Flashes (Alerts)
Abstract
IBM® strives to provide customers with the best hard disk drive (HDD) options. To support these ongoing efforts, the Data ONTAP® Dynamic Disk Qualification feature enables more efficient recognition of new HDDs. An issue with this feature exists in the 7.2.1, 7.2.2, and 7.2.3 releases of Data ONTAP, which may result in a storage controller shutdown within 72 hours after new, unidentified HDDs are attached to an IBM System Storage™ N series storage system. This document describes the issue, provides an overview of potential exposure, and it provides recommended actions to avoid risks.
Content
This IBM Support Flash is an important announcement for the following products: Data ONTAP 7.2.1, 7.2.2, and 7.2.3.
Background
Starting with Data ONTAP 7.2.2, a new capability was added that allows support for new disk drives to be added to an existing Data ONTAP release without requiring a kernel upgrade of the storage controller. This new HDD identification process is accomplished by installing a new Disk Qualification Package (DQP) into the "/etc" directory of the root volume on the storage controller. Data ONTAP automatically uses the updated file to identify new HDDs for use in the storage system.
This new feature requires all disk drives to be explicitly identified by information tables embedded in the kernel or in the Device Qualification Package. If a disk is not identifiable by either method, the system initiates a system shutdown procedure, which can be averted only by taking one of the recommended actions listed below within 72 hours. In the Data ONTAP 7.2.4 and later releases, the system response to unidentified HDDs will be replaced with system warnings only.
As part of the continuing process to provide the best HDD options, IBM introduced alternate sources for the 750GB and 500GB HDDs starting in November 2007. Please ensure that your system is prepared to accommodate these alternate sources and avoid this issue by following the recommendations stated below.
For N series storage systems running these exposed releases of Data ONTAP, existing storage is not exposed to the issue. The issue only occurs when new HDDs are added to storage systems running the aforementioned releases of Data ONTAP.
How to identify the issue
This issue is triggered by the insertion of new HDDs. New HDDs can be introduced in a number of ways:
- new capacity introductions
- storage expansion with new sources for existing capacities
- replacements for failed HDDs
If an unidentified HDD is inserted into the storage system, the storage controller’s Event Management Systems (EMS) log an error message similar to the following:
| Tue Oct 9 10:28:58 GMT [disk.dynamicqual.failure.occurred:error]: Device qualification failure occurred. Please refer to the qual_devices man page for corrective action. This problem must be corrected within 72 hour(s) to avoid a forced system shutdown. The following disk(s) remain unqualified: |
If the storage controller has AutoSupport enabled, this EMS message generates an AutoSupport message as well. If you have configured AutoSupport to inform IBM Support, a support case is automatically opened and an e-mail is sent to the designated contacts in your organization. The
e-mail and case contain instructions for resolving the issue.
Recommendations for Data ONTAP 7.2.1
To avoid the EMS error messages for disk qualification failures, you must:
- Upgrade to an available Data ONTAP release later than the 7.2.6.1 release.
- Install the latest Disk Qualification Package (DQP) if it is newer than the DQP found on the storage system.
| Use the upgrade instructions provided in the Data ONTAP Publication Matrix for the release selected as described in the Download/Installation Instructions section below |
You can determine the version of the DQP on your storage system by using the "rdfile" command on the storage system console to compare the "Datecode" entry in the header of the DQP file with the DQP file to be installed:
If the file is present on the storage system, its contents will be listed similar to the following example:
# This file is auto generated by the script file. # Copyright (c) 2000 Network Appliance, Inc. # All rights reserved. # # Datecode: 20071018 # ######### Use the DQP download and installation instructions provided in the Download/Installation Instructions section below if the DQP file does not exist or if its "Datecode" is earlier than the DQP file to be installed. |
Once you have upgraded to a recommended Data ONTAP release, installing these files is a nondisruptive procedure, and it will enable your storage system to have the necessary information to recognize and support new HDDs.
Recommendations for Data ONTAP 7.2.2 and 7.2.3
- Proactive Actions
To avoid these issues, IBM strongly recommends that customers proactively download and install the latest Disk Qualification Package (DQP) from the IBM N series site. Installing these files is a nondisruptive procedure and will ensure that your system has the necessary information to recognize and support new HDDs.
- Reactive Actions
- To avoid automatic shutdown, you must react within 72 hours in either of the following two ways:
- Nondisruptive installation of the latest Disk Qualification Package, or
- Removal of the offending disk drive(s)
If this issue occurs during normal operations, recovery requires the following actions:
Download/Installation Instructions
- Refer to the Important information for N series support if you have not created and registered your IBM ID to access N series content on the Web.
- The Data ONTAP Publication Matrices have instructions for obtaining and upgrading the Data ONTAP software on your storage system. Select the publication matrix for the appropriate Data ONTAP release as found on the Data ONTAP support pages.
- The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid State Disk (SSD) Firmware for N series Publication Matrix has instructions for obtaining and installing firmware and the Data ONTAP Disk Qualification Package (DQP).
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Document Information
Modified date:
25 September 2022
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