Sun Storage 3510 FC Array
 

PLA-Support>Sun Systems>DISK>Arrays>SN-DK: SE31xx_33xx_35xx
 

Applies to:

Symptoms

This document describes a specific scenario in which disks in the Sun Storage 3510 FC Array fail repeatedly.

Cause

If the array suffers from repeated disk failures, with the same disks failing again and again, or if only the disk LESB counters for certain disks or slots continue to increase without any apparent cause, then the problem source may be the FC Expansion I/O Module (370-5538 or equivalent).

The FC Expansion I/O Module and the RAID controller I/O module not only provide external array connections ( and in the case of the RAID module, house the controller CPU board ), but they also contain the circuitry that forms the back-end drive loops of the array. These are the electronic components that handle the fibre channel protocol and communication between controllers and drives, and that put ports offline and online as appropriate.

Solution

Since faults in those components may cause fibre channel errors to be recorded on the drive loops, the RAID I/O Module or JBOD Expansion I/O module should be considered as possible FRUs to be replaced if drive loop error counters increase rapidly, or if the RAID controller inappropriately fails disk drives.

The midplane or chassis of the array contains no active components that make up the drive channels, apart from connectors and wiring. Replacing the array chassis or midplane when fibre channel error counters increase for certain drive slots would therefore be pointless. This should only be done when a connector or printed circuit track itself is confirmed to be faulty.

The FC error counters can be checked using sccli commands:

Please note that with sccli version 2.1.x, and in the case of a single controller array or dual controllers array with one controller in a failed state, then the sccli command is unable to show the values for channel 3.

Bug 6361326 for sccli 2.1.x issue.

Previously Published As 83485

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