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PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:51 am 
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In this problem description, I may not have all of the events completely covered or in exactly the actual sequence. Several weeks ago my ex495 began providing daily warnings that our laptops were not getting successful backups. I also noticed warning messages occurring about an error in the backup database. Doing a quick look at the logs I discovered that there was a warning about a possible disk error and that repair should be run.

Before I could do that I received warning lights on the front indicating an error in the database. When that happened the server was unresponsive and had to be manually restarted.

I have initiated the repair function from the home server console and have also attempted the recommended chkdsk command from a remote console both wireless and wired into a LAN. All of these attempts would run for a while and then become unresponsive. The console connection would eventually disconnect and would not allow a reconnect. I left it alone for over 24 hours in several attempts.
I was able to shut the server off and restart it. It would go into the error condition as indicated by the lights. When that happened, if I shut if off again and restarted, it would come back and seem to run ok, expect for the backups.

After some research on the forum, I decided to install the SMART program. That has seemed to work ok. I wish I had found out about it a while ago as it would have likely prevented the situation in which I now find myself.

The SMART program indicates that I have an impending failure in physical drive 1 and an existing fail on physical drive 0.
Drive 0 is the original 1.5T drive and drive 1 is a 2T Seagate green drive. These drives have been running for several years. There is plenty of space in the system.

I believe that I can get the system up and running for short times. It is turned off as of now, and I am not taking backups. I also lost access to the music files that I use to run Squeezebox and a Touch music server. The music files have been temporarily backed up to a separate system and so are not lost as of now. They cannot remain there.

If I lose the pc backups on the server, that is not a big deal as long as I can begin taking new backups as soon as possible.

What I need to know is what options are available now. How can I get the server running again? I assume that I need to replace both drives and will consider installing three drives.

I also have stored a lot of images, both pictures and documents in tiff and other image formats that are necessary for genealogy research. These are all currently also available on several laptops so are not lost at this time but would be almost impossible, practically, to replace without a huge effort.

The only add-ons installed are Squeezebox, toolkit, APC’s Gridjunction UPS code, and only recently, SMART.

• If I need to reconstruct the system, is there a way to preserve what is still good on the server, including the settings and software so that I do not have to go through a setup again?
• What procedures should I follow to get things operational again?
• Another issue is the potential effect of a Windows 10 upgrade on our laptops. Will the server handled system backups for a W10 system?
• Another issue is that I really do not currently have a third set of backups and have been intending to cover this issue anyway.
• Bottom line - What is the best way to get this server running properly again with the least amount of lost data and settings?



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PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:22 am 
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Well you did not say if you have a open bay, or folder duplication on. If you do that may help.
Or a usb drive dock.
I would buy at least two drives(wdreds<=2tb)
Now if all goes well.
Add one of the new drives as a pool drive if possible.
Let it settle down a couple of days possibly.
Then replace the system drive and perform a recovery !!!!!Not a reset!!!!
First item to add back would be the SMART Addin
Then select remove drive in the console for the other bad drive that is a pool drive.

The bad part is you have two bad drives.
So don't trash the bad drives because if you are missing some data you might have success in connecting them to your pc and turn on view hidden files/folders and copy them back to the server.

This is the basic.

FYI, I just upgraded one pc to windows 10 yesterday and it is performing backups at this point in time.
Restore may be another issue.

Also you really should not double post.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 1:40 pm 
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First, I did not think I double posted. My previous post was directed toward planning for potential server replacements if these servers can no longer be supported or be full-functioned operational, and asking about potential problems when W10 is implemented which might negate using this server. I mentioned in that post that I would be starting a separate thread dealing with attempting to recover from this specific problem. I believe them to be separate issues that I did not wish to intermingle and lose their continuity. Even if I get this specific problem resolved, I must still consider long-term plans for potential replacement.

That said, in answer to your question, the server is generally "vanilla." As I mentioned, the only drives are the original 1.5T system drive and a second drive, in the next bay, at 2T.The only USB connection is for the APC UPS signal cable. Duplication is turned on for the laptop backups. I could check to be certain, but I am hesitant to reboot until I am prepared and equipped to proceed with whatever plan appears to be workable.

I am concerned that backups have not successfully run for several weeks now. If backup is not successfully running, can drives still be added?
When it is restarted, everything seems to run OK, until the middle of the night when the backups begin.


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:30 pm 
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Some of this is a little repetitious but I want to be sure I am getting it correct.

I have been trying to read as much as I can in regard to recovery possibilities for my wounded ex495. It has been turned off for several days now as I am fearful of wasting whatever residual life it may have remaining until I feel safer that I can recover it.
As of now, I am awaiting delivery of two new WD 2T red drives. The system has a serious error on the original 1.5 T drive 0 and an error warning on an additional 2T drive 1.
I am hoping that I can start up the server, as is, and insert one of the new WD 2T red’s into the third slot. (There are two open slots at this time.)
Then it has been urged to make sure I have duplication turned on and let it settle down for a while, perhaps at least a day. (First problem, should I turn off backups entirely during this time? Recently, the backups would fail every night and result in an error light. It had to be restarted to get past the error, and no backups were taken.)
After settling in the new drive, it was then suggested that a system recovery be run. I have the cds needed for that. I understand that it should be shut down, pull out drive 0, and insert the second new WD 2T red drive in the system drive location. Then I should reboot from the proper recovery cd, using a second system, using a direct lan cable hook up to the server.)
When that has been completed, I assume that I will need to reconfigure the system including installation of add-ins. Is that correct?
That is as far as I understand at this time.


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:31 am 
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Again here is what I would do.
Bear in mind the steps taken in order may not work out for you due to two bad drives.
When you get your new drives.
add one as a pool drive.
turn on duplication for all of your folders in the server.
Forget about backups at this point.
The server will attempt to add files to the new drive.
It may take a day or two.

Then just pull the system drive out in the bottom bay.
replace it with the other new drive.
Then perform a server recovery not reset.
A recovery will attempt to rebuild the data on the pool drives(less pcbackups and addins.)
Then when done in the console select to remove the bad pool drive.
This may take a while or stall if the drive is really bad.

If so.
Just pull the bad pool drive out reboot and delete the drive showing a error in the console because it is missing.
Install the SMART Addin.
At this point you should be looking good.
But you still need to add your accounts back and reinstall the connector on the pc's for backups.
Now connect the bad drives to your pc and if you are missing anything attempt to copy them back to the server you will need to enable view hidden files/folders to see them.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 8:19 pm 
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I can put this to rest for the time being. After much reading of every server forum and help file I could find, I went about the attempt to get the 495 working again. There is no need to elaborate all of the things tried and I could not do that attempt justice anyway. Unfortunately there were simply too many errors on each of the 2 drives installed to properly recover.

The first attempt was to do a recovery, which was attempted with varying success more times than I can count. The system drive errors were the most serious, so that was replaced first. However there were a multitude of problems with the second drive and I just could not get anything effective to work. it would not even allow me to remove the drive from system when I added a third drive.

I was able to back up the important files, pictures, research document images, and several hundred music cd’s. The backups of several pc’s were lost, but I decided they were all too old to be of value anyway. The main ones are backed up periodically with a separate back up.

Therefore I decided to do a server factory reset, and start over. The first attempt was using a Windows 7/Pro system and I encountered an ambiguous error. Rather than fight that, I started over using an XP/Pro system and all went well.

As of now all backed up files and music are back in place, and backups are operational. All of the add-ins have been re-installed, with the addition of the SMART add-in. (Very nice and I wish I had it installed before.)

I also moved the server to a cleaner, more open, location with the hope that it will run cooler.

The forum’s were all helpful in some manner at various points in the process.

One comment – trying to remember all of the tailoring for the various aspects of set-up is a chore. Even if one documents them, it is too easy to get lost or forget various settings on these features. It would be really a help if there were some utility, such as the Belarc or Speccy or other similar utilities which could interrogate the system and provide a printable file of what all of the settings are for each utility installed. That is likely a pipe dream.
All that said, everything is working again and I can get back to real work again.

Now I can also begin the move to Windows 10 for our 7 systems and hope for the best.


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