Tag: Hardware
Steps
Follow the steps below to replace your SIIG SC-SA0R11-S1 Host Bus Adapter card with the LSI 9300 Host bus adapter.
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- Power down the system.
- Locate the host bus adapter. If your system is a Hybrid with an analog capture board, the host bus adapter is the one with the SATA cables between this card and hard drives in the front of the system.
- Loosen the hold-down from the cross-bar and move this out of the way.
- Remove the screw hold down from the back panel.
- Remove the SATA cables from the host bus adapter.
- Remove the host bus adapter from the motherboard.
- Remove removing the fan in the center chassis on this side of the system will make passing cables easier. To remove the fan, pull the thumb-tab out and then up.
- With the fan removed disconnect the SATA cables from the backs of the hard disks, then remove the cables from the system.
- Thread the SATA connectors from the Mini-SAS cable through the opening at the bottom of the fan divider in the middle of the chassis. These are numbered 1-4.
- Connect the SATA connectors to the back of each hard disk.
- Slide the fan back into the bracket and secure to the connector at the bottom of the chassis.
- Insert the new LSI 9300 host bus adapter into the expansion slot you removed the old board from and secure to the back panel with the screw you removed earlier.
- Connect the Mini-SAS connector to the board.
If you are using more than four hard drives in your system you may opt to leave the additional drives connected directly to the motherboard or use a second Mini-SAS to SATA cable to connect those to the host bus adapter card as well. It does not matter which Mini-SAS port on the LSI board you connect the cable to.
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If you have a Ubuntu/Linux system you may power on the system and the drives should be recognized by the system and mounted as expected for use. The system may reboot itself during initialization of the new host bus adapter when powering on after replacement.
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If you have a Windows system, additional steps below must be followed.
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- Open the ‘Start’ menu and type ‘Services.msc’. Open Services. Find ‘ExacqVision Server’ and stop this service.
- Open Device Manager. This will show an unknown ‘SAS Controller’ under ‘Other devices’.
- Download the driver for the LSI 9300 for your operating system. Windows 7 Drivers are listed under the Archive link for the Drivers section.
- Unpack the downloaded ZIP file to the Desktop to make it easy to find.
- In Device Manager, right-click on the ‘SAS Controller’ and select ‘Update Driver Software…’
- Select ‘Browse my computer for driver software’. Use the file explorer to highlight the unpacked folder on your Desktop.
- Once the driver installs ‘Other devices’ appear. Be patient, after a few minutes the drives will be recognized and you should no longer have unrecognized devices in Device Manager.
- Rename the ‘psfpi.xml’ and ‘sysmgmtpi.xml’ files located in C:\Program Files\exacqVision\Server
- Restart the exacqVision Server service.
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How-to-Replace-a-SIIG-SC-SA0R11-S1-HBA-with-an-LSI-9300-HBA.pdfAlthough there are portable power supply testers on the market that are inexpensive, it often becomes necessary to test whether a power supply is good or bad with only a multi-meter handy. The following steps detail how to perform this.
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WARNING: When working with electricity always follow proper safety procedures. Remove jewelry from your hands. Do not attempt to open enclosures labeled “Non-Serviceable” or with warnings of electric shock. Do not touch capacitors which may still be holding an electric charge.
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- Power down the system and remove the power cable(s) from the device.
- Open the server case and unplug the power connectors inside.
- Follow the large bundle of wires from the power supply to the motherboard. You will find a large, plastic connector. This is typically white but may also be black.
- Press the release down on one side of the connector and pull up to remove it.
- A smaller bundle will connect to a 4 or 8-pin connector elsewhere on the motherboard. Disconnect these as well.
- It is not necessary to remove the entire power supply from the chassis; just pull the connectors to a place you can easily access them.
- Examine the pinout diagrams. While some machines may have a 20-pin connector, others will have a 24-pin connector. With the pins facing you and the release clip towards the right the top-left pin will be pin number 1 and follow down the left side before beginning again at the top of the next column.
- You will need a short piece of wire to use as a jumper for the next step. If you have a 20-pin connector, insert the ends of the wire into pins 13 and 14 to short out this connection. If you have a 24-pin connector, insert the wire into pins 15 and 16
- 20-pin --> 13 to 14
- 24-pin --> 15 to 16
- Plug in the power supply. If it has no power switch you should hear the fan come on. If it does have a power switch, turn the unit on.
- If you have an Auto-Ranging multi-meter you can just set it to DC Voltage. If you have a traditional multi-meter, set the dial to the 10-Volt setting.
- Place the black (-) probe from your multi-meter on any of the pins labeled Ground (GND). Place the red (+) probe on the first pin and work your way around to each pin.
- Make a note of the voltage reach from each pin. Click here for a printable worksheet to record these readings.
- Make a note of the voltage reach from each pin. Click here for a printable worksheet to record these readings.
- Compare the values from your meter readings to the value that should be supplied.
Note: These will almost never be exactly 3.3, 5.0 or 12.0 volts. Your actual meter readings should fall between the minimum and maximum voltage tolerances.
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If your readings are above or below the allowable tolerances, noted on the worksheet, for that pin the power supply should be replaced.
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How-to-Test-an-ATX-Power-Supply.pdfDescription
The HBA (Host Bus Adapter) can get damaged by the HBA clamp. Specifically the SATA 3 port capacitor can get damaged.
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Note: The damage to the HBA does not affect all units. This has been seen in a very limited number. The clamp is there for shipping purposes only can may be removed. The card can become damaged only during shipping.
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Platform
A-Series systems with more than 4 drives (non raid)
Note: A-Series IP only systems do not use a hold down bracket for the HBA after 11/01/2016.
Note: A-Series Hybrid systems use a modified hold down bracket for the HBA after 11/01/2016.
How to determine if the HBA is bad
- The 4 drives connected to the HBA will be labeled with /dev/sdx. The motherboard drives will have /dev/csmi in the path.
- Note: If the drives labeled /dev/csmi (motherboard drives) show offline on the Storage ==> Hardware tab, see KB https://exacq.com/kb/#loadAnswer~d8c08cb4-94a7-431c-1e9c-57f3bb7b7600
- The broken capacitor on the HBA may only affect SATA port 3 on the HBA. This ‘should’ be the 2nd drive (numbered 0-3)(drive E: or SDC ). So only one of the first 4 drives which should be drive 2 will show not found or drive errors.
- In some cases all 4 drives will show offline
- Windows servers typically will not boot at all. Linux servers will boot but will either have drive missing or drive I/O errors.
If you suspect a bad HBA
Windows
- Un-clamp and pull the HBA card leaving drives attached
- Try to boot the computer
- If it boots, then the HBA is bad
Note: they should leave the HBA clamp off whether we replace the HBA or not unless it is an hybrid system with the modified HBA clamp.
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Linux
- Open up the system
- Examine the HBA card for a broken SATA 3 capacitor and/or swap SATA 3 with another port to see if it comes online after powering up.
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Drive-not-found-HBA-issue.pdfDescription
Motherboard drives (including OS SSD) displaying “Red” on Storage Hardware tab
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Platform
Windows A-Series with HBA (more than 4 drives)
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Steps to reproduce
Shut down the Exacq server and remove power
Note: Removing the power is the key part, just a normal shutdown will not produce this issue.
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Expected result
All drives show “Green” and Healthy on the Storage Hardware tab.
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Actual result
Just the drives on the Motherboard (including the OS SSD) show “Red” but healthy on the Storage Hardware tab
Note: All drives on the Storage Drive tab show Green and Healthy
Note: The drives are good, the system is recording to the drives when in this state. No known adverse effect to the customer when in this state.
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Work around
Rebooting the system will return the drives to Green Healthy on the Storage Hardware tab
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Fix
We know that rebooting the system will fix the problem until the next time the system losses power. If still in the state where it is showing the drives offline, navigate to the Windows Device Manager, expand storage controllers (it might be labeled as IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers), and disable Standard Dual Channel pci ide controller. Again, you will not see the Standard Dual Channel pci ide controller listed if it is not still in the state where you see the offline drives (after a reboot). If a reboot has been performed, you must shut down the system, pull power, and then boot back up to disable the Standard Dual Channel pci ide controller.
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Motherboard-drives-displaying-Red-on-Storage-Hardware-tab.pdfDISCLAIMER: Any user attempting to upgrade an exacqVision system using this procedure assumes all risk of data loss and hardware issues, and must troubleshoot all related issues without the assistance of Exacq Technologies.
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Section 1: Pre-requisites
- USB drive, at least 4GB (preferably new).
- A valid copy of Windows 7 Pro 32-bit and license.
- Motherboard drivers downloaded from the manufacturer (BIOS, LAN, INF, Audio, AMT, and ME). You can reference the exacqVision Knowledge Base on how to determine which motherboard you have.
- Capture board drivers, SysPrep, and exacqVision software. Download the newest version of capture board drivers and exacqVision client available at exacq.com. If your exacqVision license is expired, use the version of exacqVision software and SysPrep included with the system; you can find them on the Windows Utilities Disc that came with the server.
- Determine whether you have a RAID Controller. If so, download its drivers and software from the manufacturer’s web site. Be sure to obtain the Windows 7 32-bit drivers.
NOTE: You might lose the video data on the disk where the operating system is located, so plan accordingly. The only case in which you should not lose any video data is with a RAID system not using JBOD.
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Section 2: System Preparation
- Use exacqVision Client to export both the existing system settings and the license from the exacqVision server. These options are available by opening the Config (Setup) page and then the System page for the server.
- Copy the settings and license information to the USB Drive.
- It is suggested that you run the BIOS upgrade at this point. Use the instructions from the manufacturer’s web site.
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Section 3: Operating System Installation
- If you have a RAID controller, you must load its drivers before you can see the partitions associated with those drives.
- Use a separate partition 30GB or larger for the operating system. This might require you to format the drive that currently contains the operating system partition, which would destroy the data it contains.
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Section 4: Post-Installation Considerations
- Install packages in the following order:
- Windows updates (install only up to Internet Explorer 10);
- motherboard drivers;
- RAID controller software;
- capture board drivers;
- SysPrep;
- exacqVision software.
- Reboot the system after each step or as prompted.
- Import your license and original settings. Please note that some new features (such as hardware monitoring) might still not be available.
- If your capture boards appear to have swapped order, see https://exacq.com/kb/?crc=2347 for information on changing their order.
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Best-Practices-when-Upgrading-an-exacqVision-Server-from-Windows-XP-to-Windows-7-1.pdfPurpose: After upgrading the operating system or re-imaging an exacqVision server, the capture board order might be changed. In most cases, the board designated Device 2 is now Device 1, and Device 1 is now Device 2. The following procedure explains how to change the capture board order back to the desired order.
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Step 1: Obtain the serial numbers from the capture boards.
- Open exacqVision Client and navigate to the Config (Setup) page (gear icon).
- In the left pane, navigate to the first capture board that is out of order.
- Select the capture board (such as Stretch VRC6016).
- Write down the serial number observed in the device information.
- Repeat this process for the other capture board that has changed in the order.
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Step 2: Stop the exacqVision service.
- Click Start, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate down the list and find exacqVision Server.
- Select exacqVision Server and then click Stop.
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Step 3: Edit Capture Board xml.
- Run Start > All Programs > Accessories.
- Right-click on Notepad and select Run as Administrator.
- Select File > Open. Change the search type from text to all files.
- Navigate to Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > exacqVision > Server.
- Scroll down the list and select StretchPI.xml (sdvr). Click Open.
- With the xml open, press Ctrl+F to open the Find window. Type serial and select Find Next.
- Replace the serial number of Device 1 with the serial from Device 2 using the numbers you wrote down in Step 1.
- Select Find Next in the Find window. Replace the serial number of Device 2 with the serial from Device 1.
- Press Ctrl+S to save the modified xml.
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Step 4: Start the exacqVision service.
- Click Start, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate down the list and find exacqVision Server.
- Select exacqVision Server and then click Start.
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Step 5: Confirm that the boards are back in the desired order.
- In exacqVision Client, make sure the board order has changed as desired. This will be apparent because the camera names will have changed order back to their original order from before the operating system upgrade or re-image.
- After this confirmation, close all other open windows.
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How-to-Re-order-Capture-Boards-with-exacqVision-1.pdfUsing the Client
Within the exacqVision Desktop Client application, click the Configuration (gear) icon from the top-left toolbar.
Click on the ‘Systems’ node from the top of the left-hand side navigation tree.
The grid displayed lists all systems added to this client. Find the ‘Serial Number’ column here.
NOTE: Systems that are software only installs on third-party hardware will display the licensed MAC address as the Serial Number.
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Hardware Labels
Depending on the chassis style and age of the system, the location of the Serial Number label will vary.
This may be found on the side of the server chassis, the rear of the chassis, or in some cases inside the front cover/door.
exacqVision A Series
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exacqVision Q Series
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exacqVision Z Series
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exacqVision C-Series
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exacqVision S-Series
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exacqVision EL-Series
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exacqVision LC-Series
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(NOTE: This article applies to hybrid ExacqVision systems with Stretch boards, manufactured from June 2012 to September 2013 as described in TAB 2013-01. If you need to replace the SATA power cable to an optical drive and hard drive please visit Article 2320.)
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To replace a SATA power cable to a Stretch (sDVR) board in an ExacqVision system, complete the following steps:
1. Shut down the system through the operating system (instead of using the power switch), and then remove the system power cable from the power supply on the back panel.
2. Remove the system lid.
3. Locate the sDVR board. The board could be installed vertically or horizontally, and there could be one or two of these boards.
4. Remove the SATA power cable from each sDVR board. The following images show the location of the sDVR boards (both vertical and horizontal) and the cables that need to be removed.
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Vertical sDVR Board
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Horizontal sDVR Board
5. Trace the SATA power cable back to the 4-pin Molex connector.
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Vertical sDVR Board
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Horizontal sDVR Board
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6. Disconnect the the 4-pin Molex connector.
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7. Remove the faulty SATA power cable and set it aside.
8. Connect the new SATA power cable at the 4-pin Molex connector side first. The following image shows a faulty cable (left) and a replacement cable (right).
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9. Connect the new SATA power cable at the power side to each SDVR board.
10. Replace and secure the system lid.
11. Plug the system power cable back into system’s power supply and turn the system on.
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Related article: Replacing SATA Power Cable in exacqVision System
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(NOTE: This procedure covers the replacement of a SATA power cable to an optical drive and hard drive in an ExacqVision system, as described by TAB 2013-01. If you need to replace the SATA power cable on a system with a Stretch capture board, please visit Article 2328.)
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To replace a SATA power cable in an ExacqVision system, complete the following steps:
1. Shut down the system through the operating system (instead of using the power switch), and then remove the system power cable from the power supply on the back panel.
2. Remove the system lid.
3. EL Series only: Locate the optical (DVD) drive in the system and remove the SATA power cable.
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4. A Series Only: Locate the optical (DVD) drive in the system and remove the SATA power cable. Also, if the SATA power cable is connected to an additional hard drive located under the optical drive, remove the cable from the hard drive.
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5. Trace back the SATA power cable to the 4-pin Molex connector and disconnect it.
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6. Remove the faulty SATA power cable and set it aside.
7. Connect the new SATA power cable at the 4-pin Molex connector side first. The following image shows a faulty cable (left) and a replacement cable (right).
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8. A Series Only: If you disconnected the removed SATA power cable from an additional hard drive in step #4, connect the new cable to the hard drive.
9. Connect the SATA power cable to the optical drive.
10. Replace and secure the system lid.
11. Plug the system power cable back into system’s power supply and turn the system on.
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