PowerEdge: Extracting the RAID-Controller Logs using MegaCLI

Reviewing the logs from the RAID controller is an important step when troubleshooting hard drive and RAID-related issues.

Access the RAID Controller logs with MegaCli in Microsoft Windows, Linux, or VMware operating systems:

Table of content
Extracting the RAID controller logs using MegaCli in Windows operating systems.
Extracting the RAID controller logs using MegaCli in Linux operating systems.
Extracting the RAID Controller logs with MegaCli in VMware ESXi.

 

Extracting the RAID controller logs using MegaCli in Windows operating systems:

To extract the RAID controller logs, perform the following procedure:

1. Download the MegaCli utility  from the Broadcom support site

2. Extract the downloaded files and copy them to any directory of your installed operating system (for example:  C:\temp\megacli)

3. From the command prompt in Windows operating systems, navigate to the newly created directory and run any of the following commands:

   Note: Administrative rights are necessary.

   Command	Action
   MegaCli.exe -FwTermLog -Dsply -aALL > ttylog.txt	Creates the RAID controller log (ttylog)
   MegaCli.exe -PDList -aALL > disks.txt	Creates a list with information about the RAID controllers, virtual disks, and hard disks
   MegaCli.exe -LDInfo -LALL -aALL > LDinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about existing RAID volumes and configurations
   MegaCli.exe -AdpAllInfo -aALL > Adapterinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about RAID controller settings
   MegaCli.exe -AdpBbuCmd -aALL > Battery.txt	Creates a detailed list of the battery status of the RAID controller (state of charge, learning cycle, etc.)
   MegaCli.exe -AdpEventLog -IncludeDeleted -f deleted.txt -aALL	Creates the RAID controller log with all events since the first controller initialization (Note: This file is stored in the MegaCLI root folder)

Extracting the RAID controller logs using MegaCli in Linux operating systems:

To extract the PERC logs, perform the following procedure:

1. Download the MegaCli utility from the Broadcom support site

2. Extract the downloaded files and install them to any directory of your installed operating system (for example:  /tmp/megacli)

3. From a terminal window in Linux, install the using the following command:

   Note: root privileges are required to install MegaCLI:

   # rpm -i MegaCli-8.07.14-1.noarch.rpm 

    

4. Then change directory into /opt/MegaRAID/MegaCLI/ and run any of the commands from the table below:

   Command	Action
   ./MegaCli64 -FwTermLog -Dsply -aALL > /tmp/ttylog.txt	Creates the RAID controller log (ttylog)
   ./MegaCli64 -PDList -aALL > /tmp/disks.txt	Creates a list with information about the RAID controllers, virtual disks, and hard disks installed
   ./MegaCli64 -LDInfo -LALL -aALL > /tmp/LDinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about existing RAID volumes and configurations
   ./MegaCli64 -AdpAllInfo -aALL > /tmp/Adapterinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about RAID controller settings
   ./MegaCli64 -AdpBbuCmd -aALL > /tmp/Battery.txt	Creates a detailed list of the battery status of the RAID controller (state of charge, learning cycle, etc.)
   ./MegaCli64 -AdpEventLog -IncludeDeleted -f deleted.txt -aALL	Creates the RAID controller event log with all events since the first controller initialization (Note: This file is saved in the MegaCLI root folder)

Extracting the RAID Controller logs with MegaCli in VMware ESXi:

To extract the RAID Controller logs, perform the following procedure:

1. Activate SSH using Option 1 or Option 2
   • Option 1: vSphere Client to vCenter

     • Connect using the vSphere Client to the vCenter and the ESX/ESXi host.

     • Select your ESXi host.

     • Then select Configuration and click Security.

     • Click sub-services, then the properties box.

     • Select the SSH - enable option.

   • Option 2: Within ESXi

     • Connect using the IDRAC to the ESXi host (virtual console) or connect directly to the ESXi host.

     • Press F2 -> Troubleshooting Options.

     • Select SSH - enable if it is disabled (Figure 1 (English-only)).
       
        
       Figure: Enabling the SSH

2. Download the MegaCli utility from the Broadcom support site

3. Extract the downloaded files and copy the vmware-esx-MegaCli-8.07.07.vib in the subfolder Vmware-MN to the ESXi host folder /tmp.

4. From an SSH console connected to the ESXi host, install the vmware-esx-MegaCli-8.07.07.vib using the following command:

   esxcli software vib install -v=/tmp/vmware-esx-MegaCli-8.07.07.vib --no-sig-check 

5. From an SSH console switch to the directory /opt/lsi/MegaCLI and run any of the following commands:

   Command	Action
   ./MegaCli -FwTermLog -Dsply -aALL > /tmp/ttylog.txt	Creates the RAID controller log (ttylog)
   ./MegaCli -PDList -aALL > /tmp/disks.txt	Creates a list with information about the RAID controllers, virtual disks, and hard disks installed
   ./MegaCli -LDInfo -LALL -aALL > /tmp/LDinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about existing RAID volumes and configurations
   ./MegaCli -AdpAllInfo -aALL > /tmp/Adapterinfo.txt	Creates a list with information about RAID controller settings
   ./MegaCli -AdpBbuCmd -aALL > /tmp/Battery.txt	Creates a detailed list of the battery status of the RAID controller (state of charge, learning cycle, etc.)
   ./MegaCli -AdpEventLog -IncludeDeleted -f deleted.txt -aALL	Creates the RAID controller log with all events since the first controller initialization Note: The "deleted.txt" file is always stored in the MegaCLI folder.

   
    
   Figure: Controller log creation