PowerEdge: PM2, PM2+, PM2R SSDs drives locking after 70000 Power On Hours
Summary: The drive will assert due to a log full condition after the first power cycle when it reaches 70000 Power On Hours (POH). The drive will not process read or write commands once in this state. ...
This article applies to
This article does not apply to
This article is not tied to any specific product.
Not all product versions are identified in this article.
Symptoms
Dell Toshiba PM2 family SSD drives lock when power cycled after reaching 70000 Power On Hours (POH) (8 years is 70,080 hours).
The drive reports a fault status and will not accept read or write commands. Data becomes inaccessible, and iDRAC will report the drive as having 0GB size.
Soft rebooting using the Operating System (OS) may not trigger the lock state, but any power cycle of the server or reseating drive results in a drive lock. Applying updates, such as BIOS, also triggers the failure as this process cycles the Server.
When the issue is triggered, an unexpected drive size may be reported.
Example: 200GB SSD may be reported as a 73GB SSD.
This will change to 0GB after power cycling or reseating the drive.
Once this condition occurs, Drives and RAID Virtual Disks (VDs) become inaccessible.
Impacted drive models -
Drive firmware updates have been released to correct this issue.
Updating the drive firmware to the newest version prevents the issue from occurring.
Applying the updated firmware on a drive that has encountered this lock condition unlocks the drive and return it to a functional state.
The drive reports a fault status and will not accept read or write commands. Data becomes inaccessible, and iDRAC will report the drive as having 0GB size.
Soft rebooting using the Operating System (OS) may not trigger the lock state, but any power cycle of the server or reseating drive results in a drive lock. Applying updates, such as BIOS, also triggers the failure as this process cycles the Server.
When the issue is triggered, an unexpected drive size may be reported.
Example: 200GB SSD may be reported as a 73GB SSD.
This will change to 0GB after power cycling or reseating the drive.
Once this condition occurs, Drives and RAID Virtual Disks (VDs) become inaccessible.
Impacted drive models -
| Family | Part Number | Product ID | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2 | K41XJ | PX02SMF020 | 200GB |
| PM2 | HKK8C | PX02SMF040 | 400GB |
| PM2 | TC2MH | PX02SMF080 | 800GB |
| PM2 | G4V45 | PX02SMB160 | 1.6TB |
| PM2+ | CV6W8 | PX02SSF020 | 200GB |
| PM2+ | 2H9WV | PX02SSF040 | 400GB |
| PM2+ | PG19T | PX02SSB080 | 800GB |
| PM2R | N9PTK | PX03SNF080 | 800GB |
| PM2R | 0MXR2 | PX03SNB160 | 1.6TB |
Updating the drive firmware to the newest version prevents the issue from occurring.
Applying the updated firmware on a drive that has encountered this lock condition unlocks the drive and return it to a functional state.
Cause
The internal log is limited to 70000 entries = 70000 Power On Hours.
Resolution
Fixed in firmware versions
PM2, Drive Firmware A3B4
PM2+, Drive Firmware A4B4
PM2R, Drive Firmware A5B4
Firmware update Web posted August 24, 2023.
If the drives are not in a locked state (First, create an external data backup!)
If the drives are accessible, Dell Technologies recommends applying the drive firmware update with utmost urgency to prevent the drive lock state.
Do not stage other firmware, or BIOS updates simultaneously due to an increase risk of a power cycle locking the drives.
If the drives are already in a locked state (As the drives are locked during the system post-stage, device and data access can be restored but not guaranteed following the below recovery actions).
If the drives are connected to a Dell SAS HBA controller. Log in to the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) and apply the drive firmware update. Once the firmware update has been applied, the drive will unlock and return to normal operation on the next power cycle.
If a PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) connected Virtual Disk was configured initially but is now reported as missing or offline, it is recommended to boot the system to the F2 menu and connect using iDRAC user interface to apply the drive firmware update.
NOTE: To successfully update the firmware, it is imperative that a Dell SAS HBA controller is used when the drives are in a locked state. This is because the PERC controller may block any firmware update actions on locked drives.
After the system updates are applied, on the next boot, the PERC will try to rediscover the disks. An auto-import or manual foreign configuration import may be required to restore access to the virtual disk.
The firmware update can be run from within the iDRAC user interface using the drive firmware Dell Update Package (DUP).
For Dell VxRail see: Dell VxRail: Dell PM1653, PM1655 SAS SSD drive models may experience unexpected fault conditions
PM2, Drive Firmware A3B4
PM2+, Drive Firmware A4B4
PM2R, Drive Firmware A5B4
Firmware update Web posted August 24, 2023.
If the drives are not in a locked state (First, create an external data backup!)
If the drives are accessible, Dell Technologies recommends applying the drive firmware update with utmost urgency to prevent the drive lock state.
Do not stage other firmware, or BIOS updates simultaneously due to an increase risk of a power cycle locking the drives.
If the drives are already in a locked state (As the drives are locked during the system post-stage, device and data access can be restored but not guaranteed following the below recovery actions).
If the drives are connected to a Dell SAS HBA controller. Log in to the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) and apply the drive firmware update. Once the firmware update has been applied, the drive will unlock and return to normal operation on the next power cycle.
If a PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) connected Virtual Disk was configured initially but is now reported as missing or offline, it is recommended to boot the system to the F2 menu and connect using iDRAC user interface to apply the drive firmware update.
NOTE: To successfully update the firmware, it is imperative that a Dell SAS HBA controller is used when the drives are in a locked state. This is because the PERC controller may block any firmware update actions on locked drives.
After the system updates are applied, on the next boot, the PERC will try to rediscover the disks. An auto-import or manual foreign configuration import may be required to restore access to the virtual disk.
The firmware update can be run from within the iDRAC user interface using the drive firmware Dell Update Package (DUP).
For Dell VxRail see: Dell VxRail: Dell PM1653, PM1655 SAS SSD drive models may experience unexpected fault conditions
Affected Products
PowerEdge C4130, PowerEdge c6320, Poweredge FC430, Poweredge FC630, Poweredge FC830, PowerEdge FD332, PowerEdge M630, PowerEdge M630 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M830, PowerEdge M830 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge R230, PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge R430
, PowerEdge R530, PowerEdge R530xd, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd, PowerEdge R830, PowerEdge R930
...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000217034
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 25 May 2026
Version: 8
Find answers to your questions from other Dell users
Support Services
Check if your device is covered by Support Services.