New Release - Software Update for the WD Sentinel (5/29/12)

Is there a list of fixes/changes for either of these somewhere?

New update causes the Dashboard to crash when going to the Monitor/Health tab.

When trying to access the tab via a remote Dashboard session:

Sentinel-DashCrash.png

A local Dashboard (via RDP) just freezes after clicking on the Monitor tab.

Even Viewer is filled with this error:

Warning    5/30/2012 9:43:02 AM    WdEnclosureProvider    200    None

"Unable to get Fan speed "

Repeats several times every 30 seconds.

Actual Dashboard crash in the Application log:

Application: dashboard.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.NullReferenceException
Stack:
   at WDMonitor.Addin.HealthCustomWPFControl.WdEnclosureProviderConnectedChanged()
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WrappedInvoke(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(System.Object)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode, CleanupCode, System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(System.Object)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WrappedInvoke(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.InvokeImpl(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority, System.TimeSpan, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr)
   at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG ByRef)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application+ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(IntPtr, Int32, Int32)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application+ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32, System.Windows.Forms.ApplicationContext)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application+ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32, System.Windows.Forms.ApplicationContext)
   at Microsoft.WindowsServerSolutions.Dashboard.Program.Main()

Thankfully I don’t really need the Monitor tab right now, but a big heads up to anyone else considering the udpate.

Thanks, think I will hold off.  As in if it ain’t broke…

Software Version 01.02.23.395
Resolved Issues:
• Updated compatible hard drives (Knowledge Base 9443) for the Sentinel Storage Server
• WD Monitor functionality during Server Recovery (6TB units)
• Manual Software Update functionality in Japanese

Software Version 01.02.19.381
Resolved Issues:
• System health status reflected as a color coded indicator on ‘Monitor’ Tab in the dashboard
• Monitor tab on the Dashboard displays accurate Storage Capacity value
• Included approximate recovery duration on the Server Recovery dialog box when using the
Server Restore Image
• Link to WD Sentinel DX4000 Administrator’s Guide added to the Home tab on the Dashboard
• Consolidate tasks on the right hand side on Monitor tab in the Dashboard under one heading
• Update to the approved drives list
• Fixed various minor bugs

As a followup to the above post about the fan speed errors and Monitor tab:

The power LED now constantly blinks for “WD Sentinel server is currently booting the software.” according to the admin manual. I’ve restarted both via RDP and a soft shutdown with the physical power button, still getting fan errors and Dashbaord crashes.

I will try to re-apply the update manually and see where that gets me.

EDIT: So both the “Automatic” and Manual instructions for updating the software involve getting to the Software Update tab under the Monitor plugin. The Monitor plugin that crashes after the update. Someone didn’t think this through…

The contents of the update zip file are rather convoluted, several batch files and a VB script for good measure, no discernable way to run the update manually.

EDIT2: Re-ran all of the individual MSI installers from the update zip, most of them gave repair options but several performed full automated installs (no pre-existing install). After a reboot everything seems back to normal. Still not exactly a smooth upgrade experience, hopefully others will have it go better!

1 Like

Kewl, glad you got it fired up.  I went ahead and gave it a go and all went well for me.  Did you have any other add-ins installed prior?

Only add-in is LDisk-D for iSCSI, none of the errors seemed to originate from there. After perusing logs and Event Viewer it looks like one of the upgrades to the chassis drivers/software failed silently and the WD software didn’t know how to handle the NULL / lack of values.

I’ve just noticed my server is bugging me about this update.   I’m wondering if I should bother doing it or not (if it’s not broken don’t fix it!).    I’m especially wary given the lack of ability to restore the C: to it’s current state should anything go wrong.   For what it’s worth I do have a Windows Backup of the C: (runs twice daily) so I can restore individiaul files/directories if something goes wrong but if something stops it from booting we/I am screwed.

You can actually use WSB (windows Server Backup) in the WD recovery envioroment.  So if it dies you could go thrhough the hoops and recover you C: headlessly.  Is that a word :slight_smile:

It asks if you want to recover from backup or reset to default.  Recover from backup does find WSB on a USB hard drive.  Reset to factory is dam* near impossible.  I am currently making my second attempt.  It is maybe 20% done formatting the two 2tb drives after 24 hours.  SO if I have to reboot my PC for any reason or patches reboot it, I have to start over.

Last time I tried to reset, my box rebooted, so I just restored it.  But It was backed up with 3 drives and I only restored to 2.  SO it actually worked but said one drive was missing from the raid.  I popped another drive in and it was happy.

But the new iso came out so I thought I would try a reset again to see if it was any better, but it is not.  The thing actually works, just slow as Christmas.  I do not have any data on it other than test/duplicate stuff.  I keep my real stuff on my own WSSe box :slight_smile:

OK thanks for that.   That does give me a little more confidence.   I’m glad I went to the bother of enabling Windows Backup and configuring the job for C:    But I still wonder whether I should really bother doing the WD upgrade.   The server seems stable with no real problems (other than my SSL cert needing to be reinstalled every time I reboot the server).

My update was painless. I noticed that the DX4000 now supports 3TB hard drives.

I wonder if all drives can be replaced 1 by 1 ?

 Also booting from a 3TB drive requires a UEFI bootable BIOS, IIRC, so I wonder if all 4 drives can be 3TB ?

My Sentinel came with 4 x 3TB drives installed in it so I can confirm it definitely works.    Not sure about the upgrade process though if you already have smaller drives installed.

If you look in disk manager you will see it is a uEFI system.  That is the only way to get over 2tb on a volume that contains SYS

Looks like there are a few more bugs in this update, while adding data,  drive lights 2 and 3  have just turned red and when I cycle through the LCD, I get DRIVE COUNT 0. Everything is crawling along while more data is added to the drives, Dashboard is talking a long time to open and shows (Not Responding).

is there any idea on when these bug fixes for this update will be resolved. My update does not actually apply itself since it says the system needs to be rebooted and despite all the rebooting you do the update does not seem to apply. Also my dashboard monitor tab crashes.

Thanks.

bump…

Blujedi, see my earlier replies regarding the update. Manually extract the update to a local folder on the Sentinel and re-run the *.msi installers over RDP. Most will give the Repair or Remove options but some should act as if they are fresh installs. This fixed the Monitor tab crash for me.

So did an update and now my fan is on. This is annoying. The fan on all the time is not the way it was prior.

I should not have updated. There was nothing wrong prior. Now I have an issue.

Also the register process just to enter this is really bad.

The encrypted words are way too hard to read. I tried to use the audio and that was worse.

Someone who designed this should actually try to use it.

I also kept having to scroll back down each time I entered the wrong cryptic word.

Can I revert back to the previous version of software? this fan on is just wrong!!!

Those word drive me crazy also !!

Fans normally run even when it is off.  Allways have

Due to the new firmware release this thread is now closed.