adding 3TB disc: middleware.exceptions:38 - Unable to GPT format the disk

[stephenreda]

Hi all!

I am adding a WD GREEN 3TB (WD30EZRX)
It has SATA 6 Gb/s, and 64 MB cache.

When I add a volume with this disk (it is detected)
i get an error:

Code:

Jan 11 20:04:05 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 11 20:04:05 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 11 20:04:05 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Unable to GPT format the disk "ada0"]

I rebooted and retried it: here the log was somehow different:

Code:

Jan 11 20:18:18 freenas notifier: 1+0 records in
Jan 11 20:18:18 freenas notifier: 1+0 records out
Jan 11 20:18:18 freenas notifier: 1048576 bytes transferred in 0.655472 secs (1599727 bytes/sec)
Jan 11 20:18:19 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: short write on character device
Jan 11 20:18:19 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: end of device
Jan 11 20:18:19 freenas notifier: 5+0 records in
Jan 11 20:18:19 freenas notifier: 4+1 records out
Jan 11 20:18:19 freenas notifier: 4677632 bytes transferred in 0.102905 secs (45455813 bytes/sec)
Jan 11 20:19:21 freenas kernel: (ada1:ata3:0:1:0): lost device
Jan 11 20:19:21 freenas kernel: (ada0:ata3:0:0:0): lost device
Jan 11 20:19:21 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "newfs: wtfs: 131072 bytes at sector 233390272: Device not configured, "]
Jan 11 20:19:21 freenas kernel: (ada0:ata3:0:0:0): removing device entry
Jan 11 20:19:21 freenas kernel: Closed disk ada0 -> 6

I have just attached this (new) drive, so there wouldn't be anything on it..
Does anyone have an idea what the problem could be?
Are disks of these sizes supportedd in freenas8?

Do I have to give any other information for you to help me?

Thanx!
Stephen

 

[joeschmuck]

When I've seen this error message in the past it was due to a bad SATA cable. Not saying that is the case here but it's worth checking it out. Also if that doesn't fix it, please describe how the new drive is connected, is it connected to the MB or to an RAID card?

 

[jgreco]

Seconding poor communications between the drive and the host. Try different port, different cable, and if necessary different drive. Also what joeschmuck asked for, I just wanted to drop in the suggestion of a different port.

 

[stephenreda]

So after my old motherboard crasht, i'm now using a mini atx with integrated procesoor (asus C60M1..)
This was the ideal situation to test this with an other environement.
My drive is connected directly to a sata port, with a new sata cable. The drive is SATA III and so is the mobo sata controller.

I addes al my discs, but when adding the last disc I got some errors again.
Here I'm trying to create the volume from the volume manager.

Code:

Jan 16 07:22:03 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: Operation not permitted
Jan 16 07:22:03 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: Operation not permitted
Jan 16 07:22:03 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Unable to GPT format the disk "ada2"]

Next try: i first wipe the disk in the 'view disk' panel

Code:

Jan 16 07:23:26 freenas notifier: ada2 destroyed
Jan 16 07:23:26 freenas notifier: ada2 created
Jan 16 07:23:26 freenas notifier: ada2 destroyed

Now, i'm trying to create a volume again

Code:

Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 1+0 records in
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 1+0 records out
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 1048576 bytes transferred in 0.636663 secs (1646988 bytes/sec)
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: short write on character device
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: end of device
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 5+0 records in
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 4+1 records out
Jan 16 07:24:04 freenas notifier: 4677632 bytes transferred in 0.073712 secs (63458326 bytes/sec)
Jan 16 07:24:36 freenas kernel: ahcich2: Timeout on slot 0 port 0
Jan 16 07:24:36 freenas kernel: ahcich2: is 00000000 cs 00000000 ss 00000001 rs 00000001 tfd 40 serr 00000000 cmd 0000e017
Jan 16 07:25:07 freenas kernel: ahcich2: AHCI reset: device not ready after 31000ms (tfd = 00000080)
Jan 16 07:25:31 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "newfs: wtfs: 131072 bytes at sector 328868032: Device not configured, "]
Jan 16 07:25:31 freenas kernel: (ada2:ahcich2:0:0:0): lost device
Jan 16 07:25:31 freenas kernel: (ada2:ahcich2:0:0:0): removing device entry
Jan 16 07:25:31 freenas kernel: Closed disk ada2 -> 6
Stop refresh

Can this give you (and me)more insight on the issue at hand.

edit: after this happened I tried to wipe the disk again from gui. This gave a popupscreen white a whole description of something that is going wrong:

Code:

Request Method:	POST
Request URL:	http://192.168.1.3/storage/disks/wipe/ada2/
Software Version:	FreeNAS-8.3.0-RELEASE-x64 (r12701M)
Exception Type:	ValueError
Exception Value:	Unknown disk ada2
Exception Location:	/usr/local/www/freenasUI/../freenasUI/middleware/notifier.py in disk_get_consumers, line 3961
Server time:	Wed, 16 Jan 2013 07:41:35 -0800
Traceback

Environment:

Software Version: FreeNAS-8.3.0-RELEASE-x64 (r12701M)
Request Method: POST
Request URL: http://192.168.1.3/storage/disks/wipe/ada2/


Traceback:
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py" in get_response
  105.                         response = middleware_method(request, callback, callback_args, callback_kwargs)
File "/usr/local/www/freenasUI/../freenasUI/freeadmin/middleware.py" in process_view
  166.         return login_required(view_func)(request, *view_args, **view_kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/decorators.py" in _wrapped_view
  20.                 return view_func(request, *args, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/www/freenasUI/../freenasUI/storage/views.py" in disk_wipe
  937.             for geom in notifier().disk_get_consumers(devname):
File "/usr/local/www/freenasUI/../freenasUI/middleware/notifier.py" in disk_get_consumers
  3961.             raise ValueError("Unknown disk %s" % (devname, ))

Exception Type: ValueError at /storage/disks/wipe/ada2/
Exception Value: Unknown disk ada2

So, what's next?

 

[joeschmuck]

I would first replace the SATA cable.
Try that drive in a different SATA port.
Check your BIOS settings and ensure you are setup for AHCI.

If that doesn't fix it, what model drive is this?

 

[stephenreda]

I may not have been clear on this but the new motherboard came with new sata cables. Changes between ports, even on this new motherboard kept resulting in faults like thhe one above.
The harddisk is a WD green 30EZRX.
I went into the bios and there i saw onboard sata type was set to IDE, changed this to AHCI, and will keep you up to date on this.

okay so I first tried to imprort the disk as a new volume:

Code:

Jan 16 08:55:31 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: Operation not permitted
Jan 16 08:55:31 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada2: Operation not permitted
Jan 16 08:55:31 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Unable to GPT format the disk "ada2"]

 

[cyberjock]

I went into the bios and there i saw onboard sata type was set to IDE, changed this to AHCI, and will keep you up to date on this.

Tsk Tsk. Someone didn't read the manual....http://www.freenas.org/images/resou...s8.3_guide.html#__RefHeading__7612_1957652121

 

[stephenreda]

Tsk Tsk. Someone didn't read the manual....http://www.freenas.org/images/resou...s8.3_guide.html#__RefHeading__7612_1957652121

Thanks for your helpfull reply, much apreciated
As I told, I just got this new motherboard..
I've always been able to set things up the wright way in FN7

On topic, adding the disc keeps resulting in an error always reporting something about 'middelwareError'.
I was beginning to wonder if the (new) disk was still sane, so I added it in windows, did a full hdd scan, and had no errors.

 

[paleoN]

Changes between ports, even on this new motherboard kept resulting in faults like thhe one above.
The harddisk is a WD green 30EZRX.

Is it always the same disk?

Output of:

Code:

camcontrol devlist

glabel status

gpart show

SMART info for the problem disk:

Code:

smartctl -q noserial -a /dev/adaX

Change to ada2 or whichever one it is.

 

[cyberjock]

I've always been able to set things up the wright way in FN7

FreeNAS 8 is not related to FreeNAS 7 just FYI.

paleoN has a good idea with the SMART info. You could also try doing a smart long test using the smartctl command. I believe those disks claim that the test takes 477 minutes(I had 10 of those in my possession a few weeks ago).

 

[stephenreda]

So the drive was f*cked, and I had a replacement drive sent. This drive works just fine! thanks anyways guys