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Front View, iSCS, SMB/CIFS shares unresponsive ReadyNAS 2100
ReadyNAS 2100 8 TB version 4.2.19
Purchased a 2100 8TB primarily for backup purposes and for virtual test environments. System was live 8-18-11 and both Raidar and Front View updated with latest firmware releases.
Since then every few weeks the RN seems to choke and Front View is either unresponsive or if I make it in this is the result after 45 minutes or so
http://ibew48.com/pics/FrontView1.JPG
The iSCSI connectors are labeled as unavailble or reconnecting, but they never connect.
SMB/CIFS shares are available but extremely slow to respond, impossible to browse or transfer data to and from.
Ping's to the RS ip address also time out with about a 50% success rate.
The only solution is a hard reboot with the power switch on the back of the unit.
Wed Nov 2 08:28:09 PDT 2011 System is up.
Mon Oct 17 13:18:12 PDT 2011 System is up.
Wed Oct 5 08:22:33 PDT 2011 System is up
Wed Sep 7 11:06:20 PDT 2011 System is up
Thu Aug 18 10:53:09 PDT 2011 System is up.
The RN is housed in another building across the street connected to our network via fiber optic.
When functioning the unit is extremely fast.
No external USB devices are connected and the RN is plugged into a UPS device.
What would cause this? Obviously with this type of performance I can't rely on it for any critical database or Exchage storage and as a storage device for backups it is becoming iffy.
A factory reset is the last thing I wish to do as the unit is in a live production environment.
Purchased a 2100 8TB primarily for backup purposes and for virtual test environments. System was live 8-18-11 and both Raidar and Front View updated with latest firmware releases.
Since then every few weeks the RN seems to choke and Front View is either unresponsive or if I make it in this is the result after 45 minutes or so
http://ibew48.com/pics/FrontView1.JPG
The iSCSI connectors are labeled as unavailble or reconnecting, but they never connect.
SMB/CIFS shares are available but extremely slow to respond, impossible to browse or transfer data to and from.
Ping's to the RS ip address also time out with about a 50% success rate.
The only solution is a hard reboot with the power switch on the back of the unit.
Wed Nov 2 08:28:09 PDT 2011 System is up.
Mon Oct 17 13:18:12 PDT 2011 System is up.
Wed Oct 5 08:22:33 PDT 2011 System is up
Wed Sep 7 11:06:20 PDT 2011 System is up
Thu Aug 18 10:53:09 PDT 2011 System is up.
The RN is housed in another building across the street connected to our network via fiber optic.
When functioning the unit is extremely fast.
No external USB devices are connected and the RN is plugged into a UPS device.
What would cause this? Obviously with this type of performance I can't rely on it for any critical database or Exchage storage and as a storage device for backups it is becoming iffy.
A factory reset is the last thing I wish to do as the unit is in a live production environment.
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- That is a thought, what are the new features or bug fixes in 4.2.20?
- Update, on 11-13-11 all iSCSI connections dropped and unable to reconnect or discover additional targets. FrontView was accessable but would not come back up after rebooting ReadyNas through the Frontview interface. Hard reboot of ReadyNas required.
Same thing happened again on 12-2-11, unable to connect or discover iSCSI targets, reboot of ReadyNas through FrontView failed, hard reboot (powering the unit off with switch on back) required.
Do I have a lemon here?
:x :x Still running RAIDiator 4.2.19 - Wow, Ok.
Had to reboot 2008 Server for MS Updates, logging back on the iSCSI Initiator was trying and failing to connect to Favorite Target.
Event Viewer Errors:
iSCSI discovery via SendTargets failed with error code 0xefff0012 to target portal *readynas2100 0003260 Root\ISCSIPRT\0000_0 .
The initiator could not send an iSCSI PDU. Error status is given in the dump data.
Target failed to respond in time for a login request.
For kicks changed the "Teaming Failover" load balancing configured on my ethernet ports from "Round Robin" to "Adaptive Load Balancing" thinking switch configurations may have something to do with the iSCSI connections.
Now I can't even access the FrontView (RAIDar does find the ReadyNas though)
Time for another hard reboot. - Update - After reboot able to access FrontView but with diffuculty.
Solution to this issue is port security on my switch. Had to allow extra MAC Address after changing load balancing from Round Robin to Adaptive, even though load balancing is supposed to use only one Mac Address and one IP Address. Switch doesn't see it that way. HP ProCurve switches BTW
Now unable to discover any iSCSI Targets.
So I try and disable / enable the iSCSI shares (FrontView does not like this, have to keep killing and relaunching my browser) still unable to discover iSCSI Targets.
Create new iSCSI target on ReadyNas thinking a fresh target would be discovered but that didn't work. Target created, not discoverable on client.
SMB/CIFS Network Shares on ReadyNAS are browseable & mountable though.
My next step will be to disable network load balancing on my ethernet adapters and see what happens. Expecting it to lock up the ReadyNAS and require another reboot. Good thing my unit is across the street and not locked in a server closet across the country. - Hey I was right, trying to enable the last two iSCSI Targets FrontView crapped out on me before I even had a chance to disable network load balancing, thus requiring a reboot.
Upon rebooting, my iSCSI targets are now discoverable and connectable, so maybe I'll leave network load balancing set at Adaptive and see what happens.
Jedi Council where are you?
From my experiences I would strongly reccomend AGAINST using a ReadyNAS unit if you are planning an Exchange, SQL, Virtual, or Disaster Recovery environment that will be relying on iSCSI targets as a primary data storage solution.
The iSCSI feature in the FrontView OS is unstable, buggy, and very unreliable. If your data is important consider spending the extra cash and go with an HP StoreageWorks or EMC solution instead.
If you want a slick looking, rack mountable device to stream media, share pictures, and create SMB/CIFS network shares than this is your baby. Could have built a Linux box with the same abilites for 1/3 the cost, but what the heck.
Finally thought NetGear broke from the home user confines with a real piece of business enterprise capable equipment. But alas, it is just lipstick on a pig. Nice looking pig though. :wink: - Can you try with 4.2.20 beta firmware I linked above?
If it still occurs on 4.2.20-T19, send in your system logs (link in my sig). - Upgraded to 4.2.20-T19 as suggested by Chirpa.
Upgrade went smoothly happy to say.
After the upgrade FrontView seems more responsive, I was able to once again able to enable Teaming/Failover without FrontView keeling over and dying. My iSCSI Targets are once again visible and connectable in the MS iSCSI Initiator and do connect after a reboot. So far things look good.
Happy to see in the beta that Volume Maintenance intervals have been corrected. No matter what which weekly/monthly interval was chosen, the maintenace ran every week. No longer.
I'll keep monitoring the beta and post any feedback (both positive and negative) as things progress. - iSCSI connections once again dropped and unable to restore without reboot of ReadyNas, CIFS/SMB shares still working correctly.
Looking at other forums, one suggestion was to change port configuration on the switch to Flow Control enabled, which I did. Saw a few more RX errors than I cared to see.
Looking at the System Log File it appears the MS iSCSI initiator was attempting connections but the connection was never completed.
Sending logs to Chirpa. - Have entirely given up on using iSCSI for this unit. Very unfortunate as this was the primary reason for it's purchase. For a small business or consultant paying $2000 + for a piece of equipment that fails to meet one if it's primary functions is hard to justify.
On a positive note, the upgrade to 4.2.20-T19 resolved all SMB/CIFS issues. Even when the FrontView application fails, the shares are still accessible.
Will be requiring another NAS storage product for a massive document scanning project. Seriously considering an Overland product instead of another ReadyNAS unit.
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