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[Sticky] Big Sur on M1 machines and SoftRAID issues

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(@joemikeb)
Posts: 93
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@softraid-support

I know I have mentioned this previously, but here is another issue for your priority list. I am receiving notices that one of the disks in the array is not responding and the array is has been locked. Which shows up in the log, but as far as I can tell the array is not locked and Time Machine continues too back up to it as usual. Put hard disks to sleep when possible is NOT checked.                      

 

Screenshot 2021 04 16 08.40.49 0CtJNT

 

______________

Make intentional errors —
Otherwise the Great Spirit
realizes you have fulfilled
your purpose on earth.

— Navajo saying

 
Posted : 16/04/2021 8:45 am
MountainCat reacted
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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Topic starter
 

If the volume is not locked, then this is a reporting bug. While I have collected a couple of these, what I can use is this:

restart and save a support file. If it happens in the same restart cycle, save another support file, then send me both.

If you restart, delete the file and save a new one. This is only useful if the two support files are in the same startup cycle. (Disk numbers should not change and if SoftRAID Monitor is reporting they did change incorrectly, that can be caught by the two support files)

 

This is indeed in our fix list. thanks.

 
Posted : 16/04/2021 9:27 am
(@mountaincat)
Posts: 56
Trusted Member
 

@pruthe I appreciate the workflow suggestion. My planned use with the MacMini M1 has been to use the Thunderbay RAID for most of my user account. Essentially just the library is on the main SSD in the Mac Mini. Everything else is linked to locations on the RAID. Also, my dropbox syncs with the location on the RAID. This setup would have been ideal, if not for the lock-up issue which never occurred in the iMac/Intel/pre-Big Sur universe. I see what you are saying, although I suppose that at this point I could just shut down for the night. I would then need to figure out when the time machine backups occur so as not to disturb my use of the system. I have gotten used, over the past 10+ years, that systems run 24/7 and manage their sleep time without my intervention. I would prefer to stick with that, but I appreciate your workaround suggestion.

 
Posted : 16/04/2021 12:32 pm
(@mountaincat)
Posts: 56
Trusted Member
 

I am still suffering with disk lockout. It is a true lockout because I cannot copy the small files or otherwise access the Thunderbay. My system hardly sleeps anymore, which seems to be the way Big Sur is designed. Put hard disks to sleep when possible is not selected. 

I don't understand how this is an Apple bug. I never had the problem, save for one time, in over six years. Suddenly I have it all the time. Because my Thunderbird RAID drive is my main drive, this lack of reliability is simple not usable for me. Can you please help me figure this out. I would really like to stick with Thunderbay/SoftRAID but I cannot justify being locked out of my own system at random times on a regular basis. I'm sure you can understand that this passes the threshold of reasonable for me.

Here's a clue that I mentioned before. As far as I can tell, this problem only began when I replaced one of the 4 Toshiba 5TB drives with the same exact drive in the 6TB version. This was due to a SoftRAID smart warning. OWC was involved and sold me a brand new drive. I ran certify for a weekend and then rebuilt the array. All has been fine since, no errors, except thereafter is when I began to experience frequent lockout messages. Why? 

Is there something with the drive numbering that might be causing this to happen more often? Can the drive numbers be hardcoded into OS X? This seems to be an absurd situation which Apple is not going to fix. But considering that some of us have the issue and others don't there must be something we can do about it. My system is very vanilla. The only drive plugged in right now is the Thunderbay. I am running 11.3 beta 6. I did not use migration assistant when I bought the new M1. Everything clean.

Please address this. I am willing to do whatever you instruct to get to the bottom of it. 

 

 
Posted : 16/04/2021 12:41 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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@mountaincat

Can we try a couple basic ideas?

reset NVRAM

Reset SMC

and see if this makes any difference?

Because this is something that has not existed since day one, it has added on later. So it is worth the try. Let me know if you need instructions on either

 
Posted : 16/04/2021 3:11 pm
(@nwind)
Posts: 48
Eminent Member
 

Not sure it's related to SoftRaid, MB Air running connected to the newest OWC Thunderbolt dock, or latest 11.3 betta, but almost guarantied I'm getting panic every night. Panic report is attached. Not sure how to fix it.

 

 
Posted : 18/04/2021 2:23 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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@nwind

I am not sure yet either mbut this does seem to be a hardware issue in the Thunderbolt chip.

read through this diwcussion. I notice one of the users only has a Thunderbolt Monitor, with the same crash.

 

There does not seem to be a fix yet. However, I would try the Apple public beta of Big Sur, 11.3. See if they have fixed it. If not, it may be worth a call to support ar Apple to raise awareness of this issue. your disks may be "involved", but perhaps only as it is triggering a Thunderbolt issue, as if the same bug happens with only a TB Monitor, that is a clue it is a Big Sur issue.

I also note that some of the complainants are intel computers, so it is most likely an issue with Big Sur.

 
Posted : 18/04/2021 3:18 pm
(@nwind)
Posts: 48
Eminent Member
 
Posted by: @softraid-support

@nwind

I am not sure yet either mbut this does seem to be a hardware issue in the Thunderbolt chip.

read through this diwcussion. I notice one of the users only has a Thunderbolt Monitor, with the same crash.

 

There does not seem to be a fix yet. However, I would try the Apple public beta of Big Sur, 11.3. See if they have fixed it. If not, it may be worth a call to support ar Apple to raise awareness of this issue. your disks may be "involved", but perhaps only as it is triggering a Thunderbolt issue, as if the same bug happens with only a TB Monitor, that is a clue it is a Big Sur issue.

I also note that some of the complainants are intel computers, so it is most likely an issue with Big Sur.

I'm on the latest 11.3 public beta.

 

Do you think it might be this particular machine HW issue?

 
Posted : 18/04/2021 3:32 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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@nwind

I do not know. I just googled the panic log and that was the best clue I could find. As SoftRAID diver was not in the backtrace, it was worth looking around for other options.

 

Maybe it is worth calling Apple, or posting on the discussion forum? The sense I got reading the thread is users go to a dead end.

 
Posted : 18/04/2021 5:03 pm
(@mountaincat)
Posts: 56
Trusted Member
 
Posted by: @softraid-support

@mountaincat

Can we try a couple basic ideas?

reset NVRAM

Reset SMC

and see if this makes any difference?

Because this is something that has not existed since day one, it has added on later. So it is worth the try. Let me know if you need instructions on either

I wish I could but to my knowledge there is no way to do that on the M1.

 
Posted : 19/04/2021 11:33 am
(@mountaincat)
Posts: 56
Trusted Member
 

@softraid-support Yes, this is exactly my point, and why I think it can be resolved. And perhaps it can help others. Vanilla system, never did this, then suddenly doing lockups after a single disk swap. I can't guarantee the disk swap was the cause, but I did not even notice this issue prior to that, and afterwards it became a daily occurrence. Although not the last couple of says (though I did have a kernel panic in the meantime).

I am going to attach that system report that popped up after the reboot here, in case that is helpful. Although it is for kernel panic and not the lockup, perhaps there is a clue in there. Softraid is listed as kernel extension in backtrace, which I presume just means it was loaded at the time.

 
Posted : 19/04/2021 11:39 am
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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@mountaincat

BTW: the 6.0.1 b53 driver is still loading. I assume you are running 6.0.3?

Try resetting the extensions cache: (run each line in terminal.app)

sudo kmutil clear-staging

followed by:

sudo kextcache -i /

restart. Then paste this into terminal:

sudo kextstat -b com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID

 

Does it show 6.0.3, or b53?

 
Posted : 19/04/2021 4:02 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
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Topic starter
 

@mountaincat

Re: resetting SMC/NVRAM. I saw a snarky comment on the Apple pages: shutdown, close the lid for 30 seconds, you just reset the SMC and NVRAM.

I forgot that this is no longer an option. (or an unnecessary one)

 
Posted : 19/04/2021 4:05 pm
Sunstarfire
(@sunstarfire)
Posts: 125
Estimable Member
 

11.3 RC working great (as expected) :)

 
Posted : 21/04/2021 3:20 am
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8006
Member Admin
Topic starter
 

Lets hope next Tuesday, not two weeks from now!

 
Posted : 21/04/2021 11:03 am
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