ATTO Technology ExpressSAS H608, ExpressSAS H644, ExpressSAS H680, ExpressSAS R348, ExpressSAS H308 Troubleshooting Manual

ATTO ExpressSAS Troubleshooting Guide for Windows

This document describes troubleshooting techniques that can be used to identify
and resolve issues associated with the ATTO ExpressSAS Raid Controller.
Some of these techniques may seem simplistic or overly obvious, but these are
the ones that are commonly overlooked and can take several hours of frustration
to find. It is important to only try one technique at a time. While changing
multiple variables may seem to be a time saver, it usually complicates the
troubleshooting process.

A.) Windows Operating Systems

Æ The computer will not boot past its Power On Self Test when the controller is
installed.

 The controller may be improperly seated. Power down the computer and reseat

the controller.

 Try putting the controller in a different PCI slot.
 Disconnect any SAS/SATA devices from the controller and reboot the computer.

If this resolves the issue, investigate the SAS/SATA cables or SAS/SATA target
devices as described in the section below.

 If the computer still does not boot, try installing the controller in a different

computer. If the controller works in the new computer, report this as a possible
interoperability issue between the controller and the computer. If the problem
follows the controller, replace it with a new adapter.

 Verify that the latest version of the computer BIOS is installed. Use caution when

updating the computer’s BIOS. A mistake could leave the system in an unusable
state.

Æ The ExpressSAS RAID controller is installed in the computer but it does not
appear during the system BIOS scan.

Note: The ATTO Technology banner should appear shortly after booting the
computer.

*****************************************************
* ATTO ExpressSAS™ Version 1.00 *

* Copyright © 2007 ATTO Technology, Inc. *

*****************************************************
*** Press [Ctrl] [Z] for Setup Utility ****
Channel 1 ExpressSAS R380 FW Version 1.00

 The controller may be improperly seated. Power down the computer and reseat

the controller.

 Try putting the controller in a different PCI slot.

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 Verify that the latest version of the computer BIOS is installed. Use caution

when updating the computer’s BIOS. A mistake could leave the system in an
unusable state.

 Remove any non-vital PCI controllers from the system to determine if there is a

PCI bus conflict.

 Disconnect any SAS/SATA devices from the controller and reboot the computer.

If this resolves the issue, investigate the SAS/SATA cable or SAS/SATA target
devices as described in the section below.

 If the computer still does not boot, try installing the controller in a different

computer. If the controller works in the new computer, try updating the flash on
the controller as described in the “Installation and Operations” manual. Then try
it again in the original computer.

o If it still fails, report this as a possible interoperability issue between the

controller and the computer.

o If the problem follows the controller, replace it with a new adapter.

Æ The computer freezes when the ATTO Banner is displayed during the system
BIOS scan.

 Disconnect all devices from the SAS controller and reboot the system.

If the system still freezes:

 Remove any non-vital PCI controllers from the system to determine if there is a

PCI bus conflict.

 Remove the SAS controller and test it in a different computer (not the same

model). If the controller works properly, enter the ATTO ExpressSAS Utility
during the system BIOS scan by hitting Control-Z when prompted. Enter the
controller configuration menu and disable the BIOS. There may be a BIOS
conflict between the ATTO controller and the original computer. Place the
controller back into the original machine and reboot.

 If this resolves the issue, report this is as a BIOS conflict. Note that you

can continue to operate. Disabling the BIOS will only prevent the
computer from booting from an external drive connected to the controller.

 If the computer still hangs, replace the controller with a new one.

If the system no longer freezes after disconnecting the SAS/SATA devices:

 Check the SAS/SATA devices. Check for fault lights on the drives.
 Check cable integrity. Check the cables for solid connections. Make sure they

are snapped in. Inspect cable ends for bent pins or faulty gold fingers.

 Try attaching SAS/SATA devices one at a time with different cables, adding

drives and cables until the problem occurs. This will help pinpoint the device or
cable causing the problem.

 Watch the LED indicators on the SAS/SATA devices before, during, and after

startup. Drive lights should also flash at startup as the SAS/SATA bus is
scanned. This may give a clue as to the root cause of the issue.

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Æ The system’s BIOS scan recognizes the ExpressSAS RAID controller, but states
that no virtual disks are found.

 This will occur when no RAID groups have been created but disks are

recognized.

Æ The system’s BIOS scan recognizes the ExpressSAS RAID controller and the
RAID group but states that no virtual disks are found.

 This will occur when a RAID group has been created but the group has not been

mapped properly to the controller. Mapping can be done via the CTRL-Z function
or ATTO Configuration Tool.

Æ The system’s BIOS scan recognizes the ExpressSAS RAID controller, but it does
not detect any

Note: The ATTO Technology banner should appear shortly after rebooting the
computer. If the controller’s BIOS is set to “enabled” or “scan only”, the
connected devices, group name, status and RAID level will also be displayed.

 The SAS controller BIOS may have been set to disabled (factory default: BIOS

enabled). Set it back to Enabled (if you need to boot from an external device
connected to the controller) or Scan Only.

 Verify the SAS/SATA devices are powered on.
 Verify the drives are mapped to the controller correctly. You may need to

execute the ‘automap’ command to remap the drives. This can be done in the
ATTO Configuration Tool or the controller utilities (CTRL-Z).

 Check cable integrity. Check the cables for solid connections. Make sure they

are snapped in. Inspect cable ends for bent pins.

 Try attaching SAS/SATA devices one at a time with different cables, adding

drives and cables until the problem occurs. This will help pinpoint the device or
cable causing the problem.

 Watch the LED indicators on the SAS/SATA devices before, during, and after

startup. Drive lights should also flash at startup as the SAS/SATA bus is
scanned. This may give a clue as to the root cause of the issue.

 Try putting the controller in a different PCI slot.
 Try updating the firmware on the controller as described in the “Installation and

Operations” manual.

 If there is an Expander in the Array verify the following:

 If all else fails, replace the SAS controller.

of the connected SAS devices.

¾ Zoning: Verify the Expander(s) are zoned properly so that the

ExpressSAS Raid card and the SAS/SATA drives have access to one
another. If there are pre-existing zones setup, be sure to add the
ExpressSAS Raid to the zone.

¾ Port Visibility: Verify the Expander can see the ExpressSAS Raid card

on the port(s) in question. Refer to the Expanders manufacturer’s guide
for more detail on this step.

¾ Speed Auto negotiation: Verify the Expander is set to “Auto” negotiate

transfer speed.

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