SuperMicro C847, X8DTH with LSI 9211-8i HD Lights Always on (SOLVED)

[Visseroth]

OK, so I just finished getting the last drive I need to bring my server online so I can replace my old server that has done me well for the past 5 or 6 years.
It is a SuperMicro C847, X8DTH motherboard and LIS 9211-8i controllers flashed into IT mode.
Currently they are running version 16 firmware which I plan on updating to 20 ASAP. The server currently contains NO data as it is still in the process of being setup, configured, ect.
My problem currently is that the hard drive lights are ALWAYS on, from power on all the way up to when the OS is loaded and they continue to stay on.
In the past when I've had a hard drive fail the hard drive light stays on, with the lights always on this won't be possible.
I'm not sure why they are stuck on which is why I'm posting up this thread.
Does anyone have any experience with this problem? Anyone have any ideas as to how to fix this problem?

 

[Ericloewe]

Might want to try updating the backplane firmware.

 

[Visseroth]

I will look into that but how would I check the current firmware version?
BTW, I forgot to add that this chasis is the SC847A

Edit: With the BPN-SAS-846A and BPN-SAS-826A backplains. They are supposed to be pass through.

 

[Ericloewe]

I will look into that but how would I check the current firmware version?
BTW, I forgot to add that this chasis is the SC847A

Edit: With the BPN-SAS-846A and BPN-SAS-826A backplains. They are supposed to be pass through.

They might still have a controller for enclosure management services, which would control the drive lights.

In any case, Supermicro has a firmware update tool on their website, but it's Windows and Linux only.

 

[Visseroth]

Just found this...
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1844714

If anyone has any information they can provide me it would be much appreciated. I'm also going to contact SuperMicro to see if something can be done.
But EricLoawe, you're right on the money with it being the backplane.

 

[Visseroth]

They might still have a controller for enclosure management services, which would control the drive lights.

In any case, Supermicro has a firmware update tool on their website, but it's Windows and Linux only.

Thank bud, going to get right on that, I'll probably load up Windows on a SSD temporarily to get everything updated. I'll post back my results for future searchers.

 

[Visseroth]

OK, so the reply from SuperMicro is as such...
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do on our side. The backplane does not control the activity light which is controlled by the firmware on hard drive. "

So I guess if I want to actually change the way the lights work at all I'd need to contact the drive manufacturer and I might as well say it before someone else does, "Good luck with getting help with that", LOL.
But what the hey, going to give it a shot anyhow.

 

[anodos]

You could always take the redneck solution and use a black permanent marker on the end of the clear plastic doo-hickey on the drive tray that goes near the backplane's led.

 

[Visseroth]

You could always take the redneck solution and use a black permanent marker on the end of the clear plastic doo-hickey on the drive tray that goes near the backplane's led.

LOL, now that's just crazy yet funny talk right there!!! :)

I now believe the reason the light are on is because they are NAS drives, but I'm going to look into it further. My SSD lights are on as well as the HGST Desktop NAS drives. I'm not sure if they programmed them that way deliberately because they are NAS drives or what, but I would like to find out since they aren't SAS drives.

 

[Ericloewe]

You could always take the redneck solution and use a black permanent marker on the end of the clear plastic doo-hickey on the drive tray that goes near the backplane's led.

Educated redneck solution would be to add a bunch of SN74LS04 hex inverters between the LED drivers and the rest of the backplane circuitry.

 

[Visseroth]

ok, well, now you're shooting a bit high for most rednecks there bud. Heck I had to look those up to see what you were talking about and granted I'm not engineer but I know more than most rednecks I know.

Anyhow, I have a conversation going between HGST and SuperMicro right now. SuperMicro says it's HGST's problem, HGST says it's SuperMicro's problem. So I'm trying to figure it out. According to SuperMicro any SATA drives should run with Lights off and with activity Lights on. SSD and SAS drives should be lights on, activity lights off.
Being I only have 3 SSD's and the rest SATA, most my lights should be off. So, still working'm over ya'll.

 

[Visseroth]

OK, here be the final outcome after talking back and forth with Technical support from SuperMicro and HGST...

SuperMicro...
"Verified with backplane designer. BPN-SAS-826A and BPN-SAS-846A backplane was designed base on customer request which blue LEDs are always ON during idle no matter SAS or SATA drives are used.

After that our upper management decided that blue LED will turn on solid when SAS hard drive install. Blue LED will of if SATA hard drive install. This would be implemented to other backplane. Will not apply this to BPN-SAS-826A and BPN-SAS-846A due to already sold in the market for some time.

Technical Support
ES"

Me...
"Good to know. Now is there any way to change it?"

SuperMicro...
"Sorry, we cannot change the setting of designed due to when we advertise the BPN-SAS-826A and BPN-SAS-846A into the market, blue LEDs are always ON during idle no matter SAS or SATA drives are used.

Technical Support
ES"

This is posted for future reference for anyone else that may wonder about why the LEDs stay lit on these particular backplanes.

These backplanes are used in the SC847A series enclosures but could be found in other SuperMicro enclosures whether they be SC847 36 bay, a 24 bay or 12 bay as the 36 bay has both a 24 port backplane and a 12 port backplane.

 

[tvsjr]

I'll add another oddity for you:
I have an SC847 with the BPN-SAS2-846A and BPN-SAS2-826A SAS2 expander backplanes. I've got 4 SSDs (two Intel 320 40GBs for boot, two Intel 3700 200GBs for SLOG), 14 HGST 450GB 15K SAS, and 6 HGST 4TB 7.2K SAS drives installed. The blue lights illuminate and remain so for all drives that are populated. However, they flicker under load - but ONLY for the 4TB 7.2K SAS drives. If the drives are idle, steady on. Run badblocks? (I'm currently burning the drives in). Blinking away.

 

[Visseroth]

According to SuperMicro all drives with those backplanes should stay lit and dim with activity no matter if they are SAS, SATA or SSD.
What do you mean "Run badblocks"?

I am also burning my drives in. Been burning since last night. I only have the 7.2K drives and they are dimming with activity. As did my SSDs.
I assume you are seeing the same results?

 

[tvsjr]

My 7.2K SAS drives do dim with activity. My 15K SAS drives do not.

 

[Visseroth]

Nice! (Being Sarcastic!) Well in hind site, had I or we known guess we would have steared away from the 846A and 826A. If I wanted a machine without lights I would have built a backblaze!

 

[tvsjr]

Nice! (Being Sarcastic!) Well in hind site, had I or we known guess we would have steared away from the 846A and 826A. If I wanted a machine without lights I would have built a backblaze!

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me. I'll lock it in a closet, and I have a list of what drives/serial numbers are in which bay... when one fails, I'll pull it that way.

 

[Paul Bockmann]

I have had a few Supermicro servers (X8DTI-F X10DRW-N X8DT6-F) and I have had the same situation with a variety of Seagate drives - The lights were staying on all the time and then they would blink during activity.
To fix this I use a little program called SDPARM; Just google it or go to http://sg.danny.cz/sg/sdparm.html
Copy program to a usb stick and run it from there via elevated command prompt.
To identify which drive I want to modify, I first run f:\sdparm_64 --wscan (where f: is my usb drive letter) to get a list of the drives in my computer. Then I insert the drive I want to modify the LED behavior on, and then I run the same command again and note which drive is new (in my case it was PD4).
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --GET=RLM DEVICE PD4" and it will list the result (which in my case was always 0). PLEASE NOTE the two hyphens in front of SET and GET and SAVE
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --SET=RLM --SAVE DEVICE PD4"
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --GET=RLM DEVICE PD4" and it will show the result equals 1 instead of 0.
Then pull the drive out and put it back in your server or whatever and your done - The lights should now operate correctly.
I just used it again today for some Seagate drives in my X10DRW-N motherboard and it works like a champ :)

 

[Stux]

I have had a few Supermicro servers (X8DTI-F X10DRW-N X8DT6-F) and I have had the same situation with a variety of Seagate drives - The lights were staying on all the time and then they would blink during activity.
To fix this I use a little program called SDPARM; Just google it or go to http://sg.danny.cz/sg/sdparm.html
Copy program to a usb stick and run it from there via elevated command prompt.
To identify which drive I want to modify, I first run f:\sdparm_64 --wscan (where f: is my usb drive letter) to get a list of the drives in my computer. Then I insert the drive I want to modify the LED behavior on, and then I run the same command again and note which drive is new (in my case it was PD4).
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --GET=RLM DEVICE PD4" and it will list the result (which in my case was always 0). PLEASE NOTE the two hyphens in front of SET and GET and SAVE
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --SET=RLM --SAVE DEVICE PD4"
Then run "f:\sdparm_64 --GET=RLM DEVICE PD4" and it will show the result equals 1 instead of 0.
Then pull the drive out and put it back in your server or whatever and your done - The lights should now operate correctly.
I just used it again today for some Seagate drives in my X10DRW-N motherboard and it works like a champ :)

Funny thing, I put an old Seagate 320GB in my Norco chassis with 8 other Seagate 4TB NAS drives. (needed something to install windows on). I was wondering why the activity light was on solid for the 320GB and off for the NAS drives, and both switch states with activity. I thought the backplane was busted... but hadn't gotten to isolating it yet.

 

[Paul Bockmann]

I know your pain...
What state was your RLM in? 0 or 1?
Did this work for you?
It is so easy I can't believe this isn't a standard tool from people like Seagate
Paul