Formatting and partitioning HUS726040AL421

[MasterTacoChief]

I picked up three brand new HUS726040AL421 to create a new zvol. These are 4kn drives, but from what I read that shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately I'm not having much luck getting gpart to work with them.

First, I noticed they are formatted with type 2 protection:

Code:

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Vendor:			   IBM-ESXS
Product:			  HUS726040AL421
Revision:			 J6J1
Compliance:		   SPC-4
User Capacity:		4,000,787,030,016 bytes [4.00 TB]
Logical block size:   4096 bytes
Formatted with type 2 protection
LU is fully provisioned
Rotation Rate:		7200 rpm
Form Factor:		  3.5 inches
Logical Unit id:	  0x5000cca25db0b498
Serial number:		
Device type:		  disk
Transport protocol:   SAS (SPL-3)

So I formatted one overnight with sg_format --format --size=4096 --fmtpinfo=0 /dev/da12 -v
Now that drive no longer shows type 2 protection:

Code:

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Vendor:			   IBM-ESXS
Product:			  HUS726040AL421
Revision:			 J6J1
Compliance:		   SPC-4
User Capacity:		4,000,787,030,016 bytes [4.00 TB]
Logical block size:   4096 bytes
LU is fully provisioned
Rotation Rate:		7200 rpm
Form Factor:		  3.5 inches
Logical Unit id:	  0x5000cca25db02654
Serial number:	   
Device type:		  disk
Transport protocol:   SAS (SPL-3)

For testing, I tried creating a single-disk stripe in the FreeNAS GUI, but I still end up getting an error from gpart:

Code:

Exception Type: MiddlewareError at /storage/volumemanager/
Exception Value: [MiddlewareError: Unable to GPT format the disk "da12": gpart: geom 'da12': File exists

From the console I try partitioning the drive. I get errors at each command, but then gpart show actually reports that the command did what I asked of it:

Code:

root@nas2:~ # gpart create -s gpt /dev/da12
gpart: geom 'da12': File exists
root@nas2:~ # gpart show da12
=>		6  976754635  da12  GPT  (3.6T)
		  6  976754635		- free -  (3.6T)

root@nas2:~ # gpart add -i 1 -b 123 -t freebsd-swap -s 2g /dev/da12
gpart: Invalid argument
root@nas2:~ # gpart show da12
=>		6  976754635  da12  GPT  (3.6T)
		  6		117		- free -  (468K)
		123	 524288	 1  freebsd-swap  (2.0G)
	 524411  976230230		- free -  (3.6T)

root@nas2:~ # gpart add -i 2 -t freebsd-zfs /dev/da12
gpart: Invalid argument
root@nas2:~ # gpart show da12
=>		6  976754635  da12  GPT  (3.6T)
		  6		117		- free -  (468K)
		123	 524288	 1  freebsd-swap  (2.0G)
	 524411  976230230	 2  freebsd-zfs  (3.6T)

But if I try to use gpart destroy then I get an error that the disk is busy, even though sg_turs reports the disk is ready:

Code:

root@nas2:~ # gpart destroy /dev/da12
gpart: Device busy
root@nas2:~ # sg_turs -p da12 -v
	test unit ready cdb: 00 00 00 00 00 00

Using the -F argument on gpart destroy produces another error, but the gpart show reports it has done what I asked again.

Code:

root@nas2:~ # gpart destroy -F /dev/da12
gpart: Invalid argument
root@nas2:~ # gpart show da12
=>		0  976754646  da12  (none)  (3.6T)
		  0  976754646		- free -  (3.6T)

Anyone experience behavior like this? Any ideas of what else to try before I give up on these drives?

 

[BigDave]

HUS726040AL421 appears to be OEM proprietary products (IBM).
My guess is that the drives have formatting specific for use on an IBM controller.
Seems you have two choices;

1. Wipe the drives and possibly void any warranty with the vendor.
2. Return the drives for refund.

 

[MasterTacoChief]

HUS726040AL421 appears to be OEM proprietary products (IBM).
My guess is that the drives have formatting specific for use on an IBM controller.
Seems you have two choices;

1. Wipe the drives and possibly void any warranty with the vendor.
2. Return the drives for refund.

What do you mean by wipe the drives? I've already done a low-level reformat on one of the drives to remove the type 2 protection. If that's what you mean, then I'll probably just reformat it with type 2 protection enabled and sell them off. Luckily I got them for cheap.

 

[BigDave]

What do you mean by wipe the drives?

Dban, Nwipe, Eraser, Disk Wipe, etc.

I'll probably just reformat it with type 2 protection enabled and sell them off. Luckily I got them for cheap.

;)

 

[kdragon75]

Dban, Nwipe, Eraser, Disk Wipe, etc.

sg_format --format --size=4096 --fmtpinfo=0 /dev/da12 -v Does more than those to "reset" a hard drive. Keep in mind were working with SAS not SATA.
@James Beams Have you verified block size with sg_format /dev/da12?
From Oracle

When this utility is used without options (i.e. it is only
given a DEVICE argument) it prints out the existing block
size and block count derived from two sources. These two
sources are a block descriptor in the response to a MODE
SENSE command and the response to a READ CAPACITY command.
The reason for this double check is to detect a "format cor-
rupt" state (see NOTES section). This usage will not modify
the disk.

You could also try updating the microcode as outlined by IBM

 

[MasterTacoChief]

sg_format --format --size=4096 --fmtpinfo=0 /dev/da12 -v Does more than those to "reset" a hard drive. Keep in mind were working with SAS not SATA.
@James Beams Have you verified block size with sg_format /dev/da12?
From Oracle

You could also try updating the microcode as outlined by IBM

I had checked the block size as you mentioned, and it is set to 4096. I had also tried sg_format with --size=512 in an attempt to reduce the block size but this just errors out immediately.
These drives were manufactured November 2017, and the microcode update date appears to be November 2016. I would hope they are manufacturing with the latest version, but I guess you never know. I'll try plugging one back in and see what version it reports when I get some time. Thanks.

 

[bmihajlovic]

Got 14 drives for 12 bay supermicro server, 12 to put in and 2 for spare on shelf. All factory refurbished sealed in the bag etc. Listing was not saying IBM in any word. Than I got hit in the head today when backplane arrived and drives were installed.
Same problem like yours. Just contacted seller to return all of them.
Did you manage to make them work at all?

Here is the EBAY listing:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hitachi-HGST-Ultrastar-7K6000-4TB-HUS726040AL4210-3-5-SAS3-7200RPM-ISE-4Kn-HDD/132830429097?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

[MasterTacoChief]

I never got them to work in FreeNAS. They sat around for a number of months until I resold them on eBay. Good luck.

 

[bmihajlovic]

there is a long way around never prooved -documented it will work. Installing drives on to IBM server with IBM controler than flashing firmware and unlocking them.

 

[mr44er]

A bit late to the party, but here's one solution:

Code:

camcontrol cmd daX -v -c "15 10 0 0 v:i1 0" 12 -o 12 "0 0 0 8 0 0:i3 0 v:i3" 4096
camcontrol format daX -v