IBM warns of firmware problem with Barracuda ES.2

IBM has warned that four models from the hard disk Barracuda ES.2 series, used in its xSeries and Journal Center servers, problems may have a bug in the firmware. Repair Software, has yet to come.

IBM warns that when the server is turned on, the SATA drive may  no longer be available and become unresponsive. Data may become inaccessible due to the drive not responding. Data may become inaccessible due to the drive not responding. The bug would only occurs in disks with model numbers ST31000340NS, ST3250310NS, ST3500320NS and ST3750330NS that have firmware version BB10.

Further IBM warns that

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• BladeCenter JS20, Type 8842, any model BladeCenter JS20, Type 8842, any model
• BladeCenter JS21, Type 7988, any model BladeCenter JS21, Type 7988, any model
• BladeCenter JS21, Type 8844, any model BladeCenter JS21, Type 8844, any model
• BladeCenter JS22, Type 7998, any model BladeCenter JS22, Type 7998, any model
• BladeCenter LS21, Type 7971, any model BladeCenter LS21, Type 7971, any model
• BladeCenter LS22, Type 7901, any model BladeCenter LS22, Type 7901, any model
• BladeCenter LS41, Type 7972, any model BladeCenter LS41, Type 7972, any model
• BladeCenter LS42, Type 7902, any model BladeCenter LS42, Type 7902, any model
• BladeCenter S, Type 1948, any model BladeCenter S Type 1948, any model
• BladeCenter S, Type 7779, any model BladeCenter S Type 7779, any model
• BladeCenter S, Type 8886, any model BladeCenter S Type 8886, any model
• xSeries 206m, Type 8485, any model xSeries 206M, Type 8485, any model
• xSeries 206m, Type 8490, any model xSeries 206M, Type 8490, any model
• xSeries 306m, Type 1887, any model xSeries 306m, Type 1887, any model
• xSeries 306m, Type 8491, any model xSeries 306m, Type 8491, any model
• xSeries 306m, Type 8891, any model xSeries 306m, Type 8891, any model
• xSeries 336, Type 1879, any model xSeries 336, type 1879, any model
• xSeries 336, Type 8837, any model xSeries 336, type 8837, any model
• BladeCenter HS20, Type 1883, any model BladeCenter HS20, Type 1883, any model
• BladeCenter HS20, Type 1884, any model BladeCenter HS20, Type 1884, any model
• BladeCenter HS20, Type 7981, any model BladeCenter HS20, Type 7981, any model
• BladeCenter HS20, Type 8843, any model BladeCenter HS20, Type 8843, any model
• BladeCenter HS21 XM, Type 1915, any model BladeCenter HS21 XM, Type 1915, any model
• BladeCenter HS21 XM, Type 7995, any model BladeCenter HS21 XM, Type 7995, any model
• BladeCenter HS21, Type 1885, any model BladeCenter HS21, Type 1885, any model
• BladeCenter HS21, Type 8853, any model BladeCenter HS21, Type 8853, any model
• System x3105, Type 4347, any model System x3105, Type 4347, any model
• System x3200 M2, Type 4367, any model System x3200 M2, type 4367, any model
• System x3200 M2, Type 4368, any model System x3200 M2, type 4368, any model
• System x3200, Type 4362, any model System x3200, Type 4362, any model
• System x3200, Type 4363, any model System x3200, Type 4363, any model
• System x3250 M2, Type 4190, any model System x3250 M2, type 4190, any model
• System x3250 M2, Type 4191, any model System x3250 M2, type 4191, any model
• System x3250 M2, Type 4194, any model System x3250 M2, type 4194, any model
• System x3250, Type 4364, any model System x3250, Type 4364, any model
• System x3250, Type 4365, any model System x3250, Type 4365, any model
• System x3250, Type 4366, any model System x3250, Type 4366, any model
• System x3400, Type 7973, any model System x3400, Type 7973, any model
• System x3400, Type 7974, any model System x3400, Type 7974, any model
• System x3400, Type 7975, any model System x3400, Type 7975, any model
• System x3400, Type 7976, any model System x3400, Type 7976, any model
• System x3455, Type 7940, any model System x3455, Type 7940, any model
• System x3455, Type 7984, any model System x3455, Type 7984, any model
• System x3455, Type 7986, any model System x3455, Type 7986, any model
• System x3500, Type 7977, any model System x3500, Type 7977, any model
• System x3550, Type 1013, any model System x3550, Type 1013, any model
• System x3550, Type 1913, any model System x3550, Type 1913, any model
• System x3550, Type 7978, any model System x3550, Type 7978, any model
• System x3650, Type 1914, any model System x3650, Type 1914, any model
• System x3650, Type 7979, any model System x3650, Type 7979, any model
• System x3655, Type 7943, any model System x3655, Type 7943, any model
• System x3655, Type 7985, any model System x3655, Type 7985, any model

The system is configured with one or more of the following IBM Options: The system is configured with one or more of the following IBM Options:

• 1000 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7630 1000 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7630
• 1000 GB Hot-Swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7626 1000 GB Hot-Swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7626
• 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA Simple-swap HDD, Option 39M4508 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA Simple-swap HDD, Option 39M4508
• 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA Simple-swap HDD, Option 39M4526 250 GB 7200 RPM SATA Simple-swap HDD, Option 39M4526
• 250 GB Hot-Swap SATA II, Option 43W7598 250 GB Hot-Swap SATA II, Option 43W7598
• 500 GB 7200 RPM 3.0 GB/sec Hot-swap SATA, Option 39M4530 500 GB 7200 RPM 3.0 GB / sec Hot-swap SATA, Option 39M4530
• 500 GB 7200 RPM 3.0 GB/sec Simple-swap SATA HDD, Option 39M4514 500 GB 7200 RPM 3.0 GB / sec Simple-swap SATA HDD, Option 39M4514
• 500 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 39M4558 500 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 39M4558
• 750 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7580 750 GB Dual Port Hot-swap SATA HDD, Option 43W7580
• 750 GB Hot Swap SATA, Option 43W7576 750 GB Hot Swap SATA, Option 43W7576
• 750 GB Simple Swap SATA, Option 43W7572 750GB Simple Swap SATA, Option 43W7572
• Express 500GB Hot-Swap SATA II, Option 41Y8226 Express 500GB Hot-Swap SATA II, Option 41Y8226
• Express 500GB Simple-Swap SATA II, Option 41Y8218 Express 500GB Simple-Swap SATA II, Option 41Y8218
• Express 750 GB Hot-Swap SATA II HDD, Option 41Y8232 Express 750GB Hot-Swap SATA II HDD, Option 41Y8232
• Express 750 GB Simple-Swap SATA II HDD, Option 41Y8222 Express 750GB Simple-Swap SATA II HDD, Option 41Y8222

Currently no solution is available. This bug will be corrected in a future release or hard drive firmware. The target date for this release is scheduled for First Quarter 2009. IBM advises users to limit the number of power cycles performed as a work around to this issue.

According to IBM, this issue is caused by a hard drive firmware issue that allows the drive’s “event log” pointer to be set to an invalid location. This condition is detected by the drive during power up, and the drive goes in to failsafe mode to prevent inadvertent corruption to or loss of user data. As a result, once the failure has occurred user data becomes inaccessible. As a result, once the failure has occurred user data becomes inaccessible.

The condition only occurs after a power cycle and not during runtime.

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