Power Supply Failure, slow xsan

rbasurto · JBOD Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 2

Hello
A client with a small xsan, 3 clients, 2 MDC's and 1 & 1/2 Promise Vtraks 610f, called me with a problem of dropped frames and general bad performance on the xsan volume. The problem started after the promise where the MD resides reported a power supply problem. I haven't been able to get the system report off the vtrak since the former sysadmin changed the ip's of the devices. I'm hoping to get all the data off the vtrak today and send it to promise's support. However, the logs they sent me for the xsan volume, system log, etc, don't seem to report any problem on the xsan itself.
The question here is, would the performance of a vtrak 610f be affected by the temporary loss of a power supply unit? Has anyone experienced something similar?
At the moment they can't even play a HD video off the xsan volume without it being all choppy. All fiber connections seem normal, as well as the MD Gbit network.

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 878

have them bring everything down and backup.

rbasurto · JBOD Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 2

Thanks for the reply.
I will do a full xsan powerdown as soon as i can get the vtraks ip's again. Will post results
cheers

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 878

you can have them do it over the serial cable.

Joe_Gill · partially protected Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 9

The Vtraks have this weird habit of power cycling the onboard batteries on the 1st of the month, which will indeed cause a hit to the speed of the box, IIRC it was a 75% hit, so it was not inconsiderable by any means. If it is down a power supply, that should replicate these circumstances and can be your issue.
While you have the admin console open, check that setting on the promises and if it is still around, change it to the second saturday night or something, but mark your calendar.
If they have new enough firmware, they'll pop up in bonjour if you look in Safari, avoiding the whole serial cable thing, but abstractdude is correct and that works when all else is not...

SS · partially protected Joined: 25 Feb 2010 Posts: 6

Hi rbasurto,
The failure of a power supply should not impact performance on our Vtraks in any way shape or form.
Joe_Gill makes a good point regarding the battery reconditioning and write policy changing from "Write-back" to "Write-thru" (which - by the way - can be worked around with a simple setting change). HOWEVER, I don't think this is the issue you're experiencing since you apparently are having issues with playback as well.
If our Technical Support department has not found a resolution for you by now, please feel free to drop me an email - stephen.shyn(at)promise(dot)com. Thanks!

-Steve