topic Re: RAID 0 Error Message in PCs & Accessories

RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Tue, 08 May 2007 19:01:39 GMT

Hello,
I turned my VGN-AR21S on yesterday and found the following error message in the system tray

A drive in a RAID 0 volume is failing. Try to backup data immediately.

I know what this means but I don't know
1. Is it a hardware or a software fault.
2. What o I do to cure this problem.

Meanwhile everything seems to be working OK?

All advice greatfully accepted!

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Blencogo — Tue, 08 May 2007 22:20:15 GMT

Hi Meld51,

If it is any consolation, you are not alone. A handful of other AR-Series users have had this problem and it has been reported to Sony.

I would contact Sony Support direct as I know they are investigating this message.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:57:01 GMT

I have raised this as an issue and have a job number.

One thing worries me. The nice man on the end of the phone suggests that this issue is a software issue that can be solved by following knowledgebase article no V00252. However, that article is about configuring your RAID array...not about curing this fault. Following the article requires me to return the machine back to its factory configuration. Before I start on that onerous task does anyone else think it is a software issue.

I don't want to go through all this and find the error message is still there!

Any thoughts?

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Blencogo — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:32:31 GMT

I doubt if anyone will know! We are all in virgin territory here.

Have Sony only indicated that this may solve the problem or have they actually asked you to do it?

The few others with this problem have failed to find any errors at all and is seems to be a reporting error because RAID Volumes don't usually show SMART errors. Have a read here: -

http://www.osw.ca/data-recovery/article-flat.php?id=286684&group=comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage

This chap has actually turned off RAID and booted from a CD Bootdisc so he can run the drive diagnostics - which failed to find any errors.

Sorry I can't help further.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Thu, 10 May 2007 05:53:53 GMT

Thanks for your posting Blencogo,
That might be very useful actually. I'll take a look and I'll post my outcome as it resolves.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

kee-lo_ — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:03:56 GMT

VAIO-Link seem to think it's a SMART problem and they're picking up units with this issue.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:37:10 GMT

What do you mean by a SMART problem?

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

kee-lo_ — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:38:04 GMT

When a drive develops a problem a SMART error is thrown up. RAID doesn't have this, so it says there's a problem with the RAID array.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Sat, 12 May 2007 06:04:42 GMT

I'm still not convinced that there is anything wrong at all so I have decided not to go through the nausea of a complete reinstallation right now. Instead I will make sure that my backups are up to date.

I will keep the job number open.

I'm not really all that sure what the benefit of a RAID 0 is. Sure I know that it is supposed to access files faster, but for that you pay by having half the reliability.

Right now I have loads of open issues with SONY and with Toshiba (who are even less responsive than SONY by the way). WHen all the various messes are under control then I might reconfigure this VAIO to separate (non RAID)drives and see if there is a noticeable difference.

That's a lot of work though and I have too much to do right now.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

kee-lo_ — Sat, 12 May 2007 11:39:38 GMT

I'm still not convinced that there is anything wrong at all

This is what I asked VAIO-Link, because I am certain it's software errors rather than hardware, specially as it passes the hard drive tests.

We'll see what they say.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:50:35 GMT

Some news on this problem, SONY called me out of the blue to arrange a repair of my VAIO. They have arranged to pick up my machine next week and check it out. So despite what I said in my last posting, I will let them have it...and we will see what they find.

They say that their turn round is about 5 working days.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

kee-lo_ — Thu, 17 May 2007 12:49:50 GMT

Let us know how it goes

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:22:23 GMT

Will do Kee Lo

It is beginning to look like the Sony-giant is beginning to stir...!

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Tue, 22 May 2007 10:38:21 GMT

Latest news on the RAID0 problem:

I have backed up the system and transferred all my files onto another PC.

I restored the factory settings by doing a C drive restore only. I didn't bother to perform a full restore. After the restore the RAID error still existed (as I expected it would). A full partition restore might have solved the problem but I'll leave that to SONY to decide.

DHL have collected the goods. Turn round time is 5 t0 7 days I am told...

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Wed, 23 May 2007 09:49:29 GMT

Just had a text message from SONY to say that they have received my VAIO and turn round is expected to be 5 days. Well done SONY. This is good comms .

See! I don't always complain...credit where credit is due!

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Blencogo — Wed, 23 May 2007 10:03:49 GMT

Thanks for keeping us up to date Meld51.

Let us know what they do at Sony - replace the drives or just reformat the RAID 0 Volume.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

kee-lo_ — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:04:23 GMT

I want to know what the problem was too, I am like 80% certain this is software error.

Re: RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Thu, 24 May 2007 06:32:52 GMT

Yes, I'll bottom this out.

My feeling at the moment is that it is a software issue (maybe messaging between software modules or protocol errors between firmware) but we may not get the full story here because I expect the service centre will swop the disk that reports the error.

If I had the time I would have performed a full reset with partition resetting before I handed it over to SONY. I have a sneaking suspicion that this would have cured the problem...Anyhow, I should not put the cart before the horse!

FIXED - RAID 0 Error Message

jseyerle — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:01:47 GMT

Hi all,
I am 99% confident my RAID0 Errors are resolved.
I had previously been getting them and I narrowed down why they occur to the point I could replicate the conditions and cause the RAID Erros 100% of the time.

Situation when I would get errors:
1)I had clean install of machine.
2) installed latest version of iTunes.
3)I copied 60 gig of MP3 from my external drive to a temp directory on my laptop
( i know I didnt need to do that but I wanted to test the drives performance)
4)I would then open iTunes, add my temp folder to iTunes, tell iTunes to Consolidate the songs. When you chose consolidate it basically copies all the MP3 from my temp folder to the iTunes Music folder.

** This is when the RAID0 Errrors would occur. During the massive copying from temp folder to iTunes Music folder. On top of RAID0 Erros CPU would normally be near max the entire time. **

I suspected the drives or the RAID Controller software just wasnt keeping up with the reads/writes on the drives or buffers were just getting filled with the 128k stripe size.

What I did to fix it?
1) Created Recovery DVDs
2) Backedup all my docs onto external HDD
3) Rebooted and went into BIOS RAID Configuration. Deleted existing Volume0. Created a new RAID0 Volume but this time with a 64k stripe instead of 128k. I know people are going to say 128k is the optimal for RAID0 but there are some varying arguments on this (google) so as I was having no luck with 128k stripe I decided to try my luck with 64k stripe.
4) Went thru whole recovery process
5) Did all the available updates from Vaio and Microsoft
6) Installed iTunes again
7) Copied all my MP3 from external HDD to the temp folder again
😎 Had iTunes add temp folder and consolidate it.

Guess what?!

** NO RAID0 Errors **
** CPU never got more than 20% **

It would be interesting if one of you do the same thing and use the 128k stripe to see if the problems simply went away because I reinstalled everything and created new RAID volume.

I will update this post in 1 weeks time if I do or don't have more RAID0 errors.

Good luck

Re: FIXED - RAID 0 Error Message

Meld51 — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:12:54 GMT

Interesting.

The RAID0 error I initiated came upon the next boot up after copying a file from a USB floppy disk drive BTW...just remembered.