RE: Dell problems
If you load the Windows-based RAID management software, you can perform this battery reconditioning or whatever it is called, from within NT. I have done it on a few of my servers. Works well. Ben Winzenz, MCSE Network/Systems Administrator Peregrine Systems, Inc. -Original Message- From: Al Lilianstrom [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 11:12 AM To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject:Re: Dell problems I have 2 PE 6300's with PERC/2's and I'm getting those stupid Battery Needs Refurbishing messages on both. Really annoying Have you done the power cycle on the battery? This battery backs up the cache on the PERC card. Losing power to the server with the write cache turned on and no battery could corrupt data. We see this message every 9 - 12 months on each controller. We run the refurb on Saturday evening as performance drops with the cache disabled. al -- Al Lilianstrom CD/OSS/CSI [EMAIL PROTECTED] List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
RE: Dell problems
Title: RE: Dell problems Take a look on Dells website for FAST (Flexible Array Storage Tool) or something like that. It is basically the RAID controller management software in a Windows-based GUI. You can do virtually everything that you can do from within the RAID controller BIOS, including recondition the battery. I received a popup message or something like that stating the battery needed reconditioning and would I like to perform it. I though, golly, wasnt it nice to ask me J You also want to make sure that you have the firmware and stuff updated on the RAID controller. It might be worth a call to Dell to have them help you get what you need. Theyve always been real nice with me. IIRC, I think most of it was making sure that the RAID drivers were the correct version to support the FAST (I think they may have had to be the same version) and when you see find the FAST software, it may even state that you need such and such version of the driver. If you arent sure though, call Dell. They will know. Ben Winzenz, MCSE Network/Systems Administrator Peregrine Systems, Inc. -Original Message- From: Martey, Emmanuel E [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 11:44 AM To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: RE: Dell problems Ben Which Windows-based RAID management software are you referring to?. Please can you give me a hand. I have a similar problem on my Dell Power Edge 6300 exchange server running Raid 5. I change the Battery 6months ago and in 3months it started reporting in event viewer controller battery needs reconditioning again. Emmanuel Martey Wonna Be MCSE, CNA -Original Message- From: Benjamin Winzenz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 10/09/2001 14:33 To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: RE: Dell problems If you load the Windows-based RAID management software, you can perform this battery reconditioning or whatever it is called, from within NT. I have done it on a few of my servers. Works well. Ben Winzenz, MCSE Network/Systems Administrator Peregrine Systems, Inc. -Original Message- From: Al Lilianstrom [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 11:12 AM To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: Re: Dell problems I have 2 PE 6300's with PERC/2's and I'm getting those stupid Battery Needs Refurbishing messages on both. Really annoying Have you done the power cycle on the battery? This battery backs up the cache on the PERC card. Losing power to the server with the write cache turned on and no battery could corrupt data. We see this message every 9 - 12 months on each controller. We run the refurb on Saturday evening as performance drops with the cache disabled. al -- Al Lilianstrom CD/OSS/CSI [EMAIL PROTECTED] List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm __ Disclaimer and confidentiality note Everything in this e-mail and any attachments relating to the official business of Standard Bank Investment Corporation (Stanbic) is proprietary to the company. It is confidential, legally privileged and protected by law. Stanbic does not own and endorse any other content. Views and opinions are those of the sender unless clearly stated as being that of Stanbic. The person addressed in the e-mail is the sole authorised recipient. Please notify the sender immediately if it has unintentionally reached you and do not read, disclose or use the content in any way. Stanbic can not assure that the integrity of this communication has been maintained nor that it is free of errors, virus, interception or interference. ___ List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
RE: Dell problems
Title: Message Larry, Did you get a solution for this, I have had this problem on a small company server 30 people and had to do a complete DR to another box. At present I have the write cache disabled on the box hoping that that will stop it from happening ever again. Spec original box. Dell PE2400 Dual PIII 733 512MB 3 x 18.1GB RAID 5 Onboard PERC2 enabled Spec new box. Dell PE2450 Dual PIII 733 512MB 2x 18.1GB RAID 1 Onboard PERC2 enabled I would really like to know if this could be a problem, I may have to go buy a new box as I cannot afford to constantly rebuild the box. Thanks for your input. Richard McMahon Systems Engineer Appropria Ltd. -Original Message-From: Berger, Larry J. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Sent: 06 September 2001 21:00To: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: RE: Dell problems This is definitely a documented issue. We worked with Dell on this. The reason other people aren't having this problem is because it only shows up under a heavy I/O load. Our databases average roughly 40gb. We were hit hard by this. -Original Message-From: MHR(Michael Ross) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 2:16 PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: Dell problems Anyon ever see this. Hello all,I've got what may be a unique problem. It appears that the Dell PERC RAIDcontroller (various revisions, versions, etc) is crashing Exchange 5.5 SP4on a fairly regular basis. Exchange is left in a corrupt state and must berestored from a backup. This is our platform:Win2k Server SP1Dell 4400 PowerEdge ServerPerc 3/3Di RAID controller with writeback caching turned *OFF*Exchange 5.5 SP4About 120 users and an IS of 23 GB.2 Containers on the RAID, one RAID 5 (holds the priv and pub.ebd) and theother a simple 1-disk container (hold the logfiles)This is the root Exchange site for our company; each office (about 60) has alocal Exchange 5.5 installation.For about a year, we've had problems with the RAID and Exchange. On multipleoccasions we've experienced a failure in the RAID which caused the RAID tofail-out a disk drive (although subsequent diag shows no disk problems).Exchange has become corrupt consistently when this happened. Also, when theRAID controller issues a "Battery Charge OK" message (it is a trickle-chargecache battery), Exchange often hiccups with a trashed log file or corruptdatabase.We've reported this problem to Dell tech support repeatedly. Over the year,we've been given new RAID cards, SCSI controllers, disk drives,motherboards, as well as a totally new server. The problem keeps occurring,and now we're looking at mirroring software in order to recover morequickly. But we have no real solution.Question #1: is this a unique situation, or are others experiencing problemssuch as this?Questrion #2: is the size of our IS a problem (23 GB), since the start ofthese problems seems to have followed on the heels of the growth of IS?Any feedback on this would be much appreciated, as it is driving us batty.[EMAIL PROTECTED] Michael Ross Network Analyst 2 Panduit Corp. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Check your Backups" List Charter and FAQ at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htmList Charter and FAQ at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
RE: Dell problems
Title: Message
Ihave 2 PE 6300's with PERC/2's and I'm getting those stupid
"Battery Needs Refurbishing" messages on both. Really
annoying
Greg
-Original Message-From: Eugene Pesochin
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 9:54
AMTo: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: RE: Dell
problems
I've run into problem
with PowerEdge 6450 with a Perc2/DC card when I was
installing NT4, RAID was constantly crashing.
Later on another 6450
crashed RAID. But before you start restoring and do
DR call their support. My problem was that RAID card was "forgetting" about
hard drives and with their help I was able to put
HDD's back into raid.
Eugene
Pesochin
Systems
Manager
ClubMom,
Inc.
200
Madison Ave. 6th Fl
New
York, New York 10016
tel
646.435.6565
fax
646.435.6600[EMAIL PROTECTED]www.clubmom.com
-Original
Message-From: John
Matteson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 9:30
AMTo:
MS-Exchange Admin
IssuesSubject: RE: Dell
problems
Is this a
problem only with the WIN2K / Exchange 5.5
combination?
I currently
run a Dell 6300 server with a PERC card, and other than one power induced
problem, I've not had any trouble with it.
John
Matteson; Exchange Manager Geac Corporate
Infrastructure Systems and Standards (404) 239 -
2981
Reduce
your stress level; Resign as the General Manager of the
Universe
-Original
Message-From: Berger,
Larry J. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 4:00
PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin
IssuesSubject: RE: Dell
problems
This
is definitely a documented issue. We worked with Dell on this.
The reason other people aren't having this problem is because it only shows
up under a heavy I/O load. Our databases average roughly 40gb.
We were hit hard by this.
-Original
Message-From:
MHR(Michael Ross) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 2:16
PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin
IssuesSubject: Dell
problems
Anyon ever see
this.
Hello
all,I've got what may be a unique problem. It appears that the
Dell PERC RAIDcontroller (various revisions, versions, etc) is
crashing Exchange 5.5 SP4on a fairly regular basis. Exchange is left
in a corrupt state and must berestored from a backup. This is our
platform:Win2k Server SP1Dell 4400 PowerEdge ServerPerc
3/3Di RAID controller with writeback caching turned *OFF*Exchange 5.5
SP4About 120 users and an IS of 23 GB.2 Containers on the
RAID, one RAID 5 (holds the priv and pub.ebd) and theother a simple
1-disk container (hold the logfiles)This is the root Exchange site
for our company; each office (about 60) has alocal Exchange 5.5
installation.For about a year, we've had problems with the RAID
and Exchange. On multipleoccasions we've experienced a failure in the
RAID which caused the RAID tofail-out a disk drive (although
subsequent diag shows no disk problems).Exchange has become corrupt
consistently when this happened. Also, when theRAID controller issues
a "Battery Charge OK" message (it is a trickle-chargecache battery),
Exchange often hiccups with a trashed log file or
corruptdatabase.We've reported this problem to Dell tech support
repeatedly. Over the year,we've been given new RAID cards, SCSI
controllers, disk drives,motherboards, as well as a totally new
server. The problem keeps occurring,and now we're looking at mirroring
software in order to recover morequickly. But we have no real
solution.Question #1: is this a unique situation, or are others
experiencing problemssuch as this?Questrion #2: is the size of
our IS a problem (23 GB), since the start ofthese problems seems to
have followed on the heels of the growth of IS?Any feedback on
this would be much appreciated, as it is driving us batty.[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Michael
Ross
Network Analyst
2
Panduit
Corp.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Check your
Backups"
List Charter and FAQ
at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
List Charter and FAQ
at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
List Charter and FAQ
at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htmList
Charter and FAQ
at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
List Charter and FAQ at:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
RE: Dell problems
Title: Message This is definitely a documented issue. We worked with Dell on this. The reason other people aren't having this problem is because it only shows up under a heavy I/O load. Our databases average roughly 40gb. We were hit hard by this. -Original Message-From: MHR(Michael Ross) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 2:16 PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: Dell problems Anyon ever see this. Hello all,I've got what may be a unique problem. It appears that the Dell PERC RAIDcontroller (various revisions, versions, etc) is crashing Exchange 5.5 SP4on a fairly regular basis. Exchange is left in a corrupt state and must berestored from a backup. This is our platform:Win2k Server SP1Dell 4400 PowerEdge ServerPerc 3/3Di RAID controller with writeback caching turned *OFF*Exchange 5.5 SP4About 120 users and an IS of 23 GB.2 Containers on the RAID, one RAID 5 (holds the priv and pub.ebd) and theother a simple 1-disk container (hold the logfiles)This is the root Exchange site for our company; each office (about 60) has alocal Exchange 5.5 installation.For about a year, we've had problems with the RAID and Exchange. On multipleoccasions we've experienced a failure in the RAID which caused the RAID tofail-out a disk drive (although subsequent diag shows no disk problems).Exchange has become corrupt consistently when this happened. Also, when theRAID controller issues a "Battery Charge OK" message (it is a trickle-chargecache battery), Exchange often hiccups with a trashed log file or corruptdatabase.We've reported this problem to Dell tech support repeatedly. Over the year,we've been given new RAID cards, SCSI controllers, disk drives,motherboards, as well as a totally new server. The problem keeps occurring,and now we're looking at mirroring software in order to recover morequickly. But we have no real solution.Question #1: is this a unique situation, or are others experiencing problemssuch as this?Questrion #2: is the size of our IS a problem (23 GB), since the start ofthese problems seems to have followed on the heels of the growth of IS?Any feedback on this would be much appreciated, as it is driving us batty.[EMAIL PROTECTED] Michael Ross Network Analyst 2 Panduit Corp. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Check your Backups" List Charter and FAQ at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
RE: Dell problems
Title: Message You've been dealing with that for a year??? Man, that stinks. Why not move it to a new server? -Original Message-From: Berger, Larry J. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 3:00 PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: RE: Dell problems This is definitely a documented issue. We worked with Dell on this. The reason other people aren't having this problem is because it only shows up under a heavy I/O load. Our databases average roughly 40gb. We were hit hard by this. -Original Message-From: MHR(Michael Ross) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 2:16 PMTo: MS-Exchange Admin IssuesSubject: Dell problems Anyon ever see this. Hello all,I've got what may be a unique problem. It appears that the Dell PERC RAIDcontroller (various revisions, versions, etc) is crashing Exchange 5.5 SP4on a fairly regular basis. Exchange is left in a corrupt state and must berestored from a backup. This is our platform:Win2k Server SP1Dell 4400 PowerEdge ServerPerc 3/3Di RAID controller with writeback caching turned *OFF*Exchange 5.5 SP4About 120 users and an IS of 23 GB.2 Containers on the RAID, one RAID 5 (holds the priv and pub.ebd) and theother a simple 1-disk container (hold the logfiles)This is the root Exchange site for our company; each office (about 60) has alocal Exchange 5.5 installation.For about a year, we've had problems with the RAID and Exchange. On multipleoccasions we've experienced a failure in the RAID which caused the RAID tofail-out a disk drive (although subsequent diag shows no disk problems).Exchange has become corrupt consistently when this happened. Also, when theRAID controller issues a "Battery Charge OK" message (it is a trickle-chargecache battery), Exchange often hiccups with a trashed log file or corruptdatabase.We've reported this problem to Dell tech support repeatedly. Over the year,we've been given new RAID cards, SCSI controllers, disk drives,motherboards, as well as a totally new server. The problem keeps occurring,and now we're looking at mirroring software in order to recover morequickly. But we have no real solution.Question #1: is this a unique situation, or are others experiencing problemssuch as this?Questrion #2: is the size of our IS a problem (23 GB), since the start ofthese problems seems to have followed on the heels of the growth of IS?Any feedback on this would be much appreciated, as it is driving us batty.[EMAIL PROTECTED] Michael Ross Network Analyst 2 Panduit Corp. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Check your Backups" List Charter and FAQ at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htmList Charter and FAQ at:http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
