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EX490 HDD lights blinking
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Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:10 am ]
Post subject:  EX490 HDD lights blinking

Hi there . . . hope all are well . . .

I can't find any info anywhere on a recent change in how my server (WHS V1 w/ Squeeze) is operating.

I had a PSU replacement a short while back and all was good. Then several days back I had reboot the server through the console and left it only to find the following day that it was powered down. Powering it up with a push on the rear power switch, all of the HDD lights were blinking blue-red-blue and so on but after about 15 minutes all were blue and server responded as it should. Now with that, a day ago, while working on my main workstation I saw the server wasn't connected. Again, checking the box out, it was powered down and when powering up, same scenario with the blinking HDD lights and as I type I'm waiting on it to see if in the end it is up and running.

Ive owned this unit for years and never saw red lights on the HDD ever, and if there was ever going to be, I would have expected perhaps one if a single HDD were going. But all healthy (note: all healthy, save for the on/off 'warning' of system hard drive failure that I've had on that system drive in it for what must be two years now . . . . . documented well in threads of that warning coming and goingand as of late was showing no issues with hard drives . . . again). At one point I had both checked that HDD out while in system and pulled out of system to check for errors and nothing found.

The only thing I did in all of this outside of normal operation was just before that first powering down event was (routinely) connecting an external eSATA HDD to the unit for server share backups. Added it into the server through the console for backup, and had removed it from the server in the console temporarily prior to shutting down the Duet external HDD caddy holding the external drive. All as I had done many times before.

Anyway, appreciate any input into this. Checked server logs and I see nothing that my not-very-tech savvy self can ID as a warning or such.

Thanks in advance

Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Well, here's the status . . . . . .

All HDD lights blinking red and blue on unit.

But equally odd, when I logged into the console, a popup upon connecting telling me this:

CRITICAL BATTERY: You should charge your battery or connect to outlet power immediately to keep from losing your work.

The unit is connected to an APC UPS with 4% load and 100% battery (battery less than a year old) as it has been for years.

With this, I'm completely lost.

Help . . . .

Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

And as a follow up, I rebooted the server through the console. Immediately, all HDD lights turned blue, shortly after server down then when rebooting all now up and running good.

Puzzled.

I never paid this degree of attention before, but when it rebooted, the second hard drive down from the top's blue light came on and then the remainder of the HDD lights all came up blue. Any significance in that?

Thanks for any input or suggestions on this.

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

sounds like you may have installed a addin for a ups.
So it does not see the ups and shuts down.
One popular one is gridjunction.
as I recall there are settings for it and some status to read it is in the settings of the console.

Maybe the usb cable is loose or bad going to the ups?
Maybe try another USB port on the server?

You could try uninstalling it in the settings to see if that works.
it will just move to the available tab.
Then when you figure out the problem install it again.

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Oh you just replaced your PSU.
Check the back of the server and make sure all the ports are lined up correctly.
Sometimes the shield plate around the ports gets caught in the hole in the back of the case in front of the port snd the cable will not seat all the way.
of course that means you will need to slide out the psu/mb to correct it.

Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Well, checked things out.

First off, I don't have that add-in installed. Just the APC UPS, USB connect and that is it. That said, I moved the USB to another port on the server. Again, original was a tight fit. See how that goes and if anything further, replace that USB cable.

Checked those ports and all looks good (and good fit with cables).

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Did you rdp to the server and install powerchute as a program not a addin?
powerchute is the program included with the ups to install on a pc.
It is not a addin like gridjunction.
The reason I ask is the purpose of the USB connection it to tell the server to shutdown because you are on battery power.
I am not aware of that process working without some application to interpret the data.

Anyway is it working now?

Author:  Minburn1 [ Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Okay, spent some time between coats of paint today . . . .

Long and short, replaced USB cable a few times, rebooted server. And then - yes, checked Powerchute but kept getting issue with UPS not connected to server. Poured over web seeking an answer to that specific thing and I found a report that indicated for a Smart Ups 1500 as I have, the Personal Edition of that program doesn't work . . . you need the Business Ed and in that, only the 'agent' install.

So removed old personal, installed Business Ed agent and . . . voila. Connected and can get software running in RDP and enable proper settings. During the install, the software shuts down the servers internal power management (something I wasn't aware or cant' recall from my initial install of the personal ed years back).

So for whatever reason (as Ive had this system running now for maybe 10 years or more and have heard and saw it respond to blackouts properly with the UPS) it likely has only been shutting down immediately at blackouts and such i.e. no connection and use of the UPS. Jesus . . . . .

But now good. And I'll check out logs and see how it functions as we get into late spring/early summer storm season here at the edge of the prairie.

Thanks for the input into this. Much appreciated as I was 'tapped' given that this unit had worked so many years without issue.

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

You could test it by simply unplug the ups from the power outlet.

Author:  Minburn1 [ Tue Jun 23, 2020 2:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Well, all has been good to date. Dandy.

Today, however, all HDD lights blinking red and blue. All other status lights blue. Logging into console and no issues.

Took me a bit but in the lower right of the console I see 'Cleaning up database 10%' . . . then gone. But HDD lights continue to blink blue and red.

So an odd situation: nothing wrong at all but these HDD lights continue to blink.

Will reboot and if they stop, I do nothing more and continue using it. If they continue . . . well . . . I do nothing more and continue using it.

Odd.

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Wed Jun 24, 2020 10:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

I have never ever seen my drive leds blink red.
Off, blue or pulsing blue yes.

But from the manual

LIGHT-BAR IS RED
A red light-bar indicates the following:
• That a hard drive has failed and must be replaced. Additionally, the connected computers show the
following:
• The drive was removed from the drive bay before removing it from total storage. See Removing a
hard drive in the Windows Home Server Console Help.
• Red icon
on the task tray.
• Red indicator
on the Windows Home Server Console Network Health tab.
HARDWARE WARNING MESSAGES

Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Its weird and I can't find any mention of what is occurring i.e. all hard drives pulsing blue-red-blue-red and so on . . .

I read that section you presented, but there are no errors in the system, no hard drive failures (or pending), no drives were removed, no other icons with warnings . . . .

That all said, after the reboot and into today, all good.

I'm going to keep an eye on this 'Cleaning up database' text and see if its there during the next occurrence of this. If so, then try and determine what changed that may perhaps have LED notifications during that activity?

I don't know . . . . . weird . . . .

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

I can say that doing a database cleanup can take many many hours.
It all depends on the size of the backups and how many are being purged.

Author:  Minburn1 [ Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Tell me, you aware of any kind of server notifications settings beyond that one tab in the Console 'Settings'??

Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX490 HDD lights blinking

Yes If you rdp to the server and view the event viewer.
It polls the drives and reads all the smart data.
Smart will warn you long before the normal status page will.
But for the drives I use the SMART addin I don't rely on the normal drive status tab.
I hope you have this installed it is highly recommended by most users.

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