Failed ESM Canister

What Caused the Problem?

One or more ESM canisters have failed in a drive enclosure. The Recovery Guru Details area provides specific information you will need as you follow the recovery steps.

Caution
Electrostatic discharge can damage sensitive components. Use a grounding wrist strap or other anti-static precautions before removing or handling components.

Important Notes

Recovery Steps

1

If...

Then...

You see logical drive failures, channel failures or unassigned drive failures associated with the drive enclosure reporting the failed ESM canister

Contact your technical support representative. DO NOT perform Steps 2 - 11.

Caution
Recovery from a failed ESM canister with associated logical drive and drive failures is a complicated procedure that if done incorrectly, could result in the loss of data. Therefore, you should not attempt to perform any recovery steps without the help of your technical support representative.

You DO NOT see logical drive failures, channel failures or unassigned drive failures associated with the drive enclosure reporting the failed ESM canister

Go to Step 2.

2

Select the affected enclosure's drive enclosure components button in the Physical View of the Subsystem Management Window. Then, select the ESM canister button in the drive enclosure component's window.

Check the status of the ESM.

If...

Then...

The status of the ESM is unknown

Perform the following steps:

Caution
Only remove one ESM canister at a time. Removing both ESM canisters at the same time while I/O is in progress can cause data loss!

a

Without removing the cables, remove the ESM canister that is reporting an unknown status.

Check the female side of the canister connector for dirty or plugged pin slots.

Check the male side of the canister connector for damaged pins.

Clean any dirty or plugged pin slots and repair any damaged pins.

Reinsert the ESM canister, wait 40 seconds, close and reopen the components dialog, and check the status of the ESM Canister.

If...

Then...

The ESM status changes to optimal

Go to Step 11.

The ESM status remains unknown

Go to Step b.

b

Label the interface transceivers (GBIC or SFP) connected to ESM canister reporting an unknown status to ensure that they are properly reconnected when the ESM canister is replaced.

Remove the interface transceivers from the ESM canister reporting an unknown status.

Replace the ESM canister with a new ESM canister.

Insert the interface transceivers into the replaced ESM canister.

Wait 40 seconds, close and reopen the components dialog, and check the replaced ESM canister's status.

If...

Then...

The ESM status changes to optimal

Go to Step 11.

The ESM status remains unknown

Go to Step c.

c

Without removing the cables, Remove the opposite ESM canister, the one that is reporting an optimal status.

Check the female side of the canister connector for dirty or plugged pin slots.

Check the male side of the canister connector for damaged pins.

Clean any dirty or plugged pin slots and repair any damaged pins.

Reinsert the ESM canister, wait 40 seconds, close and reopen the components dialog, and check the status of the unknown ESM canister.

If...

Then...

The ESM status changes to optimal

Go to Step 11.

The ESM status remains unknown

Go to Step d.

d

Label the interface transceivers (GBIC or SFP) connected to the opposite ESM canister, the one that is reporting an optimal status, to ensure that they are properly reconnected when the ESM canister is replaced.

Remove the interface transceivers from the opposite ESM canister, the one that is reporting an optimal status.

Replace the ESM canister with a new ESM canister.

Insert the interface transceivers into the replaced ESM canister.

Wait 40 seconds, close and reopen the components dialog, and check the status of the unknown ESM canister.

If...

Then...

The ESM status changes to optimal

Go to Step 11.

The ESM status remains unknown

Contact your technical support representative. DO NOT perform steps 3 - 11.

The status of the ESM is failed

Go to Step 3.

3

Did you recently change any option or ID switches on the ESM canister without cycling power on the controller enclosure?

If...

Then...

Yes

Stop all I/O to the controller enclosure. Turn the power switches on the back of the controller enclosure off and then on again.

Go to Step 11.

No

Go to Step 4.

4

Check to make sure there is power to the drive enclosure and that the external drive cables are secure.

Caution
Disconnecting drive enclosure cables while I/O is in progress can cause data loss!

If...

Then...

There is a problem with the power or drive cables

Correct the problem, then go to Step 11.

The power and drive cables are OK

Go to Step 5.

5

Perform the following steps to identify the failed ESM canister:

Caution
Make sure you correctly identify the failed canister. If you have two canisters, removing the remaining optimal canister while I/O is in progress can cause data loss!

a

Select the affected enclosure's drive enclosure components button in the Physical View of the Subsystem Management Window.

b

Select the ESM canister button in the drive enclosure component's window.

c

If...

Then...

The ESM canister location is unknown

Contact your technical support representative to determine the location of the failed ESM canister. Once you have identified the failed ESM canister, go to Step 6.

There are two ESM canisters associated with the enclosure and their locations are known

Looking at the ESM canisters from the back of the drive enclosure, use the location information to identify the failed ESM canister.

Go to Step 6.

There is only one ESM canister associated with the enclosure

Go to Step 6.

6

Fix any loss of redundancy problems reported by Recovery Guru before going to Step 7.

7

Reseating the ESM canister may clear the failure being reported. While the cables are still connected to the canister, remove the canister from the drive enclosure, wait 10 seconds, and re-insert the canister firmly. Wait 40 seconds, then select Recheck to rerun the Recovery Guru to ensure the failure has been fixed.

If...

Then...

No failures are reported

You are finished with this procedure.

A failed ESM canister is still reported

Go to Step 8.

8

If...

Then...

The cables are connected directly to the ESM canister

Label each cable to ensure that they are properly reconnected when the ESM canister is replaced.

Remove the cables.

Go to Step 9.

The cables are connected to an interface transceiver such as a GBIC or SFP

Label each interface transceiver to ensure that they are properly reconnected when the ESM canister is replaced.

Leave the cables connected and remove the interface transceivers from the ESM canister.

Go to Step 9.

9

Replace the failed ESM canister. If both canisters have failed, replace both of them. Make sure the replacement canister(s) have the same switch settings as the failed canister(s).

10

Using the labels created in Step 8, reconnect the cables to the replaced canister(s). Wait 40 seconds, then go to Step 11.

11

Select Recheck to rerun the Recovery Guru to ensure the failure has been fixed.

If...

Then...

No failures are reported

You are finished with this procedure.

A failed ESM canister is still reported

  • Review steps 3 and 4, correct any problems, and repeat step 11.
  • Stop all I/O to the storage subsystem, turn the power switches off and on again on the back of the controller enclosure, and repeat step 11.
  • Contact your technical support representative.