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Disks randomly "plugged out"

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panfist

Gawd
Joined
May 1, 2008
Messages
638
I have a Norco RPC-4220 filled with 20 SATA drives that's been working fine for over a year, running Windows Server 2008. About a month ago, a drive just dropped from windows. Lights were still on the front of the case indicating a connection (I think). That one drive has been available intermittently.

Since then, more and more drives have started to do this. It's about four drives that do it consistently, and it has happened to six. The Windows event viewer has an error from source mv64xx that "Physical disk X is plugged out." Sometimes they get "plugged in" on their own, sometimes I have to reboot.

I think the problem might be in the backplane, but I have never seen anything like that before, and I really hope it's something else because the warranty on the case is expired.
 
I do not own a norco case, but I have read about backplane reliability issues, specifically poor solder joints. You may have an intermittent power connection on the backplane causing the drive to drop out.

I know you probably don't want to, but I would take the entire backplane out and visually inspect it carefully. If you have the tools and knowledge, I'd reflow / resolder any/all joints.

Good luck - I hate reliability issues like this. It's worth finding the source and eradicating it before you lose your data!
 
Hi

I'm having massive issues with driver dropping, sometimes coming back, sometimes not. The fact that typically 4 fail in a row does suggest that a backplane is at fault. I'd be really interested to find out how you get on!
 
Is there anything in the SMART raw data to indicate that the drive or controller could be the cause?

Look at the SMART raw values for Reallocated Sectors Count, Current Pending Sector Count, Offline Uncorrectable and UltraDMA CRC Error Count.

All of these should be 0 or close to 0 (for Reallocated Sectors Count and UltraDMA CRC Error Count)
 
i had the same kind of thing happen to me with my whs. i had a drive that kept dropping out every once in a while. drive was a 2 tb WD eads. im guessing the drive was timing out so i changed it.
 
I think the problem might be vibration causing the drives to move slowly over time. I instructed my friend to shut down the server and firmly re-seat all of the drives, and they all came back online just fine...for a while. After a couple of days, when files were being copied between two different drives after a long idle period, a drive dropped (the first one that dropped before).

I think the connection to the backplane is not as secure as it could be. Is there anything I can do that can make the fit better, or something to mitigate vibration?
 
Wouldn't it have to be MAJOR wobble - we are talking Wendy Whopper wobble - to cause them to get detached in that fashion? Mind you, stranger things have happened! :) Put some blu-tack under the trays or something else such that the can't move? Make sure the backplane on the inside is screwed in correctly. Would be interesting to see if you find out how far the sata adapter on the drive gets into the slot.
 
I think it's a little wobble that's causing a tiny movement to happen over a long period of time, or maybe a little wobble that loosened something a little bit over a long period. The case was working fine for about 18 months.

I do know that the drives do go in about another 1/8" if they aren't screwed into the trays. I don't know if that's on purpose, and that's the normal amount of tolerance that's built into this type of connection, or if the backplane is 1/8" farther away from the rails than it should be.
 
I have a RPC-4020 thrown somewhere in the garage. If no-one else responds in the meantime I'll dig it out and see if it I can ascertain on mine how far the drive connection goes in. If I remember the backplane is on standoffs so maybe you could bring it closer. Could be wrong though, aint used it in a while.
 
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