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Managing Disks - Certify, Verify, Initialize
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Hello,
I have used Softraid for years with a Thunderbay 4 to great success.
I just purchased a new Thunderbay 6/3 and 6 – 12TB Seagate Ironwolf Pro drives to create a large home server for my photo/video work. I was hoping to run a RAID 5 with 60TB of storage (all data is also backed up off-site).
I started certifying the drives using a 2018 15" MacBook Pro running 10.14.6. The Thunderbay was connected through a Caldigit TS3+ Dock. All seemed to be going fine for the better part of the last 1.5 days, but when I came home from dinner tonight all drives had failed to certify (see below).
I noticed the computer was asleep when this happened, and I did have "put hard disks to sleep when possible" checked on my Mac. I also read that there could be issues with using a dock.
So, I have connected the Thunderbay directly to my MacBook and I unchecked "put hard disks to sleep when possible". I have now restarted certification. After restarting certification, I was not-prompted to resume from before, yet the current offset values seem to be where they were when the error occurred. I have no idea if this means anything, just an observation.
However, I am wondering if I am wasting my time? So, I thought I would post the log here to get an opinion.
I have a hard time believing 6 drives are all bad out the box, but I don't want to waste my time if that is what SoftRAID is suggesting.
Thanks for the help!
Sep 14 20:43:54 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk9, SN: ZHZ141WF, SATA bus 0, id 3 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:43:54 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk9, SN: ZHZ141WF, SATA bus 0, id 3 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:43:54 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk9, SN: ZHZ141WF, SATA bus 0, id 3 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:43:54 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk9, SN: ZHZ141WF, SATA bus 0, id 3 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:43:56 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk9, SN: ZHZ141WF, SATA bus 0, id 3 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Sep 14 20:46:04 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk10, SN: ZHZ0Z8L1, SATA bus 0, id 2 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:46:04 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk10, SN: ZHZ0Z8L1, SATA bus 0, id 2 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:46:04 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk10, SN: ZHZ0Z8L1, SATA bus 0, id 2 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:46:05 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk10, SN: ZHZ0Z8L1, SATA bus 0, id 2 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:46:06 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk10, SN: ZHZ0Z8L1, SATA bus 0, id 2 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Sep 14 20:47:55 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk11, SN: ZHZ0NAV4, SATA bus 0, id 1 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:47:55 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk11, SN: ZHZ0NAV4, SATA bus 0, id 1 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:47:55 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk11, SN: ZHZ0NAV4, SATA bus 0, id 1 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:47:55 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk11, SN: ZHZ0NAV4, SATA bus 0, id 1 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:47:57 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk11, SN: ZHZ0NAV4, SATA bus 0, id 1 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Sep 14 20:48:18 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk7, SN: ZHZ1DHS6, SATA bus 0, id 5 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:48:18 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk7, SN: ZHZ1DHS6, SATA bus 0, id 5 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:48:18 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk7, SN: ZHZ1DHS6, SATA bus 0, id 5 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:48:18 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk7, SN: ZHZ1DHS6, SATA bus 0, id 5 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:48:20 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk7, SN: ZHZ1DHS6, SATA bus 0, id 5 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Sep 14 20:58:34 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk12, SN: ZHZ10Q10, SATA bus 0, id 0 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:58:34 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk12, SN: ZHZ10Q10, SATA bus 0, id 0 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:58:34 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk12, SN: ZHZ10Q10, SATA bus 0, id 0 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:58:34 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk12, SN: ZHZ10Q10, SATA bus 0, id 0 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 20:58:36 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk12, SN: ZHZ10Q10, SATA bus 0, id 0 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Sep 14 21:19:08 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk8, SN: ZHZ1HPWL, SATA bus 0, id 4 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 16,777,216, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 21:19:08 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk8, SN: ZHZ1HPWL, SATA bus 0, id 4 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 33,554,432, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 21:19:08 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk8, SN: ZHZ1HPWL, SATA bus 0, id 4 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 50,331,648, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 21:19:08 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk8, SN: ZHZ1HPWL, SATA bus 0, id 4 (Thunderbolt) encountered a verify error (offset 67,108,864, i/o block size = 16,777,216). Error during pass number = 1. This disk should be replaced immediately.
Sep 14 21:19:10 - SoftRAID Application: The certify disk command for disk disk8, SN: ZHZ1HPWL, SATA bus 0, id 4 (Thunderbolt) failed because this disk has unreliable sectors. It should be replaced immediately (error number = 66).
Posted : 14/09/2019 11:38 pm
Drives should never fail to certify. Certify does not use the SoftRAID driver, it is all OS X. This tells you that there is a hardware issue.
Try direct connecting without the dock, just to remove a variable.
Posted : 15/09/2019 1:03 pm
Topic starter
When you say drives should never fail to certify, do you mean that all drives should complete the process and then you look for reported errors? I thought the point to certification was to detect problems in advance, so your statement is a bit confusing to me.
Also, does the above log give any indication if it is bad disks or my hardware setup? Or is there no way to know?
And yes I have restarted it without the dock. The Thunderbay is directly connected to the MacBook now. Closing in on 24 hours with no issues. Fingers crossed.
Posted : 15/09/2019 4:38 pm
We certify disks all the time. New disks, used disks etc. There is no "random" failure with a certify, unless there is a hardware issue, either the drives, or enclosure/cable/computer, etc.
A disk should not have ANY IO errors during certify. Any that do, should be pre-replaced. This reduces a great many "early" failures.
If you are interested, here is a video presentation from 2016 from our VP Engineering, Tim Standing, on the importance of certification and disk failures.
http://docs.macsysadmin.se/2016/video/Day2Session5.mp4
Since all your disks failed, there is clearly something wrong. This looks to be a computer/cable/enclosure failure, so use trial and error.
Posted : 15/09/2019 10:57 pm
Topic starter
Thanks for the info!
All 6 disks have made it through 2 passes successfully, but I am going to have to cancel the certification before the 3rd pass completes as I am leaving on a trip for which I need this computer.
I know your videos state that softraid should restart certification where it left off? If this doesn't happen in a week when I return, can I just do a one pass certification to write zeroes to the drive or do I need to start over from scratch?
Posted : 18/09/2019 4:03 pm
Yes you can just "zero disk" or do a 1 pass certify.
Posted : 19/09/2019 12:31 am
