Solaris can't detect external HDD on HP server

Aratai · October 28, 2014, 6:50am

Hello, Unix users

Has anyone had this problem when you connect an external hard drive to the server and it is simply not visible with any commands?
The server is HP DL380 g8, and OS is:

root@...:/# cat /etc/release 
                    Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 s10x_u10wos_17b X86
  Copyright (c) 1983, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
                            Assembled 23 August 2011
root@...:/#

The goal is: make a backup on the external HDD.
The problem is: the disk is not visible

The disk was formated in NTFS (not visible), ext3 (not visible), raw (deleted the file system - still not visible).
Acctually, the device is connected and it can be seen here, but it is not visible with format, or rmformat commands:

root@...:/dev/usb# cfgadm
Ap_Id                          Type         Receptacle   Occupant     Condition
c0                             scsi-bus     connected    configured   unknown
usb0/1                         usb-hub      connected    configured   ok
usb0/1.1                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb0/1.2                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb0/1.3                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb0/1.4                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb0/1.5                       usb-storage  connected    configured   ok
usb0/1.6                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb0/2                         unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1                         usb-hub      connected    configured   ok
usb1/1.1                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.2                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.3                       usb-hub      connected    configured   ok
usb1/1.3.1                     unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.3.2                     unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.4                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.5                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.6                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.7                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/1.8                       unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb1/2                         unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb2/1                         unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
usb2/2                         unknown      empty        unconfigured ok
root@...:/dev/usb#

I tried devfsadm and disabling the volfs but to no avail... The dmesg also returns that the device is connected and it is visible in /dev/usb/ as mass-storage.

Does anyone know what could be the problem?

USB 3.0?
Solaris FS support?

The solution could be to format the exHDD to UFS before connecting it to the server, but I couldn't find a tool to do it...

Thank you in advance,
Aratai

achenle · October 28, 2014, 9:09am

man rmformat

RudiC · October 28, 2014, 9:12am

When you connect the device, will there be any entries in the system logs?

Aratai · October 28, 2014, 9:59am

@RudiC, if you mean messages you can see with dmesg, this is the result:

Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 936769 kern.info] scsa2usb2 is /pci@0,0/pci108e,cb84@2,1/storage@1
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 408114 kern.info] /pci@0,0/pci108e,cb84@2,1/storage@1 (scsa2usb2) online
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:56 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 935449 kern.info]       ATA DMA off: disabled.  Control with "atapi-cd-dma-enabled" property
Oct 28 15:01:58 ...genunix: [ID 882269 kern.info]       PIO mode 4 selected

So, it "is" visible, but I can't see it with format or rmformat.

jlliagre · October 28, 2014, 11:19am

If the disk is visible, why don't you use ZFS which doesn't require any formatting ?

hicksd8 · October 28, 2014, 11:22am

What format do you want this USB drive to have?

You can have a Windows format or a Solaris format (ie, write a Solaris filesystem on it).

Running Solaris 10 you should be able to do these three steps:

 
 # rmformat -l
 # svcadm disable volfs
 # fdisk <device node>

The rmformat should let you see the device node (eg, /dev/rdsk/whatever), then stop the volume services, then fdisk the device to write label, partition, etc.

If that fails tell us all where, when, error message(s), etc.

Aratai · October 28, 2014, 11:45am

@jlliagre: I would like to put any FS that Solaris would recognize, but I didn't find a (freeware) tool on the net which lets me do so.

@hicksd8:
The format on that USB drive could be any that Solaris can read (UFS, ZFS,...).

I tried rmformat -l, but I simply don't get the exHDD which I pluged in.
This is all I get (only the DVD drive):

root@...:/# rmformat -l
Looking for devices...
     1. Logical Node: /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0p0
        Physical Node: /pci@0,0/pci-ide@1f,2/ide@1/sd@0,0
        Connected Device: hp       DVDROM DT80N     DA00
        Device Type: DVD Reader
root@ossrc1:/#

I tried that with or without the volfs. The fdisk, I didn't try.

Could it be that the problem is in the USB 3.0 port and that the server doesn't support that? or
Could it be that the disk needs to have its own power cord?

hicksd8 · October 28, 2014, 12:17pm

In my book, rmformat -l should always work to list usb devices.

So, yes, this looks like a USB interface or USB power issue.

I assume that the ext-HDD is seen if you plug it into another (Windows) server?

---------- Post updated at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous update was at 03:54 PM ----------

So isn't that "usb-storage" device listed in your post#1 the DVD drive?

If so, the ext-HDD isn't seen there either.

Aratai · October 29, 2014, 8:54am

Yeah, whereever I looked, rmformat should list everything... That's why this is such a puzzle...

The DVD drive that is listed in the output of rmformat (that is the server's DVD drive) and I am not sure is it detected as "usb-storage" in the cfgadm output.

hicksd8 · October 29, 2014, 1:42pm

Unplug the ext-HDD and run cfgadm.

Plug in ext-HDD and run cfgadm again.

Compare outputs to see if they're different.

achenle · October 29, 2014, 3:08pm

Also try another USB port/cable.

Aratai · October 29, 2014, 3:58pm

@hicksd8
I have tried and the outputs are different. When the exHDD is plugged in, it can be seen at which port it is plugged in (exp. port usb1.4) and when it is unplugged, there is nothing at that port.

@achenele
I have tried 4 ports on the back side of the server and, in addition, the exHDD can be seen in Windows (so the cable is ok).

(thank you all for trying to help )

hicksd8 · October 29, 2014, 5:06pm

Right, so the USB drive is seen by the system. Proved!!

Can you take this system down? Or is it a production system?

If I was in that position the next thing that I would probably do is to boot from a Debian LIVE DVD and see if that can see the USB drive. If so, try and format it, mount it, and exercise it. Just to check out and hardware, USB power, USB interface issues. If that works then it's a Solaris (driver?) issue or something like that.

DukeNuke2 · October 29, 2014, 5:53pm

What was the longest time the drive was connected to the system without trying anything to mount/format the device?

Aratai · October 29, 2014, 7:27pm

@hicksd:
hmmm, I could actually plug it in another machine and install something there. Also, maybe I could connect it to another Linux machine (if I can find one). If the Linux machine could see it, then that would also mean it is a Solaris (driver) problem, right?

@DukeNuke:
The longest duration the drive was connected was aprox. 2h.

The thing is that the lamp is blinking and it is turned on when I plug it in, but after some time it turns off. When I give some command that does something with devices, the light goes "on" again. Could that mean it is a power problem and that I would need a exHDD with external power source?

hicksd8 · October 30, 2014, 10:07am

My reasoning behind suggesting booting a Debian LIVE DVD on that machine was to check the hardware, the HP and the ext-HDD can communicate and that you don't have a hardware issue.

While I'm here on this thread, let me just say that what you are experiencing is classic for failing to stop volume services (volfs). Generally, to format such a USB device this service must be stopped and it won't talk to you until you do. Need to double check.

Aratai · November 6, 2014, 2:26am

We tried on another server and it became visible when the volfs service was disabled. I tried that on my HP server but to no awail... Because of that, we are now using different external HDD - 2 TB, USB 2.0, with external power source.

Thank you all for your help.