Question HDD is at 100% active time and 0 read/write speed

[addywalter]

I have the same problem as reported here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/hdd-is-at-100-active-time-and-0-read-write-speed.3597306/

I had three HDDs in a parity MS Storage Space on my HP Microserver (N54L) to which I was trying to backup my data. The disks would just freeze, as per the screenshot in the thread above. Tried several times with no luck.

So, I moved these three disks to my main PC (much more powerful - same version of Windows 10) and have been hammering them with backup data and have not seen the same issue. Therefore I can only conclude that it's either a fault with the HP Microserver, or Windows cannot properly manage a 3 disk parity Storage Space on lower-end hardware.

I shall continue to search for a solution as I'd like to make use of the 4 HDD bays in this microserver to run a fault-tolerant array of disks.

 

[mdd1963]

WIndows Storage Space's Parity arrays often are often simply dismal at performance, as I have seen but 30-32 MB/sec sequential writes on CrystalDIskMark. Mirrored disks give the typical 110-120 MB/sec that one expects from spinning rust.

 

[addywalter]

WIndows Storage Space's Parity arrays often are often simply dismal at performance, as I have seen but 30-32 MB/sec sequential writes on CrystalDIskMark. Mirrored disks give the typical 110-120 MB/sec that one expects from spinning rust.

This is avoidable by setting the formatted block size to match the stripe size on the disks (I can dig out the instructions if you require), however this is not the problem here. The issue isn't slow performance, it's NO performance, the disk is reported to be active 100% of the time yet it is doing absolutely nothing.
I've just found this possible solution though so will try it and report back: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...ts-100-disk-utilization-with-msi-mode-enabled

 

[addywalter]

This is avoidable by setting the formatted block size to match the stripe size on the disks (I can dig out the instructions if you require), however this is not the problem here. The issue isn't slow performance, it's NO performance, the disk is reported to be active 100% of the time yet it is doing absolutely nothing.
I've just found this possible solution though so will try it and report back: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...ts-100-disk-utilization-with-msi-mode-enabled

Tried this solution last night and have been hammering the drives today and so far so good!

 

[addywalter]

Tried this solution last night and have been hammering the drives today and so far so good!

Further update. Added a 4th disk to the pool and after a few hours copying data to it the dreaded lock-up happened again. I think for some reason this N54L server can't cope with parity storage spaces

 

[SkyNetRising]

Added a 4th disk to the pool and after a few hours copying data to it the dreaded lock-up happened again.

What model drives are you using?
Are those SMR models?

 

[addywalter]

Updated - plugged in a 21 year old 2.5" HDD via a USB IDE adaptor and started an erase program on it - after several hours the drive locked up!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/skUstRrZd9yzxKp56
So this pretty much eliminates Storage Spaces as the cause of the issue here! So, I can now focus on finding out why this particular server/Windows combo is doing this.

@SkyNetRising to answer your question, they're all Western Digital drives - 2x1.5TB, 2TB and 3TB - pretty sure these wouldn't be SMR?

 

[SkyNetRising]

@SkyNetRising to answer your question, they're all Western Digital drives - 2x1.5TB, 2TB and 3TB - pretty sure these wouldn't be SMR?

What models (full model name)?

 

[addywalter]

Sorry, been ill and not had the brain capacity to continue my troubleshooting for a while! Here are my disks:
WDC WD15EADS-00P8B0 (X2)
WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0
WDC WD30EZRZ-00GXCB0

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you show screenshots from HDtune health for all of your drives?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)