Harddisk2 error during paging operation

Question

I have a Power Edge 2650 server with a PERC 3/Di Controller 0 (AFA0).  Occasionally I get dozens of messages in the W2K event log, Event 51, 'An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk2\DR5 during a paging operation'.  The event log shows them occuring every few minutes for 4 to 5 hours, then they go away.  How do I narrow down which disk is causing the problem and fix it?   Thanks for any suggestions

warwizard55 · Answer

Hi David,    Open the raid management application you have installed, FAST or Array manager.    If FAST is used, start, programs, dell, perc, FAST_CLI enter commands: open AFA0 DISK LIST /ALL   *(verifying all your drives are seen)* DISK SHOW DEFECTS (0,0,0) DISK SHOW DEFECTS (0,1,0) DISK SHOW DEFECTS (0,2,0) repeat for all disks. you are looking for grown defects to be non zero on a drive that has media problems. to get out of the CLI: CLOSE EXIT   for the array manager you drill down and look at the properties of the drives, you may need a newer version to get the defect info.   warwizard

david_knapp · Answer

Array Manager 3.4.0 is installed.  I searched around though all options and the help file and could not find any way to see defects.  Could not find FAST at all (staff who built this server are long gone).  The only event it shows is concern over the status of the battery.  This version of Array Manager also did not offer any way to recondition that either.  Should I get a newer version of Array Manager, if so, which one and where?  We are running Win2K, SP4 on this server.

warwizard55 · Answer

Hi David,

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/type.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&SystemID=PWE_FOS_XEO_2650&os=WNT5&osl=en&deviceid=1375

Driver and firmware and incidentally FAST. (FAST and Array manager use the same API calls and cannot both be installed at the same time)

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/type.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&SystemID=PWE_FOS_XEO_2650&os=WNT5&osl=en&deviceid=745

This is the patch location for using ver 3.5 under W2k, and the latest version (3.7) is listed, if you follow the link for the 3.7 you'll find a link to previous versions, please read the readme files for the 3.41 and 3.5 versions, there is a API driver issue.

Personally, I prefer the command line utility, I can tell you exactly what to type in and there is none of this ambiguity of find the icon or drill down to the hard drives and look at the properties, ("there are virtual drives and physical drives listed, which do you mean?" )

warwizard

david_knapp · Answer

Thanks for the links.  Since this is a production box for our document archiving system, I cannot reboot it for a software install except during scheduled (inconvient) hours, so it may be some time before I can follow through.  I just want to make sure I don't screw anything up with the command lines, since I know very little about how to dig myself out of any holes I may blow in the system.  Is the array manager software less prone to typo disasters for newbies?

warwizard55 · Answer

Hi David,

Both FAST and Array Manager have Graphical user interfaces, and it is possiable to make mistakes in either program that may destroy the data. The usual error is "initializing" an array that has live data on it.

I mentioned that I perfer to use the command line utility when working with an end user over the phone, as I have the other person read back any commands typed before we execute them, I have more control over what is done, there are user's guides and other ref materials for AM, FAST and the command line utility online at support.dell.com.

The command line ref guide...

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Array manager user's guides, select your version. http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smarrman/

warwizard

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Harddisk2 error during paging operation

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