Tag Archives: SATA

HPE Synergy ‘Unable to Apply Local Storage Settings’

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KB ID 0001497

Problem

While deploying some Blade severs, I was unable to get the ‘Local’ storage on the blades themselves to configure, (when setting up the server profiles). They were throwing this error;

Unable to apply local storage settings on server (Enclosure-name}, bay {number} because HPE OneView cannot communicate with the integrated Smart Array controller : Locked.

Resolution

Ensure that there is an integrated Smart Array controller present in the server. For Dynamic Smart Array Controllers, ensure the server is configured in UEFI boot mode, the  ‘Embedded SATA Configuration’ in the BIOS settings is set to ‘Smart Array SW RAID Support’ and firmware versions of the iLO and ROM are updated to the latest available. If the problem persists, contact your authorised support representative and provide them with a support dump.

Solution

Errm OK? UEFI boot mode will be on by default, unless you’ve manually changed it for some reason. And the Embedded SATA configuration BIOS setting will ONLY BE APPLICABLE if your blade DOES NOT have a RAID (Smart Array) card in it.

After manually trying to set the storage up on the Blade, I worked out what the problem was! 

You would only use the top option if you DIDN’T Have a ‘physical’ Smart Array controller in the blade! Which is what that original error is for, it’s trying to connect to the SOFTWARE RAID configuration which is disabled by default. If you need to use that, then you can either enable it directly on the blade like this;

Or (more sensibly, seeing as we are deploying server profiles,) in the profiles BIOS settings like this;

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HP BL460c (Gen 10) Blade No RAID?

Backup Exec – Using RDX Drives

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KB ID 0000578

Problem

While I like RDX drives, (they have advantages over magnetic tape), but they do have a drawback, throughput.

As you can see the removable drive/cartridges are just 1TB SATA Drives in a protective jacket, with a “write protection switch” on them.

So they should be perfect as a backup medium, the problem is, the drive carrier itself runs off the USB bus, so they can’t run faster than 48MB a second (I’ve not seen a server that has USB 3 on it yet). HP literature says that its backup rate is 108GB an hour. However for a small business that can be more than acceptable. It’s advantage, if it keeps the client that wants to take his backups home with them on a “Tape” happy (Because that’s what they have always done).

So the other week I found myself with a shiny new RDX Drive and an old SBS 2003 Server running Backup Exec 11d.

Solution

Note: If you are running Backup Exec versions 10 or 11 you CANNOT perform backups with GRT. If you want this functionality then you need to upgrade to a newer version (GRT to RDX drive works fine with Backup Exec 2010 R3).

1. Once you have physically installed the drive and connected it to the servers internal USB interface, you should see the drive listed below disk drives.

2. With an RDX Cartridge loaded it behaves just like a 1TB Drive (because that’s exactly what it is).

3. To use the drive in Backup Exec you need to create a new “Removable Backup-to-Disk Folder”.

4. Give the removable folder a sensible name, and I set the maximum size to 1023GB to make sure it can’t try and outgrow the drive.

5. Once complete it will create “Media” in the removable folder that it names incrementally as it sees new cartridges, in the FLDR000001, FLDR000002, etc, format. Treat these the same as any other backup media, i.e. you can add them to media groups for different backup jobs.

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Dell PowerEdge – PERC RAID Card Importing / Using ‘Foreign’ Disks

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KB ID 0000639 

Problem

I bought some SAS disks from eBay to go in my Power Edge 2900 Server, and scratched my head for a while trying to get the PERC RAID controller to use them. I could only see them marked as ‘Foreign’. Probably because they did not have their original config ‘wiped’ off them before I bought them.

Solution

1. Boot the server, Press CTRL+R when prompted, then press ‘C’ to enter the Configuration Utility.

WARNING: DONT clear the config on the controller or you lose ALL your Virtual Disks / Arrays.

2. Select the controller > F2 > Foreign Config > Clear > Confirm.

3. You can now add the disk(s) as a new Virtual Disk.

4. I’m just presenting one 300GB SAS disk as RAID0 here.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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