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Unread 09-17-2008, 02:52 PM   #1
jzeeh
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Default Snap 520 question

Does anyone know if it's possible to fully update the internal storage capacity of a Snap 520?

I was able to break a Raid5 array of 250GB drives and rebuild it with 1TB drives...but once I rebooted the server - well, it simply won't boot with the 1TB drives installed.

Currently I'm running GuardianOS 4.x
and Bios 1.02 I believe.

I'm wondering if it's worth purchasing the OS/Bios updates from Overland or if Overland/Adaptec has made this impossible.

Any help or information would be appreciated.

Thanks!

~jz
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Unread 09-17-2008, 04:56 PM   #2
blue68f100
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

At one time it was rumored that Adaptec was going to stop customers from buy HD's from any source except them, to prevent upgrades. But this is news to me. The OS supports up to 23T.

When you broke the raid, did you disable Snap Shots? Snapshots stores drive info for disaster recovery.

And did you do a clean install?
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1 Snap 4500 - 1.0T (4 x 250gig WD2500SB RE), Raid5,
1 Snap 4500 - 1.6T (4 x 400gig Seagates), Raid5,
1 Snap 4200 - 4.0T (4 x 2gig Seagates), Raid5, Using SATA converts from Andy

Link to SnapOS FAQ's http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13820
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Unread 09-17-2008, 05:31 PM   #3
jzeeh
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Snapshot weren't enabled.

Actually I had the 250GB drives set up as RAID0, I deleted that array and created a RAID5 array without snapshots. Once that was created I hot swapped the 2,3,4 bays with the 1TB drives, leaving the 1 bay with the 250GB.
The OS found these drives without issue. As the RAID5 array was now broken I created a new RAID5 array with the one 250GB drive and the 3 1TB drives with the limited storage capacity of the 250GB. When. this was finally completed I replaced the 250GB with a 1TB drive so the OS information could be written across that drive as well. I then deleted the limited capacity RAID5 array and rebuilt it with the full storage capacity.

Everything was working fine until I rebooted the 520. All the drives light up on the LCD and then just turn off - the OS never begins to load.

I'm hoping that a BIOS update or a OS Update will fix the problem but am hesitant to spend $600 dollars to find out.

Hopefully someone out there has some experience or insight on this issue...

Thanks!

jz
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Unread 09-17-2008, 05:32 PM   #4
jzeeh
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Also, I'm not sure I know what you mean by "clean install".
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Unread 09-18-2008, 04:20 AM   #5
blue68f100
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Haven't worked on a 520, but with the 4500 you have the array completed removed before upgrading the HD's. So with the unit in a as received state (clean install). You only have drive 1 in, cold boot the unit with the new HD in drive 2 position. The OS will transfer the OS (takes <7min), power down and remove Drive 1 (orig) and swap drive 2 to 1 position. The boot the unit. Once up you can then hot swap the remaing drives 2,3,4.

With you installing new drives with the array built, it thinks it only needs to use 250gig HD's. You need to envolk the recovery console. From there It will give you a option to do a clean install wipping the arrray clean of all previous history.
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1 Snap 4500 - 1.0T (4 x 250gig WD2500SB RE), Raid5,
1 Snap 4500 - 1.6T (4 x 400gig Seagates), Raid5,
1 Snap 4200 - 4.0T (4 x 2gig Seagates), Raid5, Using SATA converts from Andy

Link to SnapOS FAQ's http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13820
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Unread 09-18-2008, 10:32 AM   #6
jzeeh
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Thanks for the information. I'll give that a shot.

I was also curious if you knew the difference between the OS updates and the BIOS updates for these newer Snap models and what the BIOS update process may be.

Basically, I'd like to upgrade my OS if possible, but I think the issue would be more likely resolved with a BIOS update. (currently running 1.02)

Do you know the process of updating the BIOS only? I'm asking this as I don't BIOS versions available on Overland's website, only the Guardian OS updates.

Thanks a lot.

~jz
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Unread 09-18-2008, 01:37 PM   #7
blue68f100
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Most bios updates are done with a utility program, but some of the newer bios have an upgrade built it. BIOS updates can be very risky. The reason I have a programmer, I have had several updates go south. I never update unless I have a copy of the original bios. Some updates do not allow you to save the original/current BIOS. Bios updates cover the hardware. The OS covers how the hardware is utilitized, which what makes a system. The bios should not be the source of the problem due to the fact the way unix/linux reads drives.

Now a history on how Adaptec has worked with the Snap os. There were a period where Snap resized the drives from default. This minor change made the starting points different. So they had to get the correct size hd or resize used a drive utility. Snap would pullup your drive info as shipped and pre-format so it would plugin and work.

But since you had the orig array (1T) built, this is why I think you only have 1T with the newer drives. It was still seeing your original setup.

There are only a few threads on upgrading the guardian OS, HD's. One has a pretty detail procedure needed to remove all previous HD history.
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1 Snap 4500 - 1.0T (4 x 250gig WD2500SB RE), Raid5,
1 Snap 4500 - 1.6T (4 x 400gig Seagates), Raid5,
1 Snap 4200 - 4.0T (4 x 2gig Seagates), Raid5, Using SATA converts from Andy

Link to SnapOS FAQ's http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13820
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Unread 09-27-2008, 02:09 PM   #8
etherfish
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

This is my first post and I apologise, but I've never used forums much. Please let me know if I fail to observe any appropriate etiquette.

I've got a Snap 520 with four 1TB drives. Specifically, they're ST31000340AS. Unfortunately, we've been frustated that it will hang on boot while running the Broadcom HT-1000 option rom. Since the machine uses a usb flash drive for it's root filesystem, the crude workaround we've devised is to pull all four drives out about half a centimeter - enough to disconnect them form the backplane until we reach the linux grub screen. At the grub screen, we reinsert the drives and then boot the kernel. The kernel has no problem detecting the drives. We're also not concerned about inserting the drives while the system is live - previous inspection revelead that the the snap 520 actually has a hotplug SAS backplane.

With regards to the hang on boot, I would be keenly interested to know if your snap hangs at the same place in the boot process. To reduce the noise of the fans, I upgraded the bios on our snap from the one it had to the most recent, generic supermicro bios, specifically dspr6306.rom dated 6/30/2006. I was concerned that i'd broken my snap with the new bios. Does your snap hang if the ht-1000 sata is set to "RAID" mode in the bios instead of IDE or MMIO? Our will in a way that requires clearing the cmos and I can't recall if it worked before the bios upgrade either.

One last clue regarding the boot failure. The machine had no issues booting when the drives were first installed new and before a partition table had been written to them. I'm beginning to suspect a bug in the ht-1000's option rom master boot record parser. One of these days I mean to migrate the disks to GPT hoping it will avoid the bug and allow the machine to boot normally.
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Unread 09-29-2008, 10:31 AM   #9
blue68f100
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Welcome to the forum,

It's recommended that you start a new thread unless your problem is the same as the original post.

I do not know of any one that is not using the factory release BIOS. The hardware has a special chip that identifies it as Snap Hardware. the GOS checks for this. So your ROM is probably the problem. I do not know if your bios allow you to monitor the boot process with a null modem cable off com1 with a terminal. This is how I check things out when I have a problem and can not access the gui.

David

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1 Snap 4500 - 1.0T (4 x 250gig WD2500SB RE), Raid5,
1 Snap 4500 - 1.6T (4 x 400gig Seagates), Raid5,
1 Snap 4200 - 4.0T (4 x 2gig Seagates), Raid5, Using SATA converts from Andy

Link to SnapOS FAQ's http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13820

Last edited by blue68f100; 09-29-2008 at 10:41 AM.
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Unread 07-31-2009, 01:19 AM   #10
kukumlima
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Hate to bring up this old thread, but were you ever able to update the capactiy of your 520?

I've also got a 520, but with a 3TB raw capacity. I'd like to bump it to a 4TB capacity, and am just learning/reading of all the nuances of the GOS and how these systems work.

I was hoping I could do a similar procdure as you: drop in three 1TB drives into the slots 2,3,4 and let the GOS copy itself to the other drives, then replace the original drive in slot 1 and then have a working, booting unit with the 4TB capacity.

But it seems like it's just not that easy.

I'm running GOS 4.4 and I do not have the GOS install discs (do these even come with one anymore?)

And one more question: My 3TB raw capacity 520 seems to only have 1.6TB usable in RAID5. I can see two volumes, with the other having about 250GBs on it. This unit was a warranty replacement and came this way from Overland AFAIK. What is that extra 250GB volume for? Can I rebuild the array and absorb that extra volume into a single larger volume to get closer to a 2TB usable array?

TIA!
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Unread 08-08-2009, 07:30 AM   #11
schnappi
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Default Re: Snap 520 question

Look at http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...649#post171649
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