[Coco] OT: Help with horrible bad NAS purchase, Linux EXT3 file system blindly used.

[Frank Pittel]

On Sat, Dec 05, 2009 at 09:22:01PM -0800, Stephen H. Fischer wrote:

> OT: Help with horrible bad NAS purchase, Linux EXT3 file system blindly

> used.

>

> Hi,

>

> I am looking for help in deciding what to do with my Maxtor Central Axis (2

> TB) Network Attached Storage unit (NAS).

>

> I was searching the web for information again and realized that there might

> be someone here who knows all about Linux and the EXT3 file system who might

> be able to help me.

>

> The device has two 1TB drives and can be operated in Mirror mode (1TB) or

> Linear mode (2TB).

>

> The file system used is Linux EXT3 but my only access is via a web interface

> that offers very little information and very little control. Only by reading

> forum messages did I learn that Linux EXT3 is used.

>

> Purchased from Microcenter, the first unit was almost DOA. I spent a lot of

> time before realizing

> that the unit had to be returned. So I shipped it off to Mexico at a cost of

> ~ $35.

>

> I got a replacement unit but one of the drives died 5 days later. So I

> shipped it off to Mexico at a cost of ~ $12, Seagate paid the shipping, the

> UPS store provided part of the expensive packaging which was required.

>

> The replacement worked for  a few weeks:

>

> 2009-09-23T22:34:16-0700 This is a Notification Test E-mail

> 2009-11-26T14:42:20-0800 A drive configuration error has been reported for

> the Maxtor Central Axis MCA-05B195..

>

> The second line is all that I get via E-mail from the drive when it has an

> error, the server at Seagate I am sure gets a lot more information which I

> cannot get and they will never admit they have (Except to users who have >

> 10,000 units in service.)

>

> After the Thanksgiving day failure I was able to rebuild the Mirror

> successfully without loss of data.

>

> I got a second Drive Failure message Friday:

>

> 2009-12-04T21:44:16-0800 A drive configuration error has been reported for

> the Maxtor Central Axis MCA-05B195..

>

> Again I was able to rebuild the Mirror successfully without loss of data.

> ----------------------------------

> My question is, does the Linux EXT3 file system map out the failed sectors

> so that they are not used again.

>

> Thus if I stick with the current drives in the unit I will get to a point

> where no more errors will occur and I can trust that my data is safe.

>

> (The data consists of several computer backups which can be recreated, and

> lots of TV Capture Video. (Darn that wonderful "CW_EPG" scheduling program.)

> ----------------------------------

>

> I realize that this is OT and I am very willing to take the discussion

> elsewhere or via private E-mail. I have done a lot of research, posted a

> detailed set of messages on the Seagate forum and can provide some more

> information from the screen shots I have taken to retain some of the

> information the web interface provides but does not allow you to save.

>

> TIA to one and all.

>

> Stephen H. Fischer

>

>

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> Coco at maltedmedia.com

> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco



I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with the array. I hope that ext3 doesn't
block out bad blocks on a drive. On a standard linux installation the command "badblocks"
scans devices for badblocks and maps them out of the filesystem. Modern drives map out bad
blocks and map in spare blocks.

Wish I could be of more help but with only a limited web interface there's not much you can
do to fix things at the OS levels.