Managing Internal Storage
Topics in this chapter include the following:
About the K2 Media Client internal storage system
Both HD/SD and SD-only models are available with internal media storage. This makes the internal storage K2 Media Client a self-contained, stand-alone unit, with no external devices for storage, audio, or video connections required.
The storage system on an internal storage K2 Media Client includes the following:
RAID drives — There are twelve RAID drives, located behind the fan module in the front of the unit. They are configured as six RAID 1 pairs, or LUNs. One LUN is the system drive, while five LUNs are for media storage. Each LUN appears to the operating system as a single disk. Media data is written or “striped” across the five media disks in a continuous fashion, which makes the disks a “stripe group”. This media stripe group appears as the V: drive to the Windows operating system.
SCSI controller adapter — This is a PCI board installed in the rear of the chassis. It provides the SCSI controller functionality for the internal RAID disks. Both system and media data require this RAID controller functionality, as both are stored on the internal RAID disks.
SCSI interface board — This board provides the SCSI interface for the RAID drives. It monitors and reports the status of the RAID drives, the chassis fans, and the power supplies. It also controls the individual RAID status LEDs and the front panel Power and Service LEDs. It is mounted horizontally in the front of the unit, above the RAID drives.
RAID redundancy — The two disks in a RAID 1 LUN are redundant partners. Any single disk in a LUN can fail and disk access can continue. When a disk fails, error messages in the AppCenter StatusPane or in NetCentral inform you of the problem. You can then replace the failed disk. The data is rebuilt on the replacement disk and redundancy is restored.
Using Storage Utility
This section describes using Storage Utility for general maintenance tasks on a K2 Media Client with internal media storage. Refer to the K2 Media Client Service Manual for repair procedures, such as those required to replace a failed drive. Also refer to Storage Utility for a general description of Storage Utility.
NOTE: Do not run Storage Utility on an external storage K2 Media Client. For external storage, run Storage Utility only via the K2 System Configuration application, as explained in the K2 Storage System Instruction Manual.The Storage Utility runs on either the local K2 Media Client or from a control point PC. In both cases the Storage Utility’s primary functionality is hosted by the K2 Media Client. The Storage Utility uses the internal connection to the RAID disks for access and configuration.
The K2 Media Client runs in either an online mode or an offline mode. These modes are required for Storage Utility operations, as follows:
- Online mode — This is the K2 Media Client’s normal operating mode. When the K2 Media Client is in the online mode and you open Storage Utility, you can stay in this mode while you view the devices, LUNs, and disks of the internal storage system, but you can not configure the storage system. However, some operations are available that do not configure the storage system, such as identify a drive (flash the drive LEDs), get controller logs, disable a drive, and force a drive to rebuild.
- Offline mode — In this mode the K2 Media Client channels are disconnected and all media access operations are disabled. You are prompted to put the K2 Media Client into offline mode when you select an operation that configures the storage system. When the K2 Media Client is in the offline mode you can configure the storage system and perform all Storage Utility operations. When you exit Storage Utility you can put the K2 Media Client back into online mode.
CAUTION: Use the Storage Utility only as directed by a documented procedure or by Grass Valley Support. If used improperly, the Storage Utility can render your K2 Media Client inoperable or result in the loss of all your media.Opening Storage Utility
There are two ways to open Storage Utility for work on an internal storage K2 Media Client, as explained in the following sections.
Opening Storage Utility through AppCenter
Unless prevented by a system problem, you should always open Storage Utility through AppCenter. When you do this your AppCenter login permissions are passed to Storage Utility, so you do not have to log into Storage Utility separately.
If you are running AppCenter on the local K2 Media Client, as Storage Utility opens it connects to the storage system of that K2 Media Client. If you are running AppCenter on a control point PC, as Storage Utility opens it connects to the storage system of the K2 Media Client that hosts the channel currently selected in AppCenter.
To open Storage Utility through AppCenter, do the following:
- Open AppCenter, either on the local K2 Media Client or on the control point PC and logon.
Make sure you logon to AppCenter with appropriate privileges, as this logon is passed to Storage Utility. Administrator-level permission is necessary for most Storage Utility operations. If you log in with user-level permissions, the Storage Utility menu item is disabled.- If you are running AppCenter from a control point PC and you have channels from multiple K2 Media Clients in your channel suite, select a channel from the K2 Media Client whose internal storage you intend to configure with Storage Utility. This is important as Storage Utility automatically connects to the K2 Media Client that hosts the currently selected channel.
NOTE: Make sure you are connecting to a K2 Media Client with internal storage. You should never connect Storage Utility directly to a K2 Media Client that uses external storage.
- From the AppCenter System menu, select Storage Utility.
Storage Utility opens.- If you are connecting from a control point PC, you should verify that you are connected to the correct K2 Media Client. To verify this, use the Identify feature to flash the disks on the K2 Media Client. Refer to Identifying disks.
Opening Storage Utility independently
Do not open Storage Utility independently unless there is a problem that prevents you from opening it through AppCenter.
To open Storage Utility independently, do the following:
NOTE: Make sure you are connecting to a K2 Media Client with internal storage. You should never connect Storage Utility directly to a K2 Media Client that uses external storage.
- Enter the name or IP address of the K2 Media Client for which you intend to use Storage Utility. If you are opening Storage Utility on a local K2 Media Client, enter the name of that K2 Media Client. Click OK.
- Logon to Storage Utility. Make sure you logon with appropriate privileges. Administrator-level permission is necessary for most Storage Utility operations. For User name, you might need to enter the machine name as the domain to successfully log on.
Storage Utility opens.- If you are connecting from a control point PC, you should verify that you are connected to the correct K2 Media Client. To verify this, use the Identify feature to flash the disks on the K2 Media Client. Refer to Identifying disks.
Overview of Storage Utility
The Storage Utility user interface includes a tree view in the left-hand pane, and a status information area displayed in the right-hand pane. The tree view displays the hardware that make up the storage system connected. The context menus in the tree view are used to configure storage. The right-hand status pane displays information about the item selected in the tree view. The tree view hierarchy is as follows:
Controllers in Device - Provides a logical grouping of RAID Controllers by device.Controller - Represents the RAID Controllers found. These are numbered in the order discovered. The controller icon represents both RAID Controller A and, if installed, RAID Controller B. To determine if an optional RAID Controller B is installed, select the Controller icon in the tree view, then examine the status pane for peer status.Bound LUNs - Expanding the Bound node displays all bound LUNs.LUN - Represents a bound LUN. Expanding the LUN node displays the disk modules that make up the LUN.UnBound disks - Expanding the UnBound node, displays all unbound disk modules.Disks - Represents the disk modules.The Storage Utility detects disks available and lists them on the opening screen. The Storage Utility names the disks by the number of the slot in which they are installed.Refer to the following procedures to use Storage Utility for maintenance tasks
Checking storage subsystem status
Some limited status information for storage subsystems is displayed in the Storage Utility. This can be helpful when configuring storage. You can view status information by selecting items in the tree view.
Checking controller microcode
As explained in the previous section, to check controller microcode, select the controller in the tree view and the microcode version is displayed.
Identifying disks
The Identify feature allows you to flash the disk LEDs so that you can physically locate a specific disk module or group of disk modules that make up a LUN. Always use the disk identify feature before removing and replacing a failed disk module. Accidentally removing the wrong disk module can destroy all data on the disk drives.
You can also use this feature to verify the K2 Media Client to which you are currently connected.
To identify RAID disks do the following:
NOTE: Replace the fan module within one minute to maintain system cooling.
- Compare the RAID drive labeling on the K2 Media Client chassis and the disk numbering displayed in Storage Utility to identify drive locations. To understand RAID drive numbering, refer to RAID drive numbering. Then position yourself so you can see the RAID drive LEDs, which are in the rear of the drive bay.
- Identify the disks in a LUN or identify a single disk, as follows:
- In the Storage Utility tree view, right-click a LUN or right-click a single disk, then select Identify LUN or Identify Disk in the context menu. A message box opens with a message that informs you that a disk or disks are blinking.
- The LEDs on the disk or disks display a flashing pattern alternating yellow/green once a second. Verify the location of the disk or disks.
Get controller logs
Check disk mode pages
Disabling a disk
- In the tree view, right-click the disk and select Advanced | Disable.
- When the message “The drive is spinning down…Please wait” appears, click OK.
The Service LED on the K2 Media Client displays a flashing yellow pattern three time a second.- When the message “Operation succeeded…now safe to remove disk” appears, click OK.
- The Storage Utility displays red Xs on tree view icons to represent a disk fault and a degraded LUN.
NOTE: Remember that the LUN 0 (disks 0_0 and 0_1) is the system drive. Do not attempt disk operations on the system drive.Forcing a disk to rebuild
If media access (record/play) is underway, when you insert a media disk it automatically begins to rebuild. If there is no media access underway, to start the rebuild process either begin a media operation or use the following procedure:
- In the tree view, identify the faulty disk.
If the disk is not currently in the fault state, the Rebuild option is not available.
- In the tree view, right-click the faulty disk and select Rebuild.
- When the message “Succeeded to start rebuild…” appears, click OK.
The Service LED on the K2 Media Client displays a flashing pattern alternating yellow/green once a second.- To check the progress of the disk rebuild, click View | Progress Report.
Unbind LUN
You can only unbind one LUN at a time. Also make sure the controller is not busy with other processes, such as rebuilding a disk. If the controller is busy, the unbind LUN operation fails.
CAUTION: Unbinding destroys all data stored on disk modules.To unbind a LUN, do the following:
- In the tree view, right-click the LUN and select Unbind LUN.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline.- When warning messages appear “…destroy all existing media…” and “Are you sure?”, click OK to continue.
- The Progress Report opens and displays unbind progress.
- When progress reports 100% complete, the LUN is unbound.
- Restart the K2 Media Client.
NOTE: Remember that the LUN 0 (disks 0_0 and 0_1) is the system drive. Do not attempt disk operations on the system drive.Bind Luns
When you bind a LUN, you select unbound disks and create a new LUN. The Storage Utility places this new LUN at the bottom of the list and numbers it accordingly. However, disk numbers are enforced by the chassis slot in which the disk resides. Therefore if some LUNs remain bound while you are creating a new LUN, it is possible that the new LUN number and the disk numbers will not match. When you create a new file system, this mismatched numbering does not hamper functionality. However, to make the K2 Media Client easy to service, you should retain the correct numbering sequence. To do this you must unbind all media LUNs (not the System LUN) and then bind disks in sequence.
To bind a LUN, do the following:
- In the tree view, right-click the Unbound node and select Bind LUN.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline.The Bind LUN dialog box opens showing all unbound disks for the controller listed in the Available Disk list.
- Select two contiguous disks, then click the arrow button to add them to the Selected Disks list. (TIP: Use ‘shift-click’ or ‘control-click’ to select disks.)
NOTE: As an aid in identifying a disk module’s physical location, select it in the Selected Disks list, then click Identify Disks. This causes the disk drive LED to flash.
- Click OK to close the Bind LUN dialog box and begin the binding process.
The Progress Report opens and displays unbind progress.- When progress reports 100% complete, the LUN is bound.
- Repeat the previous steps for other unbound disks.
- Restart the K2 Media Client.
- After binding one or more new LUNs, you must make a new file system, as explained in the next procedure.
Make New File System
- Click Tools | Make New File System.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline. The Configuration File window opens.
- You can view media file system settings, but do not attempt to change them. Click Accept.
A “Making new file system. Please wait” message box displays progress.- When a message “Succeeded to make the new file system. The server will be restarted now” appears, click OK to restart the K2 Media Client.
Check File System
This procedure checks the media file system but retains current media files.
- Click Tools | Check File System.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline.- A message box appears “Checking media file system. Please wait”. Observe progress.
If problems are discovered they are reported. If the check process passes, when the process is complete a message appears to confirm success.
- Click OK to dismiss the results.
Your file system has been checked.Cleaning unreferenced files and movies
These procedures allow you to keep the media database and the media files in sync. You can check the movies (clips) in the media database for the references to media files that should be currently stored on the media disks. Likewise, you can check for media files that are not referenced by a movie in the media database. If you find any unreferenced files or movies, you can delete them.
To clean unreferenced files, do the following:
- Click Tools | Clean Unreferenced Files.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline.- A message box appears “…searching…Please wait”. Observe progress.
- A message box reports results. Respond as follows:
To clean unreferenced movies, do the following:
- Click Tools | Clean Unreferenced Movies.
- If the K2 Media Client is online, messages appear “…offline mode now?” and “…continue?”. Click Yes to put the K2 Media Client in offline mode.
AppCenter channels go offline.- A message box appears “…searching…Please wait”. Observe progress.
- A message box reports results. Respond as follows:
Loading RAID controller microcode
You might be instructed in K2 release notes to upgrade the RAID Controller microcode on the RAID chassis. This allows you to take advantage of the RAID enhancements and benefit from improved reliability.
To upgrade RAID Controller microcode, do the following:
- In Storage Utility, right-click a controller in the tree view, then select Advanced | Load Controller Microcode. Redundant controllers that share the same set of disks are automatically selected and upgraded as a pair.
The Open File dialog box appears.
- In the Open File dialog box, browse to the latest controller microcode file for your controller, select the file, and click OK.
- The Progress Report window appears showing the microcode upgrade task and the percentage completion.
- On 100% completion, power cycle the RAID controller chassis, then restart the K2 Media Server.
Downloading disk drive firmware
You might be instructed K2 release notes to upgrade disk drive firmware. This allows you to take advantage of the disk drive enhancements and benefit from improved performance and reliability.
To determine your disk drive type and current firmware version, select a disk drive icon in the Storage Utility tree view, then note the drive properties reported in the right-hand pane. Use the following procedure if you need to download disk drive firmware.
NOTE: The disk drives on each controller are upgraded one at a time which can take as long as 2 minutes per drive. Take this into consideration when scheduling the upgrade.Requirements for this procedure are as follows:
To download disk drive firmware, do the following:
NOTE: You can download firmware to a single disk by right-clicking a disk icon in the tree view.Storage Utility operation not supported
The following option is displayed in the Storage Utility menu system, but the operation is not supported on the K2 Media Client:
Placing the K2 Media Client into online mode
If the K2 Media Client is in offline mode and you have completed your storage system configuration tasks, you have the following options to return the K2 Media Client to the online mode:
- Exit Storage Utility and bring channels online — If Storage Utility is closed, first open Storage Utility and then exit Storage Utility. When you exit Storage Utility you are prompted “…back to online mode?'. Click Yes.
After exiting Storage Utility, if AppCenter is open the channels remain offline. To bring channels online, if you are running AppCenter on a control point PC, select System | Reconnect. If you are running AppCenter on a local K2 Media Client, close and reopen AppCenter.- Restart the K2 Media Client — Restarting automatically resets the K2 Media Client to online mode. When you log into AppCenter channels connect and come up online.
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