Hard Controller Failures And Lockdown Conditions; Invalid Enclosure; Ecc Errors; Critical Conditions - Dell PowerVault MD3000 Hardware Owner's Manual

Hard Controller Failures and Lockdown Conditions

Certain events can cause a RAID controller module to fail and/or shut down. Unrecoverable ECC
memory or PCI errors, or critical physical conditions can cause lockdown. If your RAID storage array is
configured for redundant access and cache mirroring, the surviving controller can normally recover
without data loss or shutdown.
Typical hard controller failures are detailed in the following sections.

Invalid Enclosure

The RAID controller module is supported only in a Dell-supported enclosure. Upon installation in the
enclosure, the controller performs a set of validation checks. The enclosure status LED is lit with a steady
blue color while the RAID controller module completes these initial tests and after the controller is
found to be working properly. If the RAID controller module detects a non-Dell supported enclosure, the
controller aborts startup. The RAID controller module will not generate any events to alert you in the
event of an invalid enclosure, but the enclosure status LED will blink amber to indicate a fault state.
For full details on the LEDs and their interpretation, see "Back-Panel Indicators and Features" on page 13.

ECC Errors

RAID controller firmware can detect ECC errors and can recover from a single-bit ECC error whether
the RAID controller module is in a redundant or nonredundant configuration. A storage array with
redundant controllers can recover from multi-bit ECC errors as well because the peer RAID controller
module can take over, if necessary.
The RAID controller module will failover if it experiences up to 10 single-bit errors, or up to three multi-
bit errors.

Critical Conditions

The storage array will generate a critical event if the RAID controller module detects a critical condition
that could cause immediate failure of the enclosure and/or loss of data. The storage array is in a critical
condition if one of the following occurs:
• More than one fan has failed
• Any backplane temperature sensors in the critical range
• Backplane/power supply failure
NOTE:
If both RAID controller modules fail simultaneously, the enclosure cannot issue critical or noncritical event
alarms for any enclosure component.
When the enclosure is under critical condition, its enclosure status LED blinks amber.
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Troubleshooting Your Enclosure