Help to recover a 4500 with blank disks

[ItoA]

Hi,

I have a SnapServer 4500 with 4x160 WD IDE disks, all of them formatted, no GuardianOS on them.

How can I recover the system?

I've been searching over the Internet, trying to get help from Adaptec but only get GSU image files that need a previous version of Guardian running.

In the last Adaptec email they said to me that only way to get this repaired is through an RMA and paying for it. I'm lucky so my server was not on production and my network's hot-files were in a mirrored box (with Windows).

I have been able to boot from Linux live-cds (Mandriva-LiveCD, ...) and Windows cds from an USB CD/DVD Unit. And I think it would be any possibility of boot some GuardianOS Boot CD which install itself back to the disks but this CD is not provided with the box. I bought it new 3 years before and have no cd and Adaptec do not want to send me any ISO.

The question is: What is the procedure to really recover a disaster in a SnapServer 4500? How can i get back GuardianOS running on my system? How can I put GSU images to it?

PD: Note that all of 4 disks are BLANK, no web access, no white button function...

Thanks in advance.
You can email me at itoa[at]tekbites[dot]com.

[blue68f100]

You need 1 working disk to load the OS to the other drives.

We have only started seeing the GuardianOS the last couple of months. With the snap os, we are able to copy the boot tracks over from a file. Need to find a user that has upgraded and has the original drives. Then use dd to copy approx 200 meg of boot sectors. The snap os is smaller, 25meg. The Guardian OS files are 112 meg in size.

Adaptec will sell you a drive with the OS loaded.

[ItoA]

Thank you Blue, any other ideas?
Anyone has a working SnapServer 4500?

It is incredible... how is it suppossed to recover it from a really disaster?
See you.

[re3dyb0y]

Thats what the raid redundany is for


You just hope all drives dont die....

[ItoA]

Well, if the box has true RAID hardware support you're right, but remember 4500 and GuardianOS have a Software RAID support.

What happens to the system when the OS is corrupted or have a total replacement of all of disks drives? (That's my case) and the manufacturer (Adaptec) says:

Originally Posted by Adaptec support

If there is no OS or partitions on the Snap server drives, then the
server cannot be repaired.
The Snap server is a sealed unit, if the operating system was removed
or destroyed; the only "repair" will be through an RMA,

Please provide the required contact name, email, phone number and
shipping address for an RMA to be generated.
You will need to ship the Snap server to the address that will be
provided when the RMA is generated.
We can only perform a standard RMA on this Snap server; we cannot
advance ship a server before receiving the old server.

Originally Posted by re3dyb0y

Thats what the raid redundany is for


You just hope all drives dont die....

[rpmurray]

Originally Posted by ItoA

It is incredible... how is it suppossed to recover it from a really disaster?
See you.

This is why backups are really, REALLY, important.

[Patch]

I also have a snapserver 4200 with brand new disks.

Does anyone have an image, a backup to write on my newly formatted disks?
I already have a gsu file... but no hope to write it to my disks without a working snapOS....

Any help is appreciated

[blue68f100]

Currently the Guardian OS Snap Units need a working drive. No one has imaged the drive yet.

[Patch]

We all know how usefull are Snap servers... and how terrible is waiting for a replacement from Adaptec while our system is DOWN...

I think that, for a good administrator, is a good thing having an image of the working os.

It's even a better thing if this "GOOD SYSTEM Administrator" posts his image to this GREAT forum !!



I badly need it

[ItoA]

Yes, I claim for that "GOOD ADMIN"?
Where is him?

For those who have a working 4500 SnapServer I would highly recommend to get an image of the system working before it fails. So if it would happen there is no way to recover it except to pay and WAIT for Adaptec support.

So anybody in that situation MUST do it and I hope one of them could publish it on any FTP...

I'm happy now so i got the invoice bill and saw that we bought "on-site" warranty...

I'll post later our results.
Thanks for your support.

[re3dyb0y]

Is that me?

Or david?...

Email me if you ever need ought

I will get it sorted for you

[Phoenix32]

As I think David already said, you are going to have to find another 4200/4500 with an original disk in it and copy that OS data over, or find someone who has a 4200/4500 who can make an image for you and is willing to send it to you.

[ItoA]

Hi,

After too much conversations with Adaptec, they sent a refurbished unit to me, so we had "on-site-warranty"... and i have cloned disk #0 of it against my blank #0 disk, and after inserting it back to old server it has boot without problem.

I have rebuild the disk array and system are working now.

I'll put a CD/DVD cloned image in my backups case and i will return the refurbished unit back to adaptec.

They would be spent less money if they would send a bootable ISO CD/DVD to fix this problem, not a complete refurbished old server... don't you think so?

Best regards,
ItoA.

[blue68f100]

What did you use to clone the drive?

Consider Your Self Lucky you were able to get hold of a drive with the OS on it. As you know Adaptec can be jerks....

[jontz]

Any chance at all you would be willing to send me a copy of that CD clone image? You are about the only person here who has a copy of guardian!

[ItoA]

Hi,

As you know, received a refurbished unit from Adaptec last week.

Before i turn it on, i pulled the disk #0 out, disarmed from the hot plug body, and connected it to an HP Workstation as IDE-Master.

After that, i removed the disk #0 from my SnapServer (blank disk), and connected it to the same HP workstation as IDE-Slave, so this machine had only 1 IDE interface.

I ran Norton Ghost 8.2 from a boot disk and cloned using disk-to-disk method. Finally, when the process ended, i put the destination disk in my Snap server and it boots correctly.

The server was at the same IP and with the same netkord Name, so it made me think these values are stored on a EEPROM or Flash memory, not to disks.

I created the RAID 5 volume, and it worked without problems.

Now, I upgraded the 3.2 G.OS to 4.1.106, and i have it running without any issue.
My target now is make a CD/DVD ISO image from the disk #0 of my (now) working Snap Server. I'll try to:

1) Stop and shutdown the server.
2) Pull out the disk #0.
3) Disarm from the hotplug body and connect it to an IDE Worstation.
4) Use Norton Ghost 8.2 to make an complete disk image.
5) Store the file in a bootable Norton CD or DVD.

I suposse all of you can do the same method to get an System recovery way, you could use Norton Ghost or any kind of software that could read from Linux system partitions. You must do it as soon as possible. Consider there is not support from nobody if your system fails.

I'll return the refurbished unit to Adaptec without turning it on. I prefer continue working with mine.

I'll post the results later.
See you.

[blue68f100]

Ghost 8.2 is the the same version as 2002 0r 2003. I know v10 is different.
Did the image fit on 1 cd?

[mvand5]

any chance you can post the image on a site for d/l for someone else who has a 4500 that will not finish the boot?

[blue68f100]

If your starts the process can you drop into maintance mode with a button push?

I wish I had a copy of a Guardian OS drive.

[Phoenix32]

Originally Posted by blue68f100

I wish I had a copy of a Guardian OS drive.

Ditto

[mvand5]

how do i get into maintananence mode then, i will try that?

[blue68f100]

Do you have the Admin manual for the Guardian OS? Adaptec allow you to down load it.

Looking over my notes, I think you have to be able to boot the machine. You may want to re-install the bad drive and see if it will boot.

The only way to get the OS transfered is by installing a clean drive into position 1 (2nd drive) and let it copy the OS to it.

[mvand5]

thanks for all the help, and after talking to adaptec i think it is booting ok, but the issue now is that i cant locate it. no web address, snap mamanger or ip address will find the server. anyone get past this issue?

[Hallis]

You could go into your router config and see what IP address it's giving your snap server. I always had mine set to Static so i know what it is.

Shane

[jontz]

I don't know much about the Guardian OS units, but I know that when you reset a snap it comes up as 0.0.0.0 and you have to use assist to find it. Is it a similar process with the guardian OS units?