DX4000 - Guidance performing a factory restore

Legacy Products WD Sentinel
1

Hi all,
(Please forgive the aweful linking, my account only allows two links as I am a new user, and I wasnt allowed to attach files either!)

I’ve just inhereted a DX4000 (Client upgraded and no longer needed it) so I ‘aquired it’ nothing wrong with it and has come from a working environment.

I have just the box, no drives but have got two old 1TB drives I intend to use to experiment with the DX4000 before I buy 4 new matched drives to utilise it fully.

OK, so me being me, fired on into things and strugled - greatly! Here is what I’ve done so far:

Discovered there is a drive ‘whitelist’ and overcome that by following a mixture of these ending in modifying my whitelist xml files.
Resolving ‘Incompatible Drive’ Error: WD Sentinel DX4000 & RX4100: Incompatible Drive
Invalid Drive: DX-4000 Shows Invalid Drive on the LCD - #7 by Taha_Bhaijee
Expanding Drive List: Expanding DX4000 HDD List

I have also yeilded help from: Recreating the storage dx4000 - Stuck (recreate storage success) - #10 by Gramps

I can now perform a successful step 2 “Recreate my storage” process from the recovery utility with using the following WHITELISTK.XML and WHITELISTS.xml: WHITELISTK.XML - Pastebin.com
That process gives me the following recovery.log output: recreate-recovery.log - Pastebin.com

Successful as I can see it??? (Please correct if wrong)

I then create a USB drive for step 3 “Perform a recovery” and copy my whitelist files to it - and the thing just sits on ‘RECOVERY STARTED’ without any response from the recovery tool when pressing ‘next’ - I just get ‘Your server could not be found. Verify that the server started in recovery mode, and that the server and the client computer are connected to the same router.’
Despite it being seen on the router, getting and IP (although doesnt respond to PING)

Unfortunately due to me trying this a lot this weekend, I didnt start saving my log files until todays run… =(

I’ve just run one ‘step 3’ briefly and the recovery.log file is the following (once ‘Rcovery started’ has appeared, the recovery software cannot find it on the network - despite it gaining an IP from my DHCP and the USB recovery stick stops flashing - presume no more read/write activity)
I appreciate I’ve not allowed this one to run for very long as I wanted to get a post up here incase I’m doing something stupid

Reading the last line, I can see it stopped / errored within moments of starting: recovery-recovery.log - Pastebin.com

  • Is this ‘correct’?
  • Am I supposed to be taking over the recovery with the restore software from this point that doesnt seem to want to find it
  • Does it look like im doing something stupid?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance.
Dan

2

OK - just realised that the three ISO’s on the recovery page here: WD Sentinel DX4000 or RX4100: Reset to Detault (Recovery) are for different locations…

I am in the UK and just clicked the first one (PAN/AM - USA)… DOH!
_Thanks to this post: http://community.wd.com/t/dx-4000-factory-reset/86503/2_

Downloading EMEA now, and wuill perform all steps again before posting update here.

Hopefully, maybe, this might be it… I’ll be back shortly…

3

OK, so that was probably a bit optimistic…

Same scenario, same issues…

The log files generated by the new EMEA created USB sticks is exactly the same with only minor runtime differences (datetime stamps, and hostname)

I did note this however:
SerialNo:Volume0 Summary:Rebuild: 11.82% Complete

Would I have to be guessing (as there is no visible output from the device) how far it has got before trying to ‘connect’ using the tool?

Guestimates are about 7 minutes to 11% so if I wait like an hour and a half after inserting the flash stick… would I expect the tool to re-incarnate itself?

How catastrophic are the errors at the end of the stage 3 log?

Thanks in advance anyone.

4

First concern even though both drives are 1tb they may not be the exact same size?
Things I would do.
First and foremost check your download hash file to be sure you have a good download.
I do not think region matters. I think it just has diff language packs.
diskpart > clean both drives and start over.
Look at the log file from recreate storage then move to recover. You have to make a new thumb for each recreate, but not for recover.
swap the drives. In other words put the smaller one as disk one if they are actually different.
uninstall any 3rd party AV or Firewall on the worker PC
The worker PC does not have multiple IP’s assigned to it does it? Different subnets?

5

Hi Gramps, thanks for replying.

Ok - so…

Disk Size: A quick retrival from the stage 2 (recreate) log shows:

  • Disk 0: TotalBlks:0x7470656F (1953523055)
  • Disk 1: TotalBlks:0x74706DB0 (1953525168)
  • So I believe that the smaller is already in the first bay (Bay 0)
  1. Download hash, where do I get the published ones?
  2. Region (Now working on EMEA iso)
  3. I’ll try a diskpart after running through my latest one a second and report back.
  4. Log files in link above:
  1. Smaller already in bay 0 I believe (Above)
  2. Disable AV… will try that now with my latest attempt.
  3. Multiple IP’s no. Subnets - all on the same network and IP range. I’m on *.131, DX4000 is getting *.214 (but not responding on it)

By worker PC - I presume you mean the one I am running the restore software from???

Thanks so much for your help and advice… I’m determined to get it working!!!

6

Ok
3 (Diskpart) has been done on the drives and re-performed stage 2 recreate and got quite a different log file this time:
I cant remember the display exactly, but it went through these steps as well:
Cleaning
Creating
Verifying
Recreating storage success

recreate.recovery-log.txt (31.4 KB)

Just awaiting the recovery USB to burn off again

6 - Tried with the last (pre clean), but no luck, will turn off again to try when this USB has been created.

7

OK, so whisked through those USB burns, and now sat with the DX4000 ‘Recovery Started’… Tried the next stage on the recovery software with firewalls and antivirus disabled and still get the ‘Your sever could not be found…’ error =(

Should/can I remove the USB from the DX at this stage (Recovery Started) to ascertain the log file contents, or should I leave it a while and let it be?

8

the recreate log looks fine. Server not found normally means a bad nic, but if you are sure it is getting an ip. You might clear your router and dbl check. I am not sure if it is pingable or not. It does not matter if you remove the thumb as it is not going anywhere…

I would try a different worker PC (yes the one where you are creating the thumb and clicking next)
Sometimes you have to completely uninstall 3rd party AV/firewall. jsayin

9

OK thanks - log from the latest stage 3 as below with the same error as each time so far.
recovery-log.txt (14.2 KB)

Whats the correct procedure for power cycling / and trying again at this stage?

I have been compeltly re-creating both Stage 2 & 3 USB’s and doing the whole process from scratch - can I skip any steps or must all be done every time?

I’ll clear down my router also to ensure that its picking up the new IP each time - however I do notice that it has the updated ‘minint-xxxxx’ hostname each time, where xxxxx is a random alphanumeric string.

I’ll also try a different worker PC… I’ve got a spare laptop here that I can reinstall without any AV and turn the Windows firewall off on (not sure if you can ‘remove’ the system one can you!?)

10

Re ISO’s and MD5s…
I was confused as to where to find the MD5 as I have been using the following link to obtain my ISO’s: WD Sentinel DX4000 or RX4100: Reset to Detault (Recovery) which doesnt state any MD5 info.

I have just found this page: https://web.archive.org/web/20150106111753/http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=1601&sid=162&lang=en from another post which states MD5’s but for a version a lot older than the one I have.

Mine: 1.7.6.21
2nd: 1.7.5.17

Could this be the problem???
Should I be using an older ISO?

If not - where should the MD5’s for the ISO’s I’ve found be?

_Link to those older ISO’s was found on : http://community.wd.com/t/wd-sentinel-dx4000-is-showing-startup-failed-0-d9/191519/10_

11

Well go figure…

Laptop found it within a second!

What!?!?!?!

Haha

Thanks - i’ll see how it goes…

12

OK, Laptop is running through formatting now - looks like its going to take a while so I’m going to leave it be and call it a night.

Thanks for your help - I’ll update when I get up in the morning.

I have a few ‘non issue’ related questions, could you help me with them?

  1. Will the software here: Software and Firmware Downloads | WD Support enable usage for ‘any’ drive?
  2. Will starting with 2 x 1TB drives (RAID 1) (1TB Available), adding a 3TB automatically making it a RAID 5 array at 1TB (2TB available), then as I replace each 1TB drive will it eventually be a 3x3TB RAID 5 (3TB available) array, or will it always be stuck at 1TB because I started with 1?
  3. Where is the system OS stored? (Spanned across my RAID array or on a single drive?) I’m sure I’ve read that it was on bay 0 somewhere, so would loosing the drive in bay 0 kill the entire system?
13

I have no clue if it would migrate to a 3tb raid 5. That would actually be 6tb array.
I think if this goes well you will have proof of concept. Go with two 3tbs from scratch for a raid 1 mirror 3tb and then add the 3rd down the road for 6tb if needed.

No it is one volume in the raid. System c: will be 60gb in the array. Both drives in a mirror. That is really enough but you may want to expand it before you consume the d: data part. That said easypartition or some 3rd party tool may be best for that as it gets quirky if you delete the predefined shares.

I really have not played with the drive enabler. It seems to work fine for some folks and others it does not kick off an automatic raid rebuild to use the new strange drive.

Just please keep in mind if you go over 2tb array you cannot use windows server to back it up. Just because it is raid does not mean you will not lose data. All raid provides is uptime in case of a disc failure. So make backups or copies of your important data.

Congrats, you have done a stellar job !!

14

PS: I think I need some major “atta boys” for getting you through the server not found so quickly and painlessly. How much time could you have wasted? LOL

15

How about “You da man!”?

=)

Thanks so much - checked on it overnight (about 2am) and it was half way through formatting… woke this morning and it was done so proceeded with the install.

Now hit the same problem as here: DX4000 INITIAL CONFIG. hangs at 0% - #13 by shawkat_iqbal and in about 10 minutes done 1%…
So will leave it all day and hope for the best.

I’ll know for next time not to do the updates on install!

Thanks again, I’ll update you on progress in about 10 hours when I get home

============================================================
(Cant add more than 10 posts a day for a new user…)
OK so leaving for work an hour and a half later and we’re at 5%… cant figure out what 100% timescales would be right now… literally about to walk out the door =)

One thing - I see that the progress is available at http://SERVER_IP/Setup/Progress.aspx - can I close the little setup window and sleep my ‘worker pc’ and come back to it later - or will the link between worker->server being severed inhibit the installation/setup?

16

Hokay, so an update this morning…

I left it all day yesterday, partly as I wasnt allowed to post on here, but also as it was taking ages to do the “Initial Config” setup - that completed and I arrived home last night to a display of red lights and various messages:
“Fan Failed”
“Drive Failed”
“Storage Degraded”

I have however managed to RDP into the box to do some looking around (the install software available from the url the setup software sends you too still cannot find the server - but thats clearly a client thing as we found with the laptop. I’ll deal with that another day.

Fan: Found this: Fan Replacement - #15 by alpg and took the thing apart, whipped out the fan, which I note only has two wires rather than the usual three: despite the motherboard having a standard 3-pin fan connector.
Put in a standard 3-pin 80mm case fan I had lying around for the time being to see if it was that and booted it back up.
Now boots up to ‘Loading OS…’ and then the fan cuts out, ‘Fan Failed’ comes up on screen, fan kicks back in again and message dissapears.
There is now no warning about the fan failure in the dashboard either - so I guess the fan is ok?

Does the DX4000 have dynamic fan control?
At the moment it sounds like its going full bore, and is quite loud - louder than my microserver sat next to me even when thats going full bore.

Re the other two - they are pretty understandable also given i’ve just thrown it two drives at approx 43-46k hours mark.
They were on there way out anyway, hense not part of my core server array.
I’ll take that one on the chin and order a new drive.
=)

Thanks for all your help!

17

yes there is a wd enclosure service I think that does fan speed

18

Hokay - so an update…
Ordered a 1TB replacement drive and a 92mm fan on prime yesterday, they came today, installed them both and the server is now ‘Repairing’ steadily… with no fan problems and just the ‘degraded’ warning which will resolve as the new drive builds.

I am still unable to use the connector software to connect the PC, even when all AV has been uninstalled =(
I’ve added it to the windows firewall exception list which didnt change things either.
Going to have a search around here and on Google for some ideas.

Note: I used the ‘Drive Enabler’ software mentioned above and it works a charm. The drive I’ve put in is only a cheap Toshiba P300 1TB thing I got on the cheap to try this out.

============================
Update: Found a link to "Cannot connect the computer to the server" error message after you install the client connect on a client computer - Microsoft Support to sort out the Server Connector issue and its now working fine!

Thank you so much for all your help!

19

disable the firewall. But it is something you have installed

20

or your nic has screwy settings. It must be on the same subnet