Data Domain: How to Diagnose and Resolve SDPM | NVRAM Alerts

Step 1: Identify the SDPM Event

Obtain relevant event codes from the following sources:

• • iDRAC UI
    iDRAC Dashboard → Maintenance → System Event Log
  • RACADM
    racadm getsel
  • DDOS CLI
    alerts show current
system show hardware
system show nvram
  • AutoSupport and SupportAssist / TSR
    Review collected AutoSupport and TSR logs.

Record:

• • Event Code
  • Location & component ID
  • Event Severity
    • DDOS Event Code: EVT-NVRAM-000201 (Critical)
    • iDRAC SDPM Event Codes and severity:
      • Quick Reference:
        • 5xxx errors → Informational
          6xxx errors → Warning
          7xxx errors → Critical

      • iDRAC EVENT CODE	SEVERITY:
        SDPM5198 - Diagnostic Event of Undefined Severity	Informational
        SDPM5199 - Unknown Diagnostic Event	Informational
        SDPM6101 - Diagnostic Warning (Configuration Check)	Warning
        SDPM6199 - Unknown Diagnostic Warning	Warning
        HWC8016 - SDPM Cable Issue	Critical
        SDPM7101 - Critical Diagnostic Event (Configuration Check)	Critical
        SDPM7106 - Critical Diagnostic Event (Contact Service Provider)	Critical
        SDPM7107 - Critical Diagnostic Event (Retry Operation)	Critical
        SDPM7108 - Critical Diagnostic Event (Sanitize Required)	Critical
        SDPM7197 - Unsupported Fan Configuration	Critical
        SDPM7199 - Unknown Critical Diagnostic Event	Critical

Step 2: Perform Initial Health Validation:

Before investigating a specific SDPM event, verify overall appliance health.

Run:

• • alerts show current
  • disk show state
  • filesys status
  • system show nvram

Verify:

• • No active disk failures
  • No hardware faults unrelated to SDPM
  • No recent unsupported hardware changes
  • Appliance remains operational and filesystem is Up/Running
  • iDRAC is running a Data Domain-approved firmware version

If the appliance reports additional hardware alerts, investigate those alongside the SDPM event since they may be related.

Step 3: Follow Event Specific Troubleshooting and Resolution Paths:

SDPM5198 – Diagnostic Event of Undefined Severity

Meaning: The installed iDRAC firmware cannot fully decode an SDPM diagnostic event.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Record the location and Extended ID.
      2. Verify the current iDRAC firmware version.
      3. Update iDRAC to the latest Data Domain-approved release during the next maintenance window.
         • Data Domain does NOT support out-of-band upgrades - the appropriate iDRAC version is bundled with every DDOS release. 
         • In order to update iDRAC to the latest, supported release, upgrade DDOS.
      4. Monitor for recurrence.

Most Likely Resolution: Updating iDRAC resolves the alert because the firmware gains the ability to properly interpret the reported SDPM event.

Escalate If: The event reappears after the firmware/DDOS update.

SDPM5199 – Unknown Diagnostic Event

Meaning: An SDPM event has been detected but the installed iDRAC firmware cannot decode it.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Record the location and Extended ID.
      2. Verify the current iDRAC firmware version.
      3. Update iDRAC to the latest Data Domain-approved release during the next maintenance window.
         • Data Domain does NOT support out-of-band upgrades - the appropriate iDRAC version is bundled with every DDOS release. 
         • In order to update iDRAC to the latest, supported release, upgrade DDOS.
      4. Monitor for recurrence.

Most Likely Resolution: Updating iDRAC resolves the alert because the firmware gains the ability to properly interpret the reported SDPM event.

Escalate If: The event reappears after the firmware/DDOS update.

SDPM6101– Diagnostic Warning (Configuration Check)

Meaning: The SDPM device may be operating in a degraded state due to a configuration inconsistency or developing hardware issue.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. In iDRAC, review the System Event Log for correlated events.

      2. From DDOS CLI Run:
         system show hardware
alerts show current
system show nvram
filesystem status

Most Likely Resolution: A configuration mismatch is corrected or a degraded SDPM component is identified and replaced..

Escalate If: The warning persists after validation and reboot.

SDPM6199– Unknown Diagnostic Warning

Meaning: A warning-level SDPM event occurred, but the installed firmware cannot decode it.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Record the location and Extended ID.
      2. Verify the current iDRAC firmware version.
      3. Update iDRAC to the latest Data Domain-approved release during the next maintenance window.
         • Data Domain does NOT support out-of-band upgrades - the appropriate iDRAC version is bundled with every DDOS release. 
         • In order to update iDRAC to the latest, supported release, upgrade DDOS.
      4. Monitor for recurrence.

Most Likely Resolution: Updating iDRAC resolves the alert because the firmware gains the ability to properly interpret the reported SDPM event.

Escalate If: The event reappears after the firmware/DDOS update.

HWC8016– Critical SDPM Cable Issue

Meaning: A critical cable fault has been detected within the SDPM subsystem. Persistent memory save operations may fail.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Verify critical backup operations complete successfully.
      2. Collect a support bundle and TSR immediately.
      3. Open a support case.
      4. Avoid unnecessary power cycling.

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • SDPM cable inspection
    • SDPM cable reseating
    • SDPM cable replacement
    • SDPM hardware replacement (if required)

Escalate If: Data Domain filesystem is DOWN

SDPM7101– Critical Diagnostic Event (Configuration Check)

Meaning: The SDPM subsystem has reported a critical degraded-state condition.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Review System Event Log entries.
      2. Check for correlated DDOS alerts.
      3. Verify platform configuration.
      4. Collect diagnostics.

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • Correction of an unsupported configuration or replacement of a failing SDPM component.

Escalate If: The event remains active after configuration validation.

SDPM7106– Critical Diagnostic Event (Contact Service Provider)

Meaning: The SDPM subsystem has reported a critical fault requiring further analysis.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Review System Event Log entries.
      2. Collect a TSR.
      3. Generate a support bundle.
      4. Open a support case.

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • Support determines whether firmware remediation, SDPM component replacement, or additional hardware service is required.

Escalate If: Data Domain filesystem is DOWN.

SDPM7107– Critical Diagnostic Event (Retry Operation)

Meaning: An SDPM operation failed and could not complete successfully.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Retry the affected operation once.
      2. Verify whether the alert clears.
      3. Review the SEL for additional SDPM events.
      4. Schedule a system reboot

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • A transient operation failure may clear after retry or reboot. Recurring events commonly indicate an underlying SDPM hardware issue.

Escalate If: The event returns after retrying the operation and rebooting the system.

SDPM7108– Critical Diagnostic Event (Sanitize Required)

Meaning: The SDPM device contains unusable configuration data or detected an unrecoverable startup condition. Often encountered after SDPM Module replacement.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Review System Event Log entries.
      2. Proceed to re-initialize and sanitize SDPM Storage: Data Domain: How to Reinitialize and Sanitize SDPM | NVRAM (alt: Video  Example of process on PowerFlex system) 

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • SDPM sanitization and reinitialization clears the alert and no further action is required.

Escalate If: Alerts persist after sanitization was performed OR filesystem will not enable (Tech Support my need to bypass stale NVRAM).

SDPM7197– Unsupported Fan Configuration

Meaning: The platform does not detect the high-performance fan configuration required by SDPM.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Review recent component replacement activities.
      2. Verify no unsupported hardware changes occurred.

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • Replacement of non-compliant fan modules with the correct Dell-qualified high-performance fan assemblies.

SDPM7199– Unknown Critical Diagnostic Event

Meaning: A critical SDPM event occurred but cannot be decoded by the installed iDRAC firmware.

Customer Actions:

1. 1. 1. Review and collect System Event Log entries.
      2. Verify the current iDRAC firmware version.
      3. Update iDRAC to the latest Data Domain-approved release during the next maintenance window.
         • Data Domain does NOT support out-of-band upgrades - the appropriate iDRAC version is bundled with every DDOS release.
         • In order to update iDRAC to the latest, supported release, upgrade DDOS.
      4. Monitor for recurrence.

Most Likely Resolution:

• • • Updating iDRAC resolves the alert because the firmware gains the ability to properly interpret the reported SDPM event.

Escalate If: The event reappears after the firmware/DDOS update.

Step 4: Collecting Diagnostic Data:

• Create a DDOS Support Bundle, from CLI:
  support bundle create default
• Create an iDRAC TSR:
  RACADM: racadm techsupreport collect
• iDRAC GUI:
  Maintenance → SupportAssist → Start a Collection

Provide the generated files when opening a support case.

Step 5: Escalation Criteria:

Open a Dell Support case if:

• • Any SDPM7xxx event remains active after remediation attempts.
  • Backup or restore operations are affected.
  • An SDPM event reappears after firmware updates and reboot.

References:
iDRAC (v7.x) Error and Event Messages Reference Guide (search 'sdpm')
Data Domain: How to Reinitialize and Sanitize SDPM | NVRAM