Can't create UFS Raid1 volume in v9.2.0

[John McC]

I've just installed FreenNAS, first v9.1 in mid December, in which I created a new Raid1 volume, named Raid1Vol,

Then a couple of weeks later when it became available, I upgraded to v9.2, and started to configure the system via the web interface, following the Quick Start instructions on the FreeNAS website. I had a problem at first of no LAN connection, solved when I discovered that the motherboard device was disabled in the Bios - odd, as it was working when last used under Windows. Once re-enabled, I was able manually to configure the Network Interface and get a LAN connection and started to configure the system from a browser on my main Windows 7 computer.

My system hasn't enough memory (only 4GB) to support NFS properly, I read. So I configured the two WD 2TB Red disks as a Raid1 volume, apparently successfully, using the UFS manager.

Then other things started not to work.

I established a Windows Share (Data), and set up a guest user and myself as a normal user. I checked that the CIFS service was started, and (following another forum post) also enabled SSH in case FreeNAS only allows secure connections.

But I couldn't find a way to connect to the share or home directories, either as guest or as myself (johnmcc) from my main Windows 7 Pro 64 bit computer.

The computer (FreeNAS) appeared in the Network computers list, and the homes directory appeared below it, but wouldn't open to show any files. No permissions error, just a timeout and a failed connection.

So I reset the 9.2 system to Factory Default and started over.

Now I can't set up any Storage. The existing disks (2TB WD Red) are showing up as ada0 and ada1, but they'd never had any data put on them, there are no existing Volumes, and I can't Import either or both. An attempt at AutoImport froze the system.

I go to UFS Manager (legacy), complete the dialogue to set up a new volume called raid1vol, choose Mirror, select the two disks, tried to set a non-default path of /data, and click OK. The dialogue closes, but nothing appears in the Volumes list. I tried again, leaving the path at the default (which I had done in the previous installation). Same result - empty volume list.

I'm quite prepared to start all over again with a fresh 9.2 install, but why am I stuck here?

And how do I make CIFS shares browseable?

Thanks if anyone can help.

If this all gets too difficult, I'm tempted to buy a Synology NAS, which is supposed to be easier to configure.

John McC

 

[dlavigne]

Open Shell from the tree and paste the output of gmirror status between code tags.

 

[John McC]

gsmirror status

says

Code:

Name Status Components
mirror/Raid1Vol COMPLETE ada0 (ACTIVE)
ada1 (ACTIVE) 

But I still can't access anything via the web interface in Storage.

Under Active Volumes I see only:
No etnry has been found

Under Disks I can see the two real HDDs, and some others da0-da3 all disabled (probably internal headers for SSD drives).

In the console output after trying to create the mirror again, I get the following (but I now can't type anything after it!):

Any further suggestions, please? Or is the quickest thing just to start with a fresh clean Install from CD?

Code:

Jan 14 00:21:52 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "geom: Can't store metadata on /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted., "]
Jan 15 15:18:48 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 15 15:18:48 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 15 15:18:48 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 15 15:18:48 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 15 15:18:49 freenas notifier: geom: Command 'load' not available.
Jan 15 15:18:49 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "geom: Can't store metadata on /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted., "]

</code>
fresh

 

[dlavigne]

If a clean install doesn't fix it, create a ticket at bugs.freenas.org that includes your two code blocks and post the ticket number here.
</code

 

[John McC]

Thanks. I'll try a clean install.

John McC

 

[John McC]

I'm just starting a fresh install.

The USB flash memory is shown as da4 on the list of devices I choose from for the destination to install to. There was no da4 showing in the list of disks in the web interface after the previous installation. Is this of any significance?

 

[cyberjock]

I'm just starting a fresh install.

The USB flash memory is shown as da4 on the list of devices I choose from for the destination to install to. There was no da4 showing in the list of disks in the web interface after the previous installation. Is this of any significance?

Nope.

 

[John McC]

I've now done a fresh install.

Essentially the same result. Disks seen as ada0 and ad1, but no volumes showing. Attempt to set up Raid 1 Mirror fails.

Console log after Boot and then after attempting to set up Raid 1 mirror attached in case they might shed any light.

Is there a way of reformatting the HDDs to restore them to essentially blank condition from the command line?

In the meantime, I'll try to post a bug report.

 

[John McC]

I'm not getting on well with FreeNAS. At bugs.freenas.org I registered as a new user, johnwmcc, with my normal email address, completed the password box, and was told I had registered successfully.

Then I tried to log in with my username, and the same password - tried several times, in case of typing error.

'Invalid username or password' every time.

Tried Lost Password. 'Unknown user' when I typed in my email address.

In case the login should have been email address, not username (it isn't entirely clear), tried that and the same password. 'Invalid username or password'

Tried to re-register. Told that username and email are already taken.

Sorry, but this is getting too difficult.

Can you offer any help on how to log in now I have registered, and/or recover the password for bugs.freenas.org in case I set it up wrong (I'm pretty sure I didn't, and the password and confirmation matched)? If not, where should I go to report THAT problem?

 

[John McC]

Now fixed. It did NOT tell me that I should expect an Activation email, which I have now received. And successfully logged in.

But the first message just said I had successfully registered, and did NOT lead me to expect that anything else was needed.

GRRR!

 

[John McC]

Now successfully posted bug report 3891 - https://bugs.freenas.org/issues/3891

 

[John McC]

I'm still totally stuck - I have disks that have been set up as Raid1Vol, but can't be seen or used by FreeNAS.

Is there a way of reformatting the HDDs to restore them to essentially blank condition from the command line, so I can start over?

Alternatively, can anyone suggest another way of making the disks usable again? I'm not even sure they could be used as they are at present in any other operating system.

Thanks if anyone can offer help.

 

[cyberjock]

There is the "quick wipe" option in the WebGUI....

 

[Dusan]

Try running "gmirror stop -f Raid1Vol" in the shell. Then use Quick Wipe (http://doc.freenas.org/index.php/Volumes#Viewing_Disks) to wipe both ada0 and ada1.

 

[John McC]

Hadn't seen that option. Thanks for the amplification, Dusan - I couldn't otherwise find it. Will try it....

Just done the gmirror stop command - that worked.

As for wiping the disks, I wouldn't have found that in a month of Sundays without Dusan's explanation and the reference to the documentation. Thanks again both to cyberjock and Dusan.

It now seems to be recreating the raid volume, which to differentiate from the previous one I've named in all lower case, so I can see if it worked.

But I'm not at all sure I'm out of the hole yet. The attached terminal screen is saying

Code:

GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ada1
GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ada0
GEOM_MIRROR: Device mirror/raid1vol launched (2/2)

and is now doing nothing on a blank line.

And the Web GUI console has a long string of near identical lines where all that changes is the
] row of numbers after 'freenas notifier', ending with:

Code:

Jan 17 09:31:01 freenas notifier: 3899292032, 3900574272, 3901856512, 3903138752, 3904420992, 3905703232
Jan 17 09:31:01 freenas notifier:  3906985472
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Mounting late file systems:.
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: mount: /dev/ufs/FreeNASs4: Device busy
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: md5: /data/freenas-v1.db: No such file or directory
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_interfaces
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: -eq: unexpected operator
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_interfaces
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_lagginterfacemembers
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_vlan
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_vlan
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_globalconfiguration
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_staticroute
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_staticroute
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: services_services
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas last message repeated 15 times
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: storage_volume
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: storage_volume
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: storage_volume
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_advanced
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_advanced
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_advanced
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_advanced
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: services_nfs
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas last message repeated 2 times
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: services_smart
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_settings
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: services_ftp
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: [: : bad number
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: system_settings
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: storage_encrypteddisk
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: storage_encrypteddisk
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Stopping collectd.
Jan 17 09:31:07 freenas notifier: Waiting for PIDS: 2983.
Jan 17 09:31:07 freenas notifier: Starting collectd.

I'll try one more reboot.....

Shutting down is taking an age, with lots of error messages 'no such table: system_advanced' and similar. Now it's hanging after 'exiting on signal 15' .

Then after long delay it finished shutdown and I'm trying a reboot. If that doesn't work, I think I'll have to try a new clean install - something here is pretty screwed up.

Lots more similar error messages on restarting: e.g., 'Error: no such table system_settings', and many others.

Time to attempt a fresh install, I think, and if that fails, I'll give up. I've wasted hours now on what should have been a ten minute job to get to the point where I could configure a system.

-------------------

STILL NOT WORKING
The system booted from USB, and appeared as I expected in the Web GUI interface after I logged it.

HOWEVER, I STILL can't format a raid1 volume on my two HDDs. I tried, as before, the UFS Manager, selected both disks and chose the 'mirror' option.

The console output says at the end:

Code:

Jan 17 10:03:57 freenas root: /etc/rc: WARNING: Dump device does not exist.  Savecore not run.
Jan 17 10:03:57 freenas root: /etc/rc: WARNING: failed precmd routine for vmware_guestd
Jan 17 10:03:57 freenas ntpd[2068]: ntpd 4.2.4p5-a (1)
Jan 17 10:03:58 freenas kernel: +
Jan 17 10:03:58 freenas smartd[2319]: Configuration file /usr/local/etc/smartd.conf parsed but has no entries (like /dev/hda)
Jan 17 10:03:58 freenas root: /etc/rc: WARNING: failed to start smartd
Jan 17 10:04:02 freenas avahi-daemon[2849]: WARNING: No NSS support for mDNS detected, consider installing nss-mdns!
Jan 17 10:04:02 freenas kernel: done.
Jan 17 10:04:05 freenas ntpd[2069]: time reset -0.194552 s
Jan 17 10:12:03 freenas notifier: Performing sanity check on Samba configuration: OK
Jan 17 10:12:03 freenas notifier: Stopping avahi-daemon.
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: geom: Command 'load' not available.
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "geom: Can't store metadata on /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted., "]

And there is still the message under Storage/View Volumes 'No entry has been found'

I attach the full console output from start of bootup.

So now I'm STILL stuck with nowhere obvious to go.

Any further suggestions, please, or do I have to go and buy a Synology device? And hope that the disks can be reformatted in that?

 

[Dusan]

Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_interfaces

Code:

Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_lagginterfacemembers
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_vlan
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_vlan
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_globalconfiguration
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_staticroute
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: network_staticroute
Jan 17 09:31:06 freenas notifier: Error: no such table: services_services

This indicates corruption of the USB stick (config DB).

Time to attempt a fresh install, I think, and if that fails, I'll give up.

Did you try another USB stick?

Code:

Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 10:12:40 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted

It appears that during the previous run it managed to initialize gmirror (but you could not use the system due to the config DB corruption). You need to repeat the gmirror stop & quick wipe. I would also suggest you reinstall to a new brand name USB stick.

 

[John McC]

Many thanks for the explanation and the advice.

I don't have a top brand USB stick, nor indeed another of 8GB though I have an inexpensive 16GB one.

Can I use an SD card instead? This computer has a USB SD Card reader built in. I think I have one of 8GB. But I don't think that's a top brand one either.

At least you've given me some options to work through. Thank you. I can't do much more tonight, but will try again over the weeekend.

 

[John McC]

Well, I've tried again with the 16GB USB memory stick, and done a fresh install onto it. It isn't a branded device, but it has been working perfectly satisfactorily as a data store formatted originally as NTFS disk, which I reformatted (not a Quick Format) as a blank NTFS disk before using it for FreeNAS.

As far as I know, it hasn't got a switch to make it read only. And it certainly wasn't behaving that way when attached to a Windows machine.

I get EXACTLY the same symptoms after I run gmirror stop -f raid1vol (apparently successfully). and then try to Add Volume using the UFS Volume Manager.

After this, the console on the screen attached to the FreeNAS computer shows as before

GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ad1
GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ad0
GEOM_MIRROR: Device mirror/raid1vol launched

... then hangs

[Enter] on the keyboard restores the shell prompt.

The Web GUI console output from this point shows:

Code:

Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas kernel: GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ada1
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas kernel: 
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas kernel: GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ada0
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas kernel: 
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas kernel: GEOM_MIRROR: Device mirror/raid1vol launched (2/2).
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas notifier: geom: Command 'load' not available.
Jan 17 12:46:00 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "geom: Can't store metadata on /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted., "]
Jan 17 12:48:16 freenas notifier: gpart: arg0 'ada0': Invalid argument
Jan 17 12:48:16 freenas notifier: gpart: geom 'ada0': Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:16 freenas notifier: gpart: arg0 'ada0': Invalid argument
Jan 17 12:48:16 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Failed to wipe ada0: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted ]
Jan 17 12:48:23 freenas notifier: gpart: arg0 'ada1': Invalid argument
Jan 17 12:48:23 freenas notifier: gpart: geom 'ada1': Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:24 freenas notifier: gpart: arg0 'ada1': Invalid argument
Jan 17 12:48:24 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Failed to wipe ada1: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted ]
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas notifier: dd: /dev/ada1: Operation not permitted
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas notifier: geom: Command 'load' not available.
Jan 17 12:48:49 freenas manage.py: [middleware.exceptions:38] [MiddlewareError: Volume creation failed: "geom: Can't store metadata on /dev/ada0: Operation not permitted., "]

I'm bothered by the line gpart: arg0 'ada0'; Invalid argument - what does that mean?

Does this suggest that the hard disks aren't allowing writes to them? If so, why?

Or does it cause a problem with the memory sticks that they were (both) previously formatted as NTFS? But FAT32 formatting doesn't work for devices over (I think) 2GB or 4GB, and both were bigger than that.

I do have one 4GB drive. Is that big enough? I could format that as FAT32 and try one more time.

Any further ideas, please? You've been very patient and helpful so far - thank you. If it's something I'm doing wrong, I'm not seeing it - and I did read the FreeNAS hardware recommendations, and the installation manual.

 

[cyberjock]

I've had several no-name USB sticks that were unusable with FreeNAS but worked great for storing files both before and after trying to use them with FreeNAS. So I'd stop and get a name brand USB stick and then continue from there. Until you do we can't definitively rule out the USB as the cause of the problems.

 

[Dusan]

I get EXACTLY the same symptoms after I run gmirror stop -f raid1vol (apparently successfully). and then try to Add Volume using the UFS Volume Manager..

Did you really perform the Quick Wipe after the gmirror stop?

After this, the console on the screen attached to the FreeNAS computer shows as before

GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ad1
GEOM_MIRROR: cancelling unmapped because of ad0
GEOM_MIRROR: Device mirror/raid1vol launched

... then hangs

[Enter] on the keyboard restores the shell prompt.

This is OK, it does not hang, that's just how console messages work.

I'm bothered by the line gpart: arg0 'ada0'; Invalid argument - what does that mean?

Does this suggest that the hard disks aren't allowing writes to them? If so, why?

The FreeBSD kernel tries to protect you from stomping on live filesystems/geoms. So, this may indicate that the gmirror is active but FreeNAS is trying to do changes and failing (due to the protection).

Or does it cause a problem with the memory sticks that they were (both) previously formatted as NTFS? But FAT32 formatting doesn't work for devices over (I think) 2GB or 4GB, and both were bigger than that.

The formatting does not matter. The FreeNAS system partitions are UFS -- the installer will overwrite any previous filesystem on the stick.

I do have one 4GB drive. Is that big enough? I could format that as FAT32 and try one more time.

4GB is fine, but don't bother with formatting.

Any further ideas, please?

OK, few more things you may want to try:

• Make sure that you actually did the Quick Wipe after the gmirror stop.
• Try running "sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=0x10" before creating the volume. This disables most of the kernel geom checks. Make sure to reboot after you create the volume to reset the flags back to default.
• If even that doesn't help, try to boot DBAN (http://www.dban.org/) and completely wipe the drives (just fillinf with zeros is OK, you don't need to "secure" wipe).