Hard drive diagnostic utilities - RAID

[ColBlip]

Anyone aware of freeware to do diagnostics on a RAID0 array, including
testing the individual drives in the array?

Thanks.

ColBlip.
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[Gary R. Schmidt]

Anyone aware of freeware to do diagnostics on a RAID0 array, including
testing the individual drives in the array?

Who manufactured the array?

The suggestions for Sun StorEdge are different to those for EMC.

Also, what exactly are you trying to do? (Apart from test each drive)

Cheers,
Gary B-)

 

[ColBlip]

Hello, Gary!
You wrote on Sat, 16 Apr 2005 23:08:01 +1000:


GRS> Who manufactured the array?

These are 2 identical Hitachi 'deathstars' on an Asus A7V8X m/b.

GRS>
GRS> The suggestions for Sun StorEdge are different to those for EMC.

GRS> Also, what exactly are you trying to do? (Apart from test each drive)

GRS> Cheers,
GRS> Gary B-)

Gary,

Here is original message deposited in hardware groups defining problem and
tests I have done. One thing I've found since starting all of this is that
the diagnostic available from Hitachi should have seen my SATA array but it
didn't. This just makes me believe the problem is m/b related.

------------------------
I recently installed two SATA 80 gb drives as RAID0. All was going well for
about a week. Checks on the speed of the drive came out in the 70 mb/s
range. Then I began to have problems with what can best be described as
"hesitation". Checking the array showed it was going down to about 1 mb/sec
and then up to 60 mb/sec range and then back down again. The peak to peak
cycle was maybe 15-20 seconds.

I then started chasing the problem to see if it was a HD or MB problem. Here
is what I found. I deleted the RAID0 and created two RAID 0+1 so I could
look at them independently. I call the m/b connectors T and B and the drives
d1 and d2. I checked each of the drives/connections separately (i.e. first
connecting T to d1 and testing and T to d2, etc). Here are my results where
OK is normal consistently high performance and not ok is cycle in the drive:

Tests with both drives connected:
T to d1 OK
B to d2 Not OK

T to d2 OK
B to d1 Not OK

B to d1 Ok
T to d2 Not OK
(note - may have written down results on last test in reverse)

Tests with only one drive connected:
T to d1 OK

B to d1 OK

T to d2 OK

B to d2 OK

My conclusion from all of this is that the m/b has a RAID problem that only
shows up when both drives are connected. Could someone who knows this stuff
better than me (which is probably most people here) comment on this and
whether the conclusion is likely valid or did I break some rule of
connecting these things that makes the testing invalid.

If this approach is not valid, suggestions on some other way to get to the
bottom of the problem?
-------------------

Thanks.

ColBlip.
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[Gary R. Schmidt]

ColBlip wrote:
[SNIP info about RAID setup...]
Well, it's a pc, that drops me out of the loop...

Just a few thoughts from overheard stuff:
- Does the MB _really_ support your configuration?
Apparently some only work in certain configurations, or worse,
only with _some_ drives.
- Do you have the latest BIOS for it?

Can't think of a group that you haven't hit (I ogled your messages), if
you were running Solaris or Linux or a BSD then there are quite a few
people who might be able to help.

The funny thing is, that "hesitation" thing is plucking at my memory,
have you had an ogle over all the "comp" newfroups for "RAID
hesitation", something may jump out at you.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

 

[ColBlip]

Hello, Gary!
You wrote on Tue, 19 Apr 2005 00:25:42 +1000:

I'll give the ogle a try.

Thanks.

ColBlip.
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

GRS> ColBlip wrote:
GRS> [SNIP info about RAID setup...]
GRS> Well, it's a pc, that drops me out of the loop...

GRS> Just a few thoughts from overheard stuff:
GRS> - Does the MB _really_ support your configuration?
GRS> Apparently some only work in certain configurations, or
GRS> worse,
GRS> only with _some_ drives.
GRS> - Do you have the latest BIOS for it?

GRS> Can't think of a group that you haven't hit (I ogled your messages),
GRS> if you were running Solaris or Linux or a BSD then there are quite a
GRS> few people who might be able to help.

GRS> The funny thing is, that "hesitation" thing is plucking at my memory,
GRS> have you had an ogle over all the "comp" newfroups for "RAID
GRS> hesitation", something may jump out at you.

GRS> Cheers,
GRS> Gary B-)