Drives Dropping? important fix for San Digital multi-bay eSata enclosure users!

JazJon

I wanted to share an important fix for San Digital multi-bay eSata enclosure users!

Both my San Digital TR5M-B and TR5M-PB 5-bay eSata enclosures would randomly DROP out of Windows when I was moving a lot of files around.  The only way to get them back was to reboot the server.  (power cycling the enclosure didn't fix it)  Well it turns out there is a simple fix all along.  I wish I would have researched this more 12 months ago!  The below fix applies to the 4, 5, 8, etc bay enclosures

Here's the enclosure I use the most

http://www.sansdigital.com/towerraid-plus/tr5mbp.html

The fix:

http://www.sansdigital.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=190&func=view&catid=10&id=4250#4296 ;

Problem / question: Currently the disk system is set up as just single pass through disks. Anytime there is extremely heavy I/O all the disks drop out and the controller cannot see them anymore. Restarting the TowerRAID system and unplugging the cables does not help, only a reboot of the server. This is getting frustrating as when all the drives were connected to a 3ware 9550sx-12 they never had an issue. Is there another HBA I can try to solve this issue? I do not want to use raid, just single disk pass through.

SOLVED

Turn off "Link State Power Management" under PCI Express in the power options menu. (in control panel)

mdewyer

Thanks JazJon! I have 2 TR8M's and while I haven't run into this issue yet, I went ahead and made the change so hopefully I won't!

dvdluvver

THIS IS GREAT!  I've been having this same issue (I have a TR4M and a TR5M) and didn't know what to do about it.  Thanks a billion!

JazJon

Glad I can help!  I know how infuriating/frustrating the problem is/was.  It used to really set me off, and cause stress with my roommates trying to watch a movie while i'm away, only to complain how unstable the computer is again and again and again.  You try a dozen different shot in the dark troubleshooting techniques, and blame/suspect a dozen other non related software/hardware things.

kobi001

I have this same issue - on my Calvary EN-CADA4B-CFI. I turned the Link State Power Management to "off" and I am still going without a drop out. This issue was driving me crazy!

Now to monitor to see if Scanner will show the correct SMART data for each drive on eSATA enclosure.

Thank you so much for the solution!

ez76

Hero right here.