NOS HANGS OR TRAPS RUNNING WITH SERVERAID 3L

Subject: NOS HANGS OR TRAPS RUNNING WITH SERVERAID 3L
Updated Netfinity server RETAIN Tip: 

    Record number:       H167339
    Device:              D/T8680
    Model:               M
    Part number:         P/N01K7364
    Hit count:           UHC00061
    Success count:       USC0000
    Publication code:    PC50
    Tip key:             025
    Date created:        O99/09/20
    Date last altered:   A99/12/28
    Owning B.U.:         USA


Abstract: NOS HANGS OR TRAPS RUNNING WITH SERVERAID 3L

TEXT:

Operating System hangs or traps running with ServeRAID 3L.

SYMPTOMS:

System hangs - No longer responds to keyboard or mouse input and remote network requests.

PROBLEM ISOLATION AIDS:

•  The system is any of the following IBM Netfinity servers:

          a Netfinity 7000-M10 server, Type 8680, any Model.
          a Netfinity 7000 server, Type 8651, any Model.
          a Netfinity 5500-M20 server, Type 8662, any Model.
          a Netfinity 5500-M10 server, Type 8661, any Model.
          a Netfinity 5500 server, Type 8660, any Model.
          a Netfinity 5000 server, Type 8659, any Model.
          a Netfinity 3500 server, Type 8644, any Model.
          a Netfinity 3500-M10 server, Type 8655, any Model.
          a Netfinity 3000 server, Type 8476, any Model.
          a Netfinity 1000 server, Type 8477, any Model.
   

•  The system is any of the following IBM PC Servers:

          a PC Server 704, Type 8650, any Model.
          a PC Server 330, Type 8640, any Model.
          a PC Server 325, Type 8639, any Model.
   

•  The system is configures with the following:

          a Netfinity ServeRAID-3L Ultra2 SCSI Adapter,
          Option P/N 01K7364.
   

•  The ServeRAID 3L adapter is configured with 64k logical block sizes in Write Back Cache mode.
•  The ServeRAID Firmware level affected is:

          ServeRAID package 3.50,
          (the exact Firmware level is 3.50.22)
   

•  The system has the described symptom.

FIX:

•  This behavior has been corrected in the ServeRAID Firmware release version 3.60.
•  It is available from the following URL:

  http://www.pc.ibm.com/searchfiles.html
    search on "ServeRAID Firmware"

WORKAROUND:

If you are running a ServeRAID 3L with Write Back enabled and 64k Logical Block Size, change the cache setting to Write Through.
Otherwise, do not create logical drives with a block size of 64k.

DETAILS:

Once the block size is set with the creation of the array, it cannot be changed without losing data.
If customers need to run in Write Back mode they will need to back up data, recreate arrays and logical drives, and then restore the data.

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Feel free - send a   for any BUG on this page found - Thank you.