Power Timer not turning on OS6 FW 6.4.1 - Legacy Ultra 6

[kevinb1]

I recently acquired an Ultra 6 Plus, which I upgraded to OS 6, FW 6.4.1, for use in backups. The Power Timer function (which I liked better in the old NV+ models, since I could specify minutes) turns the U6+ off, but does not turn it on. I'm currently using a cron entry on my DD-WRT router to do a WOL job to turn the U6+ on at the specified time (3:50am). Needless to say, it's a fix smacking of Rube Goldberg, though not as good as the one in this simple alarm clock (No, this is NOT my proposed fix, perfume is expensive, and so are cannonballs). 

Hardware: ReadyNAS Ultra 6 Plus

Firmware: 6.4.1

Time: correct

Power Timer: currently 2am to 11am (so I can verify it turned on for to do backups, will shorten to 6 or 7am when assured of regular backups)

Backup jobs: currently 4am to 6am (rsync pulls)

WOL: enabled

DD-WRT router cron WOL job: 3:50AM

Ay suggestions on how I can fix this? I'm willing to SSH in if need be, but not completely comfortable in linux.

-kevinb1 (formerly imsai on infrant/netgear, how do I change my handle back?)

P.S. I'm also getting fan underspeed warnings, but one thing at a time....

[mdgm-ntgr · Accepted solution]

---

kevinb1 wrote:

According to the bios_ver.log, I have a 05/26/2010 FLAME6-2 V1.1 product.

Ah then this is not an issue with OS6 on legacy at all. There is a known power on issue with an old BIOS on an Ultra 6.

You will need to update the BIOS to the latest: 06/10/2010: http://www.readynas.com/download/addons ... .5-x86.bin

Easiest way to install would be to:

1. Power down

2. Remove your disks (label order)

3. Put a scratch disk in (must not be from your array)

4. Do a factory default (wipes all data, settings, everything)

5. Downgrade to RAIDiator-x86-4.2: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Community-Add-ons/Downgrade-to-RAIDiator-x86-from-ReadyNAS-OS-notsu...
6. Install the BIOS update add-on

7. After you get an alert that the add-on has installed successfully, reboot and check bios_ver.log to make sure the BIOS has updated.

8. Update the box back to 6.4.1

9. Power down

10. Remove your scratch disk

11. Put your disks back in same order as before

12. Set the power timer again and see if it works

Note that it is important not to interrupt the BIOS upgrade whilst it is in progress as it would brick the system.

[JennC]

Hello kevinb1,

You are using a legacy NAS unit but loaded an OS6, unfortunately, support center will not support this.

Can you try 6.4.2 (RC1) and see if that helps?

Regards,

[kevinb1]

---

Do you know of some code relevant to the issue in 6.4.2 RC1, or is this a shot in the dark?

I'm somewhat leery of betas and saw nothing in the release notes in https://community.netgear.com/t5/ReadyNAS-Beta-Release/ReadyNASOS-6-4-2-RC1/m-p/999457#U999457 discussing this, except in the case of a power failure in a 32-bit RN (bugfix 12: [Beta 2] Fixed automatic poweron behavior after power loss when the last system state was powered on. (RN102/RN104/RN2120)).

I understand that this is a legacy device, but I would be unsurprised to find the problem on a currently-supported RN516 as well.

As you can see from my posted fix to OS6 6.2.2 Frontview gone-fixed without SSH , I'm not afraid to dig in, research, and post fixes, but I'd like a little assurance that the betaware in question would actually fix the problem.

Otherwise, I'm willing to look under the hood to help identify the problem, to help assure that the problem has a solution. This close to a new version, it would be really good to include such a fix in the next release, wouldn't you agree?

Any suggestions or pointers to help identify where the problem lies would be very welcome. I am more than happy to send logs as well.

-Kevin

@JennC wrote:

Hello kevinb1,

You are using a legacy NAS unit but loaded an OS6, unfortunately, support center will not support this.

Can you try 6.4.2 (RC1) and see if that helps?

Regards,

---

[mdgm-ntgr]

If a backup job is in progress the system won't power off till that completes.

[StephenB]

---

@mdgm wrote:

If a backup job is in progress the system won't power off till that completes.

---

If I understand the OP correctly, his real issue is that he can't get the NAS to turn on at the scheduled time, so he is forced to use WoL.

[kevinb1]

Yes, the problem is with the timer is with power ON, not off. That's why the WOL Goldberg works.

-Kevin

P.S. As far as I know, EIA/IEEE/Intel/Microsoft haven't come up with a spec for Shutoff-On-LAN ;). And if so, I suspect I'd still be S-O-L.

[kevinb1]

More info.

Rsync is running between 4-6am, and has not been going over that.

AV,DLNA, Transmission all off.

/etc/cron.daily has nothing in it.

/etc/cron.d contains:

  frontview-backup  frontview-volumeschedule  poweroff

poweroff has the following entries:

00 00 * * 0 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 0 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 1 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 1 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 2 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 2 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 3 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 3 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 4 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 4 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 5 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 5 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 00 * * 6 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null
00 13 * * 6 root /frontview/bin/autopoweroff &> /dev/null

Which seems to indicate that Frontview is doing what it should to power off.

  /frontview/bin/autopoweroff

does in fact shut the NAS down. Is there supposed to be a poweron entry? How does the NAS set and *do* a timed power on?

If it's via /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm, putting in

  cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm

returns no value.

After looking around, especially in https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/ACPI_Wakeup#Using_.2Fsys.2Fclass.2Frtc.2Frtc0.2Fwakealarm (Handy!)

I did try a

  cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm
  echo 0 > /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm
  echo `date '+%s' -d '+ 5 minutes'` > /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm
  cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/wakealarm

which returned:

 1453510823

and then performed a

  /frontview/bin/autopoweroff

which 5 minutes later caused . . . nothing.

According to the bios_ver.log, I have a 05/26/2010 FLAME6-2 V1.1 product.

Any ideas on what more I can do from here? I was wondering if the rtc code in OS6 6.4.1 would work with my equipment, will 6.4.2 (RC1) address this, do I need a BIOS update, new mobo, or what more I could do.

I really only enjoy Rube Goldberg contraptions from a safe distance, preferably not on my equipment.

Help?

[mdgm-ntgr · Accepted solution]

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kevinb1 wrote:

According to the bios_ver.log, I have a 05/26/2010 FLAME6-2 V1.1 product.

Ah then this is not an issue with OS6 on legacy at all. There is a known power on issue with an old BIOS on an Ultra 6.

You will need to update the BIOS to the latest: 06/10/2010: http://www.readynas.com/download/addons ... .5-x86.bin

Easiest way to install would be to:

1. Power down

2. Remove your disks (label order)

3. Put a scratch disk in (must not be from your array)

4. Do a factory default (wipes all data, settings, everything)

5. Downgrade to RAIDiator-x86-4.2: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Community-Add-ons/Downgrade-to-RAIDiator-x86-from-ReadyNAS-OS-notsu...
6. Install the BIOS update add-on

7. After you get an alert that the add-on has installed successfully, reboot and check bios_ver.log to make sure the BIOS has updated.

8. Update the box back to 6.4.1

9. Power down

10. Remove your scratch disk

11. Put your disks back in same order as before

12. Set the power timer again and see if it works

Note that it is important not to interrupt the BIOS upgrade whilst it is in progress as it would brick the system.

[kevinb1]

Though not the most fun I've ever had, I did the above procedure.

The result was an update from

  05/26/2010 FLAME6-2 V1.1

to

  06/10/2010 FLAME6-2 V1.1

which now appears to work.

I might note that it's important, when updating from Raidiator 4 to To NASOS 6, to allow a full reboot after loading the new firmware and then let it go through an upgrade cycle, and not to do the factory reset until after you get a discovery error message.

Thank you, mdgm, for providing the solution.

Although I do wonder why Frontview's Admin Page>System->[power dropdown]->[Shut Down button] doesn't use (or perhaps add an option for) the /frontview/bin/autopoweroff sequence (including setting the RTC wakeup) so that the Power Timer can continue working after an shutdown originating from Frontview. Heck, maybe it could be a "Hibernate" button, nicht wahr?

It would seem to me to be an elegant way of keeping it working as designed, and saving the Big Blue Button for real emergency shutoffs.

[Sandshark]

Perhaps it would be a good thing to put a message somewhere that warns users to upgrade the BIOS before upgrading to OS6.  It is certainly a RITA to go through the upgrade to OS6 and full data recovery only to find one has to do it again because of BIOS issues.  There might be one in that multi-page message about OS6 being compatible with legacy devices, but who is going to read through all that?

Would have been great on the old OS6 on Legacy subsection of the old forum -- too bad it disappeared with the new one.

[Skywalker]

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@kevinb1 wrote:

Although I do wonder why Frontview's Admin Page>System->[power dropdown]->[Shut Down button] doesn't use (or perhaps add an option for) the /frontview/bin/autopoweroff sequence (including setting the RTC wakeup) so that the Power Timer can continue working after an shutdown originating from Frontview. Heck, maybe it could be a "Hibernate" button, nicht wahr?

It would seem to me to be an elegant way of keeping it working as designed, and saving the Big Blue Button for real emergency shutoffs.

---

/frontview/bin/autopoweroff doesn't set up the RTC wake alarm.  It just decides whether to shut down normally, or defer shutdown if volume maintenance is running.  The RTC wake alarm will get set no matter how you shut down, so it already works the way you're asking it to.