Fun with an MD1200/MD1220 & SC200/SC220

[Benda Xu]

4kn disks DO work in an MD1200 as long as the controller the MD1200 is plugged into supports 4kn disks. I had 4 Seagate ST10000NM0206 working in one MD 1200 for a few months before I moved them to a different server. I also have 3 new (new to me) MD1200 each with 11 ST8000NM0065 in them. They are working no problem. Using Dell Perc h830 controllers in Poweredge R730 and T630 servers

Are there different kinds of EMM controllers for MD1200, or only the firmware needs to be updated?

Edit: I realize that by "the controller" you mean the HBA on the server. Does an LSI 9207-8e IT mode HBA with MD1200 support 4Kn disks?

 

[jayklx]

hey guys. awesome write ups and work. i'm having a really 'dumb' problem i think.
I have sc200/220 shelves i'm trying to interact with. they were formerly attached to controller but i just run them as jbods behind a IT-mode flashed LSI card.

when i tried to connect to one, i got nothing. i decided to power cycle and then i saw this:
Š‰Äåóéçî×áòå ¨ÔÍ©Š‰Ä×ßäåâõççåòŠ¥
Performing POST for Smart Serial

oemGetZoningCfgPage: ptrZoningConfig 140d6f34
Enable Host Phys


**** Surly Startup Complete (Based on vendor Phase 9 drop 00.09.00.00) ****

FullCase.Slot0.1.03.000 >

however, i can NEVER seem to input anything. am i missing a step here? do i need to send a break or something in the first 2 seconds after it powers on? no keystrokes seem to work after prompt is up.

any ideas?

i have multiple of these. SC2 cards in them. singled up (backups on a shelf). not sure what i'm doing wrong.

Same here, with MD1200, and is updated to 106 firmware by sg_write
can only see prompt when recycle power, and it didn't accept any inputs

 

[jayklx]

XON/XOFF is required or it simply will not respond... but Putty does this by default and it does no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit by default so as long as you put in 38400 and the correct serial port, you should be fine. In fact, it can get to a point where you need to power cycle the shelf if you hit it with too much nonsense.

I make sure all params were correct, only when power cycle, putty shows prompt, then it hang forever, also tried stty&screen with linux and mac, didn't change anything, appreciate for any help

 

[jayklx]

I make sure all params were correct, only when power cycle, putty shows prompt, then it hang forever, also tried stty&screen with linux and mac, didn't change anything, appreciate for any help

Finally I solve the problem by using a new USB-Serial cable

 

[Daylight2751]

I figured out how to convert an MD3200 into an MD1200 or SC200 over the serial interface, without needing to disassemble the shelf or buy an EEPROM programmer.

Both the MD12 and SC2 controllers support the fru_read and fru_download commands.

fru_download Download Fru: fru_download [0-SIM0, 1-SIM1, 2-PBP, 3-PS0, 4-PS1 5-SBP]
fru_read     Read Fru: fru_read [0-SIM0, 1-SIM1, 2-PBP, 3-PS0, 4-PS1 5-SBP]]

First backup the current contents of your backplane FRUs (2 and 5) with the fru_read command. Then simply write the new contents using the fru_download command which will start an xmodem transfer.
NOTE: The file containing the new FRU contents must not have trailing 0s or the controller will not update the FRU. It must be 0x300 bytes aka 768 bytes long.

I also noticed a couple commands that seemed relevant which is present on the SC2, but isn't present on the MD12.

chassisname Display and or Set Chassis Name: chassisname <name string>
_productname Read/Write Product Name in the midplane FRUs: _productname [supported index to write]

The chassisname command writes whatever string you give it to both FRUs at offset 0xA2 and the _productname command accepts an index to select the name in the FRUs at offset 0x13. However these changes alone are not enough to make the MD12/SC2 controller accept the backplane. There is a magic at offset 0x133 which the firmware on the controller reads to determine whether it should work or not and there doesn't seem to be a command to change this like the other two. As such, we have to use the previosly mentioned commands to overwrite the whole FRU.

 

[Daylight2751]

I had some more time to investigate further and I figured out more of the values in the FRU.

Enclosure Family	Magic (ASCII) (offset: 0x133)	Checksum (byte) (offset: 0x143)
MD12XX	MD-DEVILS	0xDA
MD32XX	HOGS_SAS	0xE8
SC2XX	SC-SURLY	0xFD
PS6210	EQ-PIRATES	0x84

Additionally, the int32 at offset 0x2FC is a counter of how many times the FRU has been written to.

 

[MON5TERMATT]

Bought one of the Serial "reset" cables. ended up just upgrading my main server hard drives so i havent turned the thing on in like 2 weeks...

 

[Bert]

hey guys. awesome write ups and work. i'm having a really 'dumb' problem i think.
I have sc200/220 shelves i'm trying to interact with. they were formerly attached to controller but i just run them as jbods behind a IT-mode flashed LSI card.

when i tried to connect to one, i got nothing. i decided to power cycle and then i saw this:
Š‰Äåóéçî×áòå ¨ÔÍ©Š‰Ä×ßäåâõççåòŠ¥
Performing POST for Smart Serial

oemGetZoningCfgPage: ptrZoningConfig 140d6f34
Enable Host Phys


**** Surly Startup Complete (Based on vendor Phase 9 drop 00.09.00.00) ****

FullCase.Slot0.1.03.000 >

however, i can NEVER seem to input anything. am i missing a step here? do i need to send a break or something in the first 2 seconds after it powers on? no keystrokes seem to work after prompt is up.

any ideas?

i have multiple of these. SC2 cards in them. singled up (backups on a shelf). not sure what i'm doing wrong.

I am having similar problem with my MD1200. Only after a cold start, console gets some spew and a message with "devil". Spew stops with command input.

BlueDress.105.100 >

After that, nothing happens, cannot interact; send/receive any info. This is weird because it is the vanilla MD1200 disk shelves; I bought the cable from amazon so it should work but no go My cable is a standard Serial to PS2 cable and I used two different computers serial ports. I am not sure if this is bad cable like others had. I really need to turn down the fan speed so any ideas?

 

[T_Bone]

Does anyone have the Dell Manual Transfer Utility on hand for an ps4100 EqualLogic's array? Firmware on the emms are 8.2 i believe.

 

[sLumpy]

Can the debug port of the MD1200 be plugged into my R630 and debugged from there? I've spliced together a cable using the pinout from OP's first post, but that didn't work. I also tried using the pinout from this post as well and it's still not working. I've event went as far as just shoving in jumpers and swapping Tx/Rx around in case I had them backwards and also got nothing, even after full restarts of the server and MD1200.

I'm running Proxmox on the R630 connected to the MD1200 controllers (inside a MD3200 shell) and `cu`, `screen` and `minicom` all didn't work using 38400 8N1. No messages get sent or received, and I get no prompts. BIOS serial comms setting is the default, but I've also tried `on with console redirection` but I have a feeling that that doesn't do what I think it does. Running `cat /proc/tty/driver/serial` yielded:

```
0: uart:16550A port:000003F8 irq:4 tx:0 rx:0 CTS
1: uart:16550A port:000002F8 irq:3 tx:0 rx:0
```

which to my understanding means it should be connected. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Bert]

Can the debug port of the MD1200 be plugged into my R630 and debugged from there? I've spliced together a cable using the pinout from OP's first post, but that didn't work. I also tried using the pinout from this post as well and it's still not working. I've event went as far as just shoving in jumpers and swapping Tx/Rx around in case I had them backwards and also got nothing, even after full restarts of the server and MD1200.

I'm running Proxmox on the R630 connected to the MD1200 controllers (inside a MD3200 shell) and `cu`, `screen` and `minicom` all didn't work using 38400 8N1. No messages get sent or received, and I get no prompts. BIOS serial comms setting is the default, but I've also tried `on with console redirection` but I have a feeling that that doesn't do what I think it does. Running `cat /proc/tty/driver/serial` yielded:

```
0: uart:16550A port:000003F8 irq:4 tx:0 rx:0 CTS
1: uart:16550A port:000002F8 irq:3 tx:0 rx:0
```

which to my understanding means it should be connected. Am I doing something wrong?

Can you try this:
1. Connect PC via serial port.
2. Start putty etc and connect over serial port.
3. Power off and power on MD1200

Do you see any console spew while MD1200 booting up?

 

[sLumpy]

Can you try this:
1. Connect PC via serial port.
2. Start putty etc and connect over serial port.
3. Power off and power on MD1200

Do you see any console spew while MD1200 booting up?

The only device I have with a serial port is my R630 which has Proxmox installed. From Proxmox shell though, after connecting to the /dev/ttyS0 port with minicom or screen, and restarting the MD1200, I do not get anything in the terminal

 

[fohdeesha]

The only device I have with a serial port is my R630 which has Proxmox installed. From Proxmox shell though, after connecting to the /dev/ttyS0 port with minicom or screen, and restarting the MD1200, I do not get anything in the terminal

I would just make your life easier and buy the actual cable and plug it into the r630 serial port: New 1.5 Meter Password Reset/Service Cable FOR DELL MD1200 MD1220 MD3200 MN657 | eBay

 

[fohdeesha]

I am having similar problem with my MD1200. Only after a cold start, console gets some spew and a message with "devil". Spew stops with command input.

BlueDress.105.100 >

After that, nothing happens, cannot interact; send/receive any info. This is weird because it is the vanilla MD1200 disk shelves; I bought the cable from amazon so it should work but no go My cable is a standard Serial to PS2 cable and I used two different computers serial ports. I am not sure if this is bad cable like others had. I really need to turn down the fan speed so any ideas?

which cable did you buy? there's no such thing as a "standard" pinout for rs232 over a PS2 port (outside of old ps2 mice, which will not work here), I would just buy the proper dell cable, sounds like yours doesn't have your tx pin in the right place New 1.5 Meter Password Reset/Service Cable FOR DELL MD1200 MD1220 MD3200 MN657 | eBay

 

[Bert]

which cable did you buy? there's no such thing as a "standard" pinout for rs232 over a PS2 port (outside of old ps2 mice, which will not work here), I would just buy the proper dell cable, sounds like yours doesn't have your tx pin in the right place New 1.5 Meter Password Reset/Service Cable FOR DELL MD1200 MD1220 MD3200 MN657 | eBay

I bought this cable: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072KXJFDY?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details and it didn't work for me and I am returning it.

Luckily I put an order for New 1.5 Meter Password Reset/Service Cable FOR DELL MD1200 MD1220 MD3200 MN657 | eBay earlier this week Will report back on next week after testing it.

 

[TheUsD]

@fohdeesha

Thank you very much for taking this task and learning it. I have studied many of your other accomplishments with upgrading firmware for the Dell PERCs and other LSI devices to IT mode.

I was hoping you, or someone could help me understand what I am doing wrong when trying to quiet the fans.

1. I have tried running the _shutup 20 and set_speed 20 commands from the serial port on a R720 passthrough ESXi 7.0.3 via Windows 10 virtual machine using the password reset cable and Putty on EMM 1 and EMM 2. Results are the fans quiet down for some time and then fire back up to normal idle speed.
2. I removed EMM 2, ran commands, fans quiet down, then ramp back, then down to normal idle.
3. Ran the powershell command @WalkinTheWoods made (post #56) and again, fans quiet down for a bit, then repeat the above....Sometimes they go to 100% and just hangout there...

I have ensured that power is being delivered to both PSUs. The Storage controller is a TrueNAS Core using H200e Flashed to IT mode from Port 1 of H200e to Port A of EMM (TrueNAS can see the drives).

Any help or insight would be appreciated.

My hardware:

12Pack.Slot0.1.03.000 >chassisname

Chassis Name:  SC200

12Pack.Slot0.1.03.000 >chassistype
Chassis Type: Blue Devil (12 drive)

12Pack.Slot0.1.03.000 >_ver
********************* Bench Build **********************
Build Owner   : GitHub
Build Number  : 000
Build Version : 1.03
Build Date    : Fri Jul 10 09:40:58 2015
FPGA Revision  : AA
Board Revision : 8
CPLD Revision  : 7
**************Firmware Image Information****************
          Image Region 0 (Always Boot)
             Revision         : 0.9.0.0
             Dell Version     : 1.00
             Total Image Size : 0005928c [365196]
             Fast Boot        : Yes
             Image Address    : 0x14000000
             RegionOffset     : 0x00000000
             RegionSize       : 0x00080000
             RegionType       : 0x00000000
          Image Region 1
             Revision         : 0.9.0.0
             Dell Version     : 1.00
             Total Image Size : 0005928c [365196]
             Fast Boot        : Yes
             Image Address    : 0x14080000
             RegionOffset     : 0x00080000
             RegionSize       : 0x00080000
             RegionType       : 0x00000001
Active--->Image Region 2
             Revision         : 0.9.0.0
             Dell Version     : 1.03
             Total Image Size : 00055a3c [350780]
             Fast Boot        : Yes
             Image Address    : 0x14100000
             RegionOffset     : 0x00100000
             RegionSize       : 0x00080000
             RegionType       : 0x00000002
********************************************************

12Pack.Slot0.1.03.000 >

 

[Bert]

which cable did you buy? there's no such thing as a "standard" pinout for rs232 over a PS2 port (outside of old ps2 mice, which will not work here), I would just buy the proper dell cable, sounds like yours doesn't have your tx pin in the right place New 1.5 Meter Password Reset/Service Cable FOR DELL MD1200 MD1220 MD3200 MN657 | eBay

@fohdeesha, I bought this cable, unfortunately exactly same problem. I see spew on the terminal during power on and then nothing else happens. I cannot send any characters.

My MD1200 also does not work with sata drives. I put a single sata drive on the shelf but nothing happens. These shelves are supposed to work with SATA drives. I don't quite understand why I am having so much trouble with them. Is it because of old firmware? Mine says
BlueDress.105.100 .

I remember that I can update the firmware over a regular SAS connection, should I give a try to that?

 

[Haim Gelfenbeyn]

I just bought my MD1200, and have a question about the alarm: when I have both power supplies connected and powered on, and both control boards installed and connected to SAS, the status light is blue, and the alarm is off. But as soon as I either turn one of the power supplies off, or disconnect one of the SAS cables, the alarm goes off and beeps every 10 seconds or so.

I managed to silence it via "noise -1" command via serial, but this does not survive a reboot. Does anyone here know a way to configure it so it does not beep all the time? Nobody mentions this problem in this thread so there must be a way...

 

[slickdakine]

@fohdeesha, I bought this cable, unfortunately exactly same problem. I see spew on the terminal during power on and then nothing else happens. I cannot send any characters.

My MD1200 also does not work with sata drives. I put a single sata drive on the shelf but nothing happens. These shelves are supposed to work with SATA drives. I don't quite understand why I am having so much trouble with them. Is it because of old firmware? Mine says
BlueDress.105.100 .

I remember that I can update the firmware over a regular SAS connection, should I give a try to that?

Well I figured I should join in with you guys. I own several SC220's, all running firmware 1.03. They are connected with Adaptec RAID 78165 contollers. I can access SAS drives without problems, but cannot view SATA drives. I then hooked them up to a LSI 9206-16e. I can now see sata drives in the enclosure and access them. From what I read, these enclosures have LSI expanders in them? Any suggestions on how to get them to allow SATA drives with the adaptec controller? I've played with every setting I could find on the adaptec. My LSI card's bios doesn't work in bios or UEFI mode on my asrock b450 pro4 motherboard with a Ryzen 5950x. The adaptec works fine in UEFI mode, but doesn't see the SATA drives. I need the bios so I can boot from the SATA drives in the enclosure.

Also on a side note, I have a few spare EMM's for the SC220, but their orange fault light comes on. Is that something I could troubleshoot with one of those PS2 serial to usb cables you all are talking about?

 

[wavejumper]

Thanks for all of the work done and shared in this thread.

We have used it in order to convert two old/unused MD3200i enclosures to MD1200 per the instructions and files here. But both enclosures have the same sas address and cannot be used together on the same host system. Both enclosures seem to work fine alone, but I would like to change the address of one of them to try and test together in the same system.

I can find the enclosure's address in many of the commands using a serial connection (e.g. sas_address, _phy_info, "dbs 1", "dbs 5", "dbs 8"). But I have not figured out how to change it yet. _phy_info command shows several variations of the address of which I can also query from sg_ses/lsscsi in Linux.

Here are some example snippets:

BlueDress.106.000 >sas_address

Expander SAS ADDRESS: 500c04f25095363f
ELI ADDRESS:          500c04f250953600

BlueDress.106.000 >_phy_info
Expander SAS ADDRESS: 500c04f25095363f
ELI ADDRESS:          500c04f250953600
VPHY ADDRESS:         500c04f25095363d
ISIM ADDRESS:         500c04f2509536bd

Has anyone figured out how to change the enclosure's sas address? If so, please share how.

I don't know if this is something specific that has happened coming from MD3200i versus MD3200 like others have previously reported on.

Thanks a lot!