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Dell PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Deployment Guide

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Troubleshooting 2U enclosures

Common problems that may occur with your 2U enclosure system.

The Module Fault LED on the Ops panel, described in Figure 1, lights amber to indicate a fault for the problems listed in the following table:
NOTE:All alarms also report through SES.
Table 1. Troubleshooting 2U alarm conditions2U alarm conditions
Status Severity Alarm
PCM alert – loss of DC power from a single PCM Fault – loss of redundancy S1
PCM fan fail Fault – loss of redundancy S1
SBB module detected PCM fault Fault S1
PCM removed Configuration error None
Enclosure configuration error (VPD) Fault – critical S1
Low warning temperature alert Warning S1
High warning temperature alert Warning S1
Over-temperature alarm Fault – critical S4
I2C bus failure Fault – loss of redundancy S1
Ops panel communication error (I2C) Fault – critical S1
RAID error Fault – critical S1
SBB interface module fault Fault – critical S1
SBB interface module removed Warning None
Drive power control fault Warning – no loss of disk power S1
Drive power control fault Fault – critical – loss of disk power S1
Drive removed Warning None
Insufficient power available Warning None

For details about replacing modules, see the Dell PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Owner’s Manual.

NOTE:Use the PowerVault Manager to monitor the storage system event logs for information about enclosure-related events, and to determine any necessary recommended actions.
Table 2. Troubleshooting PCM faultsPCM faults
Symptom Cause Recommended action
Ops panel Module Fault LED is amber1 Any power fault Verify that AC mains connections to PCM are live
Fan Fail LED is illuminated on PCM2 Fan failure Replace PCM
  1. See 2U enclosure Ops panel for visual reference of Ops panel LEDs.
  2. See 2U PCM LEDs (580 W) for visual reference of PCM LEDs.

The storage enclosure uses extensive thermal monitoring and takes several actions to ensure that component temperatures are kept low, and to also minimize acoustic noise. Air flow is from the front to back of the enclosure.

Table 3. Troubleshooting thermal monitoring and controlThermal monitoring and control
Symptom Cause Recommended action
If the ambient air is below 25ºC (77ºF), and the fans increase in speed, some restriction on airflow may be causing the internal temperature to rise.
NOTE:This symptom is not a fault condition.
The first stage in the thermal control process is for the fans to automatically increase in speed when a thermal threshold is reached. This condition may be caused higher ambient temperatures in the local environment, and may be normal condition.
NOTE:The threshold changes according to the number of disks and power supplies fitted.
  1. Check the installation for any airflow restrictions at either the front or back of the enclosure. A minimum gap of 25 mm (1") at the front and 50 mm (2") at the rear is recommended.
  2. Check for restrictions due to dust build-up. Clean as appropriate.
  3. Check for excessive recirculation of heated air from rear to front. Use of the enclosure in a fully enclosed rack is not recommended.
  4. Verify that all blank modules are in place.
  5. Reduce the ambient temperature.
Table 4. Troubleshooting thermal alarmThermal alarm
Symptom Cause Recommended action
  1. Ops panel Module Fault LED is amber.
  2. Fan Fail LED is illuminated on one or more PCMs.

Internal temperature exceeds a preset threshold for the enclosure.

  1. Verify that the local ambient environment temperature is within the acceptable range. See the technical specifications in the Dell PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Owner’s Manual.
  2. Check the installation for any airflow restrictions at either the front or back of the enclosure. A minimum gap of 25 mm (1") at the front and 50 mm (2") at the rear is recommended.
  3. Check for restrictions due to dust build-up. Clean as appropriate.
  4. Check for excessive recirculation of heated air from rear to front. Use of the enclosure in a fully enclosed rack is not recommended.
  5. If possible, shut down the enclosure and investigate the problem before continuing.

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