then support closed the ticket (for no reason). Then our account contact asked them to re-open it action it and get back to her (and us). Since then the silence has been deafening. I had really expected a more professional attitude from Dell TBQH. Not leaving us with a good feeling.

Rgds

Nigel.

@Prosmart,

Make sure it's a NULL serial cable.

flow control: none

Hi @Prosmart 

The issue you are facing is that the Isilon OneFS operating system is set, at a specific point of the boot process, to redirect the virtual console output to the serial port.

You are using a VGA cable+KVM to display the Isilon output... at a certain point of the boot process, no output is shown through the monitor. It all gets shown over serial.

Use a serial console at 115200, 8N1, and you should be able to view the full output.

Yama Nawabi

Integrated Media Technologies

https://imtglobalinc.com

Brilliant! Thank you! This is the kind of information I have been looking for but to be honest, all the documentation we have pored over so far makes very little "practical" sense.

Stupid question perhaps but why the would they do this?

Off to connect (again) via the USB / Serial device and watch like a hawk.

I understand the NULL modem - never thought after 40+ years in IT that I would end up using such an archaic device again.

I'm actually using a USB to Serial adapter - a pl2303 device. which Lubuntu claims to be functional but we are still not seeing anything on it.