Planetfurry BBS

Whip-lash · Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 7:12 pm Post subject: Server Hard Drive Issues

We are currently experiencing issues with the primary hard drive on this server, again. The partition giving us problems has been removed from the mirror, and is now being checked.

I have had to re-add the faulty partition 4 times this month, 3 of which I've had to do in the past week. Obviously there is something happening to the drive. What is wrong, that I don't know yet. It is looking like the drive may be going bad, and may have to be replaced. I will have to check with Western-Digital on Tuesday to see if the drive is able to be RMA'd. Until then, I'll have to keep trying to repair what I can.

ChrisFoxx · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 4:00 pm Post subject: Re: Server Hard Drive Issues

Cateagle · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 9:21 pm Post subject: Re: Server Hard Drive Issues

Whip-lash · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: Server Hard Drive Issues

Galadrion · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 10:18 pm Post subject:

Hm... actually, Chris and Whip-lash, I see both of your points. I've never had a problem with Western Digital drives either - bought 'em for years, they install great, they run for years without any problems. On the other hand...

I keep hearing stories about how unreliable they are. I've seen other people's machines with WD drives that wouldn't work no matter what. Some of these machines were owned by friends who I know to be computer-savvy folks; if it were some simple (i.e. user-fixable) problem, they would be able to deal with it. I'm forced to conclude that, in these cases, there was indeed something wrong with the drives in question.

The one thing that all these problem drives had in common was that they were OEM drives - the users had recieved them as part of the computer setup; they didn't buy or install the drives themselves. Now, I don't know that there's a correlation - I'm not that savvy in analytical statistics - but I do know this: I have my suspicions, and I've since resolved not to buy a WD drive through an OEM. I can't say for sure, but what I've seen leads me to believe that WD has two different testing standards... and that anything that goes out of the door to be bought directly by consumers (that is, anything the typical consumer is likely to know is Western Digital) is tested to much higher standards than the drives which go to computer manufacturers.

Just my two cents, and I know it's a bit off-topic, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway.

Solis · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 12:48 pm Post subject:

Just for my curiosity's sake, are you sure your cooling system (be it fan[s] or whatever) is doing the job?

I know of people who have had really major HDD problems when they get hot.

Especially since the server is up 24/7, it's something that really can't be overlooked...

Just my two cents.

Whip-lash · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 12:59 pm Post subject:

Cirrel · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 2:49 pm Post subject:

Galadrion · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 3:49 pm Post subject:

*Chuckle* And there's actually two more catagories beyond that. Chips that don't work at all, but LOOK normal - these aren't pitched, either; they're used in such things as keychain ornaments and such. Only the very last category doesn't go out as "product" of one sort or another... at least, not this time around. But Reclaim is very thorough... and sooner or later, those atoms will make it out the door...

Pat The Fox · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 4:23 pm Post subject:

I still claim fame from the fact that I managed to melt a pentium 3 800 that was bought directly from them.

Fishburne · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 6:57 pm Post subject:

Cirrel, then there is a lower level than that

Its called Fry's Electronics.

They sell so much crap (yet I still shop there) that Microsoft has named a BSD after them!!!!

Fry's Memory BSD.

Go look it up.

Now, why do I still shop there? Cost savings. Well, if you buy the base level crap, the likelyhood of a return is immediate. If my friends are shopping there, I always instruct them to buy two levels higher than the sale price. saved my tuckus more times than not.

Whip-lash · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 9:45 pm Post subject:

Well, I'm re-adding the mirror, and will be rebooting once it's finished. The following is what I get dmesg, except there are about 150 more entries just like this one:

Whip-lash · Posted: Tue May 27, 2003 9:17 am Post subject:

Although I notified that the server was going to be rebooted and backup in about 15 minutes over the weekend, the server had other plans. It couldn't ever actually reboot. I had the ISP power-cycle it this morning, and as you can see it's back online, but we are still short a drive.

I'll be driving out to the ISP this afternoon when I get a chance to pull the bad drive, put a temporary boot drive in, and get WD to send a new drive.

My apologies for the unexpected downtime.

Elfen_Furry · Moderator Joined: 18 Jun 2002 Posts: 2601 Location: NYC NY

At least you got it back up Mr. Green

No More Feeling Like An Apollo 13 Astronaunt In Mid-mission.... Twisted Evil

Jbird · Posted: Tue May 27, 2003 11:14 am Post subject:

*...and the profanity shall commence in Three...Two...*

Sounds a whole bunch like the maintenence we're kicking out the door just to keep up. "I don't care what you did to it as long as it works..." Hey, it kept me from working this weekend.

Now if you were using a Quantum Fireball Drive... I'd join in on the profanities...