Dell PowerVault 705N upgrade help

[soundidea]

:uhh: Hi,

I have a used Dell PowerVault 705N. Which SnapServer is this based on? Can it be updated in the same way? It has four 60GB Drives in it and I would like to install larger drives and update the OS.
**
Can ATA133 drives be used in this? I have access to four used Maxtor 250GB drives that have a small number of hours on them.

Thanks for all the help.

PS: I am the happy user of a Snap1000 that had a bad drive, which I updated . With the forum's help I installed a Seagate 200GB Barracuda. It doesn't seem to get very hot and the fan cycles off and on reasonably.

I am hoping to have similar success with the Dell PowerVault 705N.

Nelson

[blue68f100]

The 705N = 4100 = max 137gig.
OS is stored in Flashram
If the HD is a IDE and NOT EIDE it will work.

[soundidea]

Thanks for the info. I browsed through the recent posts and see the size limit issues and attempted programming of the chip. I also see the memory upgrade ideas. Is PC133 the ideal memory? or is PC100 the fastest it can take advantage of?

I fired it up and Assist recognized it and I did a quick configure. It came set for RAID 5 and totaled 179GB from the 4 60GB drives.

You memtioned it would not accept EIDE drives. I have access to 4 Maxtor DiamondMax 9 (8 mb cache) drives. I understand they would be limited to the 139GB/drive. Will these work? They are Ultra 133 and EIDE compatable:

• 3.5-inch 7200 RPM
performance hard drives
• Capacities up to 250GB
• Designed for performance
PCs, PC gaming systems,
and digital video
FEATURES
• Fast ATA/Enhanced
IDE-compatible
• Ultra ATA data transfer
speeds up to 133MB/sec
• Serial ATA option with
transfer speeds up to
150MB/sec
• 100% FDB (fluid dynamic
bearing) motors
• 2MB and 8MB cache buffers
• Shock Protection System™
• Data Protection System™

I'd like to re-fan this snap....4 40mm fans and one 60mm cpu fan that are quite noisy!!

Sure appreciate the help.

Nelson

[blue68f100]

EIDE drives have caused problems in the past. Some have worked some not. The capacity will be clipped at 137 gig.

I think it takes a low profile ram.

I think the actual ram was PC66. But most ram is backward compatable. No gain wth PC133.

As for fans. You will need to pull and look at the specs.

[jontz]

As blue said, you can use PC133 but you won't gain any speed. The advantage is that PC133 usually costs less than PC100 these days, just something to think about. It should also be low profile.

I am running Western Digital drives in mine, which are EIDE, and haven't had any problems. The 4100's seem to be more tolerant of them than the older snaps.

Let me know what you come up with on fans, I might have to re-fan mine as well.

[soundidea]

First, the good news: The server works and all are Enhanced IDE drives. They format to the limit of the Drive one or 56GB.


5/4/06:
Installed disks:
Disk One: Seagate ST360021A 60 GB ATA IV Barracuda
Disk Two, Three & Four: WD800 Enhanced IDE Cavalier 80 GB

When configured for separate disks, all disks formatted to 56.014 GB total, 55.958 GB Free

I pulled Drives 2-4 and the disk management shows only one drive connected, as it should.

I pulled drive one and installed a 200GB Maxtor DiamondMax 9 EIDE and the lights never settled down. Assist could reach the server, but when I tried to web logon, the only page that came up informed me that "There Are No Language Resources Installed". I reconnected the original drives. I can logon through Assist, but when I try to logon via the web, the same page appears. The server utilities cannot be reached and configured.

Does the forum have an upgrade .sup file to try to apply? What is the known procedure for changing the drives, not that I have fxxxxx it up?

Nelson:mad:

[blue68f100]

Drive size on the 4100's are set off of drive 1. Dells do some strange things.

Since you replaced the boot drive, it may take 10 min + for it to settle down, but some do not play well with EIDE. You will not be able to connect till it formats and loads the OS from flashram. Give it some time. If it takes over 20 minutes it does not like what you installed.

Pull the drive and make sure the jumper is set correct, master.

What version of OS are you at?

At least you have/had a working drive to startup with. Most receive them with no drives.

Don't worry you may just have to take the senic route.

[soundidea]

Dell 705N
OS: 3.1.618
Server # 501482
BIOS version: 2.4.437
192.168.1.3

David,

With the original drives back in (All EIDE), Assist sees and accesses the drives, but the web console config brings back the page" language resources not available".

But.....Windows Explorer sees the drive.

Popped in the new drive again. Windows explorer see this as well. 135MB. I guess it did get formatted!

But no web console config! Maybe part of the OS or resources was on the drive and when the new drive was installed it over-wrote something in the flash ram!?

How do I get the web management to work again?

Wha Da Ya Say?

Nelson

[blue68f100]

If you can access it with Assist. You can reload the os through assist. If not option 2

Option 1
Instruction is given from assist. Upgrade to v 3.4.803. To put the unit in flup mode it is 5 blinks.

Option 2
Try a image file that is complete.

[soundidea]

Hi David,

I can get into the advanced Assist panels, but the OS I have (version 4 for the 1000) is invalid.

Nelson

[blue68f100]

You proably have the patch then and not the full version.

[jontz]

If part of the OS was on the drive then the Dell 705 isn't the same as the true 4100. My unit is accessable with no drives in it, and I have swapped drives out several times with no problems. It just sees it, formats it, and 10 minutes later lets me use it.

I wonder if you plug in the original drive and do a re-init from debug if it will behave itself and let you log in. If the Dell units do store some info on the hard drive that would be good info to have in the Wiki...

[blue68f100]

I think he may have some file coruption. Even Dell loaded the language sets. Since he installed the original drive and have the same problem. But its fixable, providing he doesn't have some bad flashram, which is un-likely.

[soundidea]

OK, I can access the server by entering /debug in the url. It just won't go into config (returns the page warning " No language resources available" This is in 4 languages.

I issued the command "config devices format 10000 /reinit" and both the new big EIDE drive and the original 60GB Seagate EIDE reformated properly. But I still cannot get into config!

If I pull all the drives, I can access the config panel. With either drive installed, I cannot now reach config, which worked fine when I first turned on the server before switching drives.

Wha Da Ya Think?

Dell 705N
OS: 3.1.618
Server # 501482
BIOS version: 2.4.437

[blue68f100]

It indicates that the OS is corupted. Need to reload the OS. Upgrade to v3.4.803 it will copy all of the files needed, and should correct the flashram. I ran in to that on my fried 2000.

If you have a image file from another snap load it and see what happens.

[soundidea]

:doh:

Help with Linux.

I've booted an extra PC into Knoppix 4 Linux from a CD image. There is no boot hard drive installed in the PC, only the hd for the Snap image. The snap image to copy is on a usb drive, which I see on the destop. In the console I cannot run the mount commands, being notified that "only root can do that". If I click on menu Session/New Root Shell, it asks for a password. What should that be? I don't remember this problem when I imaged the drive for my Snap 1000.

Help please

Nelson

[soundidea]

Ok, I got knoppix to image the snap drive with dd. It came back with the image transfer successful.

Back in the Server the same problem, even after reformating from debug.

The administration console works fine with no drives installed! The language choice is set properly and everything seems fine. Put in the drive and it will not connect to the admin console. Assist and Windows Explorer see the drive fine.

I switched one of the 80GB drives from position 2 and connected it in Drive one. I had to reformat it from debug and the full 80GB (78GB) was available in Explorer. Still no web admin console! Assist is happy, but it will not accept any of the OS x.sup files as valid.

Maybe the drive is not totally clean. For the 200 GB drive, I partitioned it for FAT32 with Powerquest 8 in W2K and then had Disk Management in W2K delete the partition. In Linux, dd imaged the drive without complaint. Would this work if there was a MBR at the head of the drive? I'm stumped.

With all the drives pulled, the admin console works with all it functionality, although noting there are no drives!

Nelson

[blue68f100]

There is a flag set wrong.

I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.

Need to check "bios oem" from debug.

Needs to be set to "none" for it to take the Snap OS

To set to none, enter these from debug:
bios unlock
bios oem none
bios lock

Now it will take the SnapOS

The 200gig will be chopped.

[moransa]

Guys, I know this is an old post, but I just upgraded mine to 4-200GB drives and can no longer see the web admin page. I found this post by the language error message. From reading, I gather putting the original HDs back in place would be a good idea and prolly restore the web admin page....

What I really need is the Assist CD, anyone have a copy or ISO? Dell support doesn't even have this model in their system, much less an archive of the CD.

Thanks in advance!!

[blue68f100]

Dell does have assist in the download section. Or you can contact Adaptec/Overland via email and kindly request a copy.

If you did not reset the unit your settings will keep. It just takes a min of 10 min for the snap to do the initial install before you can gain access.

[moransa]

Wow, thanks!!

I've got the assist utility now, but I don't see anything I can do with it. It lists my server as 'unknown'. Is there some place where I can configure the server? All I see are properties, and I still cannot view the web interface, I see the "no language resources avail" message

[blue68f100]

You need to do some more reading on the 705N (aka Snap4100 if my memory is not failing). Your drive capacity is capped at 137gig. So the 500gig drives are a waste. So my guess is that the BIOS can not read drives firmware.

You should be able to access the firmware without any HD's installed. If not you may have other problems.

Assist allows you to reinstall/upgrade firmware/os. Re install the original HD's and see it the unts comes backup.

[moransa]

137GB total? So anything more than the 40s it came with is a waste?

[blue68f100]

Read the FAQ's and the sticky thread on the 4100 about a MB Problem and what to look for. If the MB has the mod it will take larger HD's than 40"s. But Still again the max will be capped at ~130gig (480gig, 360gig raid5). So find a good price on some small HD's around 250 or less. Most case the 250"s can be bought cheaper than a 120 or 160 now.

[moransa]

Well, I have 4-200s in it now, and they don't work, so I guess that's proof positive I need to go smaller. The drives "work", but the web interface only shows the "no language resources available" message. Why wouldn't they just say "Your harddives are too big, doofus"?

So if I unc or ftp to the address, I see Shares 1-4, I suspect these would be the drives, but I have no indication how big the shares are, maybe 137.... I can add or remove files, but there is no parity or redundancy.

I guess I'll put the 40s back in and see if the web interface works again.

[blue68f100]

Shares 1-4 are the drives. You have to build the Raid5 array before you have any redundancy. The 200's should have been seen and OS transfered to them. Remove the HD and see if you can connect. If not, you need to reload the OS. If the lang set is on the original use the originals to transfer the os. But it sounding more and more like you need to re-install the os. Adaptec/Storageworks have been releasing the v3 on email request but not v4 unless they have record of you owning it.

Now the Dell OS and Hardware was setup a little different than the Snap. Unless someone make the BIOS change you will need the Dell Version. Which stoped at v3. The reason most switched over to the Snap OS.

[moransa]

I reset it to factory, not the same as reloading the OS, I know.

How do I get ahold of the Dell version? I've called Dell support, they can't even find the service tag in their system, or locate the Assist utility (which was on their webpage) can't imagine they'd be any help with the OS.

If that's not feasible, what email address can I requests the SNAP/Adaptec version?

[blue68f100]

Just go to the adaptec site under support, there is and option to send them an email.

[eschw95458]

I was able to pull powervault assist up on Dells site along with ver 3.4.790 for the 705.
Goto Dell.com -->support -->Drivers and downloads -->Select model -->Servers, Storage & Networking -->Powervault -->705 and select what you need