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ReadyNAS NV+ 4.1.10 can't recover from power fail
Trouble Ticket 19644954 (e-mail support) can't boot Please type "four-one-ten" in your contributions to this topic, because Forum SEARCH will not search "4.1.10". I am posting to warn the commun...
Here is the resolution of the original case -- my (jerry-va) apologies for not getting this up sooner.
Case Number: 19644954 cont'd.
Failure to boot after power failure -- recovery strategy. Comments on your experiences are welcome.
TRY A SPARE DISK
1. Power down NAS, remove and label your data disks.
2. Insert a single spare drive with no data on it that you need to save.
3. Power up and see if the boot completes and you get an initialized Drive C.
COMMENT: success proves that the firmware in the flash memory is good.
You just copied it onto a drive and initialized the operating system (which runs off the hard drive, not the flash memory), and you then initialized the RAID array.
Since the admin page is available again, you have a chance to read/print logs.
TRY TO RECOVER DATA DRIVES WITH A FRESH OPSYS INSTALL
The Spare Disk test worked for me, so I know that the flash memory (what it takes to load the operating system, etc.) is good.
We know from the failure to boot after power failure that something is wrong with our data disks:
-- the operating system written to the disks is corrupted; and/or
-- the RAID array layout is bad; and perhaps
--the file system is damaged :-(
Since the NASbox was quiet when power failed, we assume the file system is OK.
So we replace the operating system (from firmware to hard drives).
1. Power down NAS, replace your data drives, prepare for a Paper Clip Reboot.
2. Press and hold the reset button (inside the pinhole at the back of the NAS, near the USB sockets) and simultaneously press the Power button, and, while continuing to watch the LCD screen continue holding the reset button depressed until the LCD message "OS Re-install [has been triggered]" appears and then release the reset button. Expect this to be about 5 seconds. If you wait too long, you'll get a message indicating that your data are going to be destroyed by a complete array rebuild, and you should pull the power plug (there is a grace period in which to do so).
3. If the boot completes, see if you can access your data.
4. If the password was reset by resetting the opsys, use the default NETGEAR1 to restore your preferred password by accessing the admin page (in FrontView, typically at 192.168.1.xxx/admin; see your router's admin page to find out xxx and perhaps reserve a stable number). You can also PING the name of your ReadyNAS (my name is NASbox), although resolving names down to IP addresses can be flaky in Windows.
5. Party if you got your data back. The opsys is good, the RAID array layout is good, what about the file system? Before going to bed, go to “System” / “Shutdown” and select “Shutdown and reboot device”. Check the “Perform volume scan on next boot” Click "Apply". Can take about 1 hr.
COMMENT: Quota Check is done on reboots, you can skip that now.
OTHER KINDS OF DEATH AND RECOVERY
If you can't pass the Boot with a Spare Drive test, then the opsys image in flash memory is not able to work. We need to put in a known-good Flash Memory Opsys which will perform a good system boot if the system hardware is good. You must a) get an image of the opsys from the mfr's website and b) put it on a USB thumb drive (using your PC) and c) plug the thumb drive into the NASbox.
For reinstalling firmware from a USB thumb drive, perhaps you know better links that these:
http://www.readynas.com/kb/faq/boot/how_can_i_perform_a_boot_recovery_using_a_usb_flash_device
http://home.bott.ca/webserver/?p=159
DOWNGRADE TO AN EARLIER RAIDiator; e.g., Rev 4.1.9
If the NASbox is up and running, but you want to change the firmware to a different revision, the procedure is similar but simpler than refreshing corrupted firmware when the system cannot execute a boot onto a single fresh drive.
1. Download the RAIDiator 4.1.9 image from http://www.readynas.com/download/RAIDiator/RAIDiator-4.1.9
2. Access the ReadyNAS Frontview.
3. Go to System / Update / Local.
4. Browse for the downloaded file and click on Update and Verify Image. Wait for a few minutes.
5. Click on Perform System Update. Wait for a few minutes.
6. Select Shutdown and reboot device and click on Apply. The ReadyNAS will use the uploaded firmware after the reboot which will take 10 minutes or more to complete.
(These downgrade instructions -- not yet tried by me -- are from Netgear Level 2 Technical Support Engineer Randy Monecia, who was a great help.
Sorry I'm late with this post, hope this helps.
--jerry-va
Case Number: 19644954 cont'd.
Failure to boot after power failure -- recovery strategy. Comments on your experiences are welcome.
TRY A SPARE DISK
1. Power down NAS, remove and label your data disks.
2. Insert a single spare drive with no data on it that you need to save.
3. Power up and see if the boot completes and you get an initialized Drive C.
COMMENT: success proves that the firmware in the flash memory is good.
You just copied it onto a drive and initialized the operating system (which runs off the hard drive, not the flash memory), and you then initialized the RAID array.
Since the admin page is available again, you have a chance to read/print logs.
TRY TO RECOVER DATA DRIVES WITH A FRESH OPSYS INSTALL
The Spare Disk test worked for me, so I know that the flash memory (what it takes to load the operating system, etc.) is good.
We know from the failure to boot after power failure that something is wrong with our data disks:
-- the operating system written to the disks is corrupted; and/or
-- the RAID array layout is bad; and perhaps
--the file system is damaged :-(
Since the NASbox was quiet when power failed, we assume the file system is OK.
So we replace the operating system (from firmware to hard drives).
1. Power down NAS, replace your data drives, prepare for a Paper Clip Reboot.
2. Press and hold the reset button (inside the pinhole at the back of the NAS, near the USB sockets) and simultaneously press the Power button, and, while continuing to watch the LCD screen continue holding the reset button depressed until the LCD message "OS Re-install [has been triggered]" appears and then release the reset button. Expect this to be about 5 seconds. If you wait too long, you'll get a message indicating that your data are going to be destroyed by a complete array rebuild, and you should pull the power plug (there is a grace period in which to do so).
3. If the boot completes, see if you can access your data.
4. If the password was reset by resetting the opsys, use the default NETGEAR1 to restore your preferred password by accessing the admin page (in FrontView, typically at 192.168.1.xxx/admin; see your router's admin page to find out xxx and perhaps reserve a stable number). You can also PING the name of your ReadyNAS (my name is NASbox), although resolving names down to IP addresses can be flaky in Windows.
5. Party if you got your data back. The opsys is good, the RAID array layout is good, what about the file system? Before going to bed, go to “System” / “Shutdown” and select “Shutdown and reboot device”. Check the “Perform volume scan on next boot” Click "Apply". Can take about 1 hr.
COMMENT: Quota Check is done on reboots, you can skip that now.
OTHER KINDS OF DEATH AND RECOVERY
If you can't pass the Boot with a Spare Drive test, then the opsys image in flash memory is not able to work. We need to put in a known-good Flash Memory Opsys which will perform a good system boot if the system hardware is good. You must a) get an image of the opsys from the mfr's website and b) put it on a USB thumb drive (using your PC) and c) plug the thumb drive into the NASbox.
For reinstalling firmware from a USB thumb drive, perhaps you know better links that these:
http://www.readynas.com/kb/faq/boot/how_can_i_perform_a_boot_recovery_using_a_usb_flash_device
http://home.bott.ca/webserver/?p=159
DOWNGRADE TO AN EARLIER RAIDiator; e.g., Rev 4.1.9
If the NASbox is up and running, but you want to change the firmware to a different revision, the procedure is similar but simpler than refreshing corrupted firmware when the system cannot execute a boot onto a single fresh drive.
1. Download the RAIDiator 4.1.9 image from http://www.readynas.com/download/RAIDiator/RAIDiator-4.1.9
2. Access the ReadyNAS Frontview.
3. Go to System / Update / Local.
4. Browse for the downloaded file and click on Update and Verify Image. Wait for a few minutes.
5. Click on Perform System Update. Wait for a few minutes.
6. Select Shutdown and reboot device and click on Apply. The ReadyNAS will use the uploaded firmware after the reboot which will take 10 minutes or more to complete.
(These downgrade instructions -- not yet tried by me -- are from Netgear Level 2 Technical Support Engineer Randy Monecia, who was a great help.
Sorry I'm late with this post, hope this helps.
--jerry-va
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