offline or missing virtual drives with preserved cache

Experiencing offline or missing virtual drives with preserved cache on a server can be a serious issue that needs prompt attention. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this problem:

1. Check Hardware Connections:

   • Make sure all the physical connections to the hard drives and RAID controller are secure.
   • Ensure that all drives are properly seated in their respective drive bays.

2. Access RAID Controller Utility:

   • Reboot the server and access the RAID controller's utility during the boot process. The key combination or method to access this utility can vary depending on your RAID controller card. Common ones include Dell PERC, HP Smart Array, or Intel RAID controllers.
   • Check the status of the virtual drives and physical drives in the RAID controller utility. Look for any error messages or warnings that might provide clues about the issue.

3. Verify Drive Health:

   • Inspect the health status of individual hard drives in the RAID array. Drives with issues (e.g., SMART errors) may need to be replaced.
   • If any drives are identified as failed or degraded, replace them with new ones according to the RAID controller's guidance for drive replacement.

4. Rebuild RAID Arrays:

   • If the RAID controller utility indicates that virtual drives are offline or missing, attempt to rebuild the RAID arrays if that option is available. This process will typically start automatically, but you may need to initiate it through the RAID controller utility.

5. Check for Cache Preservation:

   • Some RAID controllers allow you to preserve cache in case of power loss or other failures. Ensure that cache preservation settings are configured correctly.
   • If cache preservation is the cause of the issue, the RAID controller may need to flush or rebuild the cache.

6. Update RAID Controller Firmware/Driver:

   • Check if there are any firmware or driver updates available for your RAID controller. Outdated firmware or drivers can sometimes lead to issues.

7. Data Backup:

   • If you have important data on the server, consider backing it up before attempting any further troubleshooting or recovery steps.

8. Consult Manufacturer Support:

   • If you're unable to resolve the issue after performing these troubleshooting steps, it's advisable to contact the manufacturer's technical support or consult with a professional IT technician. They can provide more advanced diagnostics and assistance in recovering the RAID configuration and data.

Remember that working with RAID configurations and data recovery can be complex, so it's essential to proceed with caution and, if necessary, seek professional assistance to avoid data loss or further complications.

This is a recurring fault on this 2022 out of warranty PowerEdge R430.

It is set on RAID 5. It has PERC H730 Mini (Embedded).

I've done the firmware upgrade  25.5.9.0001

iDRAC8 2.86.86.86 (Build 6)
Lifecycle Controller 2.86.86.86

Hi,

If you have updated the firmware and the issue still reoccur, there might be a hardware issue which could lead to this error. It would be the PERC battery which has cached reserve or a drive failure resulting that error message. You will need support to analyze the server logs, PERC logs and OS logs to check thoroughly what could lead to this error. Have you also tried checking the iDRAC/LCC logs by yourself? https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/idrac8-with-lc-v2.05.05.05/idrac8_2.05.05.05_ug/viewing-system-event-log-using-web-interface?guid=guid-f78e301b-8382-4e1e-b96b-b9e58d1343c0&lang=en-us

My operating system on the Dell R430 is Opensuse 15.6

The common Fault is Faulty Hard Drive. SAS  ST6000NM0054 D5  4 Drives

I have used the LifeCycle Test Tool when the system boots to Test the Hard Drive, no errors.

I have Enabled this 

   In the hopes that RAID Cache fault would go away.

Today the Operating system by the Hard Drive (RAID) did what I can switched off, even though the computer was on.

So just a blank screen. Did a CTRL+ALT+DEL . About 10 lines of Text showed up saying it's going to reboot, then stopped. So had to do a Hard Shutdown.

As you'll see on the recent picture the Hard Drive goes from Hot Spare to Magically RAID SAS Hard Drive

Linuxisthbom,

The error you are seeing is caused when a physical disk is removed or fails without following proper procedures (e.g., not marking it offline first), the RAID controller (e.g., PERC or LSI) may retain preserved cache for the affected virtual disk. This cache contains write operations that were not yet committed to disk.

Now I have to ask if you have a complete backup of the data, as some steps we may need to take can risk the integrity of that data. So if you don't have a complete backup you may want to consider a data recovery specialist. 

If you do have a backup then what I suggest you start with is if you have OpenManage then go to the Virtual and Physical Disk page and see if there is anything listed as Foreign. If so then you may want to try importing the foreign. 

If that isn't an available option then let us know. as we may have to look at clearing the preserved cache. 

Let me know what you see and if this helps.

Thank you for the reply. I have delt with the clearing of the preserved cache. In actual fact this server is a refurbished dell server which I sent back to the dealer it was bought from to sort out the preserved cache fault. This is still a recuring fault.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t_5saAa4SLUJ1YSDZqGHFebo9ahZNk2B/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IuEJ6cBLaFK5DbjhibqjAT0nj59Xowzv/view?usp=drive_link

The two links are PDF's .

Putting this on, below picture. I don't get this error preserved cache

It takes about 3 hours then it has the below error

I Hard Shutdown on the Power Button. Switch the Dell Server back on. The Operating system boots up correctly. 0 to 2 on the HDD has gone back to online RAID.

Global Hot-spare has now turned to Ready.

Can nobody on this community tell me your Hardware is broken, we are just as dumbfounded as you, you'll need to replace the PERC. :-(

Hi,

For this community, we only troubleshoot the issue until there isn't much else that can resolve, replacement hardware is next best thing. But before that, knowing which hardware is faulty is difficult. In the logs, it did state that the backplane is also having an issue, and it could be the PERC card also. 

The Server HDD are working 100% without the 1 SAS Installed. So the Operating system is working.

Now to figure out a way forward.