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Knowledge Base Article: 000301845

ETA 195555: VNX, VNXe, Symmetrix VMAX, CLARiiON CX4 Series: Certain 600GB 15K RPM SAS
and FC disk drives may experience increased replacement rates when drives remain idle for
extended periods of time, or when unused space is allocated (000301845)

Version: 4

Article Type: ETA

Audience: Level 30 = Customers

Last Published: Mon Feb 29 15:58:33 GMT 2016

Summary:

Severity Rating:

Critical

Severity Rating Description:

Potential Data Unavailability

Impact Description:

Severity Rating: Critical (Potential Data Unavailability)

Impact Description: Affected drives may experience increased replacement rates when drives have
remained idle for extended periods of time, which may lead to data unavailability.
Issue:

EMC has determined that certain 600GB 15K RPM Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Fibre Channel
(FC) disk drives may experience increased replacement rates when the drives have remained idle
for extended periods of time.

Cause:

The replacement rate for affected drives is related to drive hardware issues.
Resolution:

EMC has updated the drive firmware to address this issue.

VNX Series:
Update December 7, 2015:
A new version of drive firmware (C840) is available for VNX 600GB disk drives, part numbers
005049675 and 005049677. EMC recommends that all drives must be updated to this latest version
of firmware to provide further protection against drive errors.
IMPORTANT: For arrays that contain the drives affected in this ETA, EMC recommends that no pool
expansions or binding of any new LUNs are performed until the drive firmware is updated.
To determine if you have any of the affected drives within your array, use the following steps:
1.

Log in to Unisphere.

2.

Select the array.

3.

Select the System tab and choose Disks.

All disks in the system are displayed. Select the Vendor list to sort all of the drives in the array.
Alternately, select TLA Part number and sort the list. Search for the 005049675 or 005049677
Hitachi drive(s)
If the drives are found, update drive firmware using Unisphere Service Manager (USM) Software

tab and select Drive Firmware.

Upgrade to EMC Drive Firmware C840 or later using Unisphere Service Manager. Drive Firmware
C840 is a new version of firmware released on September 24, 2015 which includes further mitigation
enhancements and should replace any previous version of firmware including the C7A0 firmware
version. The procedure for performing drive firmware updates is located at mydocuments.emc.com.
Follow this path to generate the procedure:
1.

Navigate to VNXseries and select Update VNX Software.

2.

Select your array type.

3.

Select Install disk firmware.

Mydocuments.emc.com generates a procedure that provides information on how to download and
install Unisphere Service Manager (USM), disk firmware packages, and run the Install Disk Firmware
wizard from USM.
IMPORTANT: After updating the drive firmware, EMC recommends a waiting period of 12 hours to
allow the new firmware to complete its mitigation operations before expanding any pools or binding
any new LUNs on any of the newly upgraded disk drives.
Resolution:
The Proactive Copy (PACO) feature is designed to protect data by copying the contents of a drive if
it experiences a defined number of media errors to a hot spare (HS) drive before the drive is marked
as faulted.
An improved version of PACO, called PACO-R, is available and it is designed to reduce the
likelihood of a double fault in order to enable more data to be proactively copied.
EMC recommends all VNX1 and VNX2 customers with Viper C drives upgrade to PACO-R when
possible.
VNX1 Series PACO-R Resolution:
PACO-R is available to all entitled VNX1 customers who upgrade to VNX Operating Environment for
Block version 05.32.000.5.218 or later.
VNX1 Series PACO-R Interim Resolution:
For VNX1 systems running R32.209 or later that cannot be upgraded to R32.218 or later, there is a
patch available that enables PACO-R. Contact your EMC service representative to install this patch.
This is a non-disruptive upgrade.
VNX2 Series PACO-R Resolution:
PACO-R is available to all entitled VNX2 customers who upgrade to VNX Operating Environment for
Block version 05.33.008.5.119 or later.
VNXe Series:
IMPORTANT: For arrays that contain the drives affected in this ETA, EMC recommends that no pool
expansions or binding of any new LUNs are performed until the drive firmware is updated.
To determine if you have any of the affected drives within your array, use the following steps:

1.

Log in to Unisphere.

2.

Select Settings > Update Software.

3.

Select the Disk Firmware tab.

All disks in the system are displayed. Search in the Part Number column for the 005049675,
005049677, 005049678 Hitachi drive(s)
If the drives are found, update drive firmware to C840 following the steps below.
Obtain disk firmware online:

1.

Log in to Unisphere.

2.

Click Settings > More configuration > Update Software.

3.

Click the Disk Firmware tab.

4.

4.

Click Obtain Disk Firmware Online. This link takes you to your VNXe system model download
page, EMC Online Support website where you can download a disk firmware file to your local
system.
Install firmware updates:

1.

Click Settings > More configuration > Update Software.

2.

Click the Disk Firmware tab.

3.

Click Install Disk Firmware. A Browse dialog box appears.

4.

Click Browse and select the disk firmware file that you downloaded from EMC Online Support
website.

5.

Click Upload. The disk firmware is uploaded to the VNXe storage system and installed on the
system.
IMPORTANT: After updating the drive firmware, EMC recommends a waiting period of 12 hours to
allow the new firmware to complete its mitigation operations before expanding any pools or binding
any new LUNs on any of the newly upgraded disk drives.
Symmetrix VMAX Series:
To determine if you have any of these drives within your array, use the following steps:
Mainframe/Open Systems Environments with Unisphere installed.

1.

Log in to Unisphere for VMAX.

2.

Select the appropriate VMAX.

3.

Select Performance / Analyze.

4.

Select VMAX.
Information about the disks is displayed in the last column. Select each 15K disk group looking for a
product ID HUS15606.
Mainframe/Open System Environments with Solutions Enabler Host installed using SYMCLI.
Microsoft Windows host Solutions Enabler command:
symdisk sid xxxx list v |findstr HUS15606 > xxxx.txt
UNIX based host Solutions Enabler command
symdisk sid xxxx list v |grep "HUS15606 > xxxx.txt
Example of the SYMCLI output:
Product
Product
Product
Product
Product

ID
ID
ID
ID
ID

:
:
:
:
:

HUS15606
HUS15606
HUS15606
HUS15606
HUS15606

The latest Symmetrix VMAX Enginuity levels collect additional drive statistics that allow arrays to
proactively replace disk drives. EMC recommends arrays be upgraded to current target Enginuity
code with latest Service Pack, and drive firmware to C7A0 or later to enable the collection of
additional drive statistics, which is intended to improve identification and prescribed replacement of
impacted drives.
Contact your local EMC service representative for assistance and reference this article ID. EMC
service representatives will upgrade your Enginuity to target code, and firmware on identified 15K
600GB disk drives will be upgraded to C7A0 or later. These two actions are required to enable BMS
capabilities for identified disk drives.
CLARiiON CX4 Series:
IMPORTANT: For arrays that contain the drives affected in this ETA, EMC recommends that no pool

expansions or binding of any new LUNs are performed until the drive firmware is updated.
To determine if you have any of the affected drives within your array, use the following steps:
1.

Log in to Unisphere.

2.

Select the array.

3.

Select the System tab and choose Disks.

All disks in the system are displayed. Select the Vendor list to sort all of the drives in the array.
Alternately, select TLA Part number and sort the list. Search for the 005049033 or 005049694
Hitachi drive(s)
If the drives are found, update drive firmware using the Unisphere Service Manager (USM)
Software tab and select Drive Firmware.
Upgrade to EMC Drive Firmware C840 or later using Unisphere Service Manager. The procedure to
perform drive firmware updates is located at support.emc.com in the Generate Customized CX4
Support Documentation section.
Follow this path to generate the procedure:

1.

Navigate to CX4 Series and select Maintain Your Hardware.

2.

Select Generate customized CX4 support documentation.

3.

Select Update Software.

4.

Select your array type.

5.

Select Install disk firmware.

Generate customized CX4 support documentation generates a procedure that provides information
on how to download and install Unisphere Service Manager (USM), disk firmware packages, and run
the Install Disk Firmware wizard from USM.
IMPORTANT: After updating the drive firmware, EMC recommends a waiting period of 12 hours to
allow the new firmware to complete its mitigation operations before expanding any pools or binding
any new LUNs on any of the newly upgraded disk drives. For additional information, refer to related
Knowledgebase article 199635, How to perform the recommended BIND process on 600GB Viper-C
drives for ETA 195555

Notes:

Severity Disclaimer:
For an explanation of Severity Ratings, refer to EMC Knowledgebase article 185920 EMC Technical
Advisory (ETA) Severity Rating.
EMC Technical Advisory Information:
For an explanation of EMC Technical Advisories, refer to the EMC Knowledgebase article 6189
What is the EMC Technical Advisory (ETA) process?
Primary Product:

VMAX Series

Product:

VNX1 Series, VNX5100, VNX5300, VNX5500, VNX5700, VNX7500, VNX2 Series, VNX5200, VNX5400, VNX5600,
VNX5800, VNX7600, VNX8000, VMAX Series, CLARiiON CX4 Series, CLARiiON CX4-120C, CLARiiON CX4-120CDC,
CLARiiON CX4-240C, CLARiiON CX4-240CDC, CLARiiON CX4-480C, CLARiiON CX4-480CDC, CLARiiON CX4-960C,
VNXe1 Series, VNXe3100, VNXe3150, VNXe3200, VNXe3300, VNXe2 Series

Problem Code:

EMC Firmware

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