Asset ID:	1-72-1009803.1
Update Date:	2010-07-12
Keywords:

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Solution Type  Problem Resolution Sure

Solution  1009803.1 :   Sun StorEdge [TM] 351x Array: Irregular Battery Charging Cycles  


PreviouslyPublishedAs
213453

Applies to:

Sun Storage 3511 SATA Array
All Platforms

Symptoms

{SYMPTOM}
Numerous battery charging events of random duration can occur on Sun StorEdge[TM] 351x Arrays, instead of the normally-expected regular single charging period.

This has been seen in the event logs of SE3510 arrays running 4.13C and 4.15F
and 1080 SES firmware.

The problem can be identified by inspecting the event log for multiple
consecutive messages of the following types :

Controller BBU is Charging !

Controller BBU Fully Charged !

These messages relate to either the Primary or the Secondary controller, and
if there is more than one charging action for the same controller on the same
date, then the problem is happening.

Changes

{CHANGE}

Cause

{CAUSE}

Solution

Resolution
Recommended that the firmware be modified to suppress these messages.

The problem was documented in Bug ID 6473097 . The root cause was identified and fixed in Controller Firmware 4.21 and later; no FRU replacement is required.

Relief/Workaround
Although these frequently-occuring messages can be ignored, it
is recommended to upgrade Controller and SES firmware to the latest 4.2x
firmware release.

Other than the multiple charging on/charging off messages,
there are no adverse effects. Once the multiple short cycles
are over, the battery really is fully charged, and remains
operational for 30 days or so.


Additional Information
The Lithium-ion battery in the SE351x Minnow self-discharges gradually. There
is no trickle-charge"; instead, the battery is periodically recharged until it
is full. This charge process may take place anywhere from every 2 weeks to
every 4 weeks, and it lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours. The most
commonly seen values are 4 hours every 4 weeks.

Under certain conditions, the expected long 4-hour charge cycle is broken up
into a series of contiguous short or longer charge periods. The duration of a
period can be as long as 2 or 3 hours, or a few minutes, a few seconds, or even
zero seconds. The interval between the end of one period and the start of the
next is never more than a few seconds. In nearly all cases, the total of all the
short and long periods adds up to about 4 hours. There is no order to the period
duration - very long can be followed by several very short, but the reverse can
also be seen.


Product
Sun StorageTek 3510 2U FC Array
Sun StorageTek 3511 SATA Array

Internal Comments
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The Knowledge Work Queue for this article is KNO-STO-VOLUME_DISK
The problem appears to be a marginal Controller/Battery Module interaction.
Even though there may be multiple (6 or 7) consecutive charging on/charging off
Events, there will be only one Cache off/on Event.
Since all the short charge periods normally do add up to about a full 4-hour
charge, and the battery stays fully charged for about a month, this issue is
cosmetic only. There will be sufficient battery capacity to provide the specified cache integrity during a power failure. No FRU replacement is required.
Event, BBU, battery, charging, charged, cycle, 4.13C, 4.14F, 1080 SES, BBU, 6473097, 4.21, 1103
Previously Published As
87344
Change History
Date: 2010-04-23
User Name:susan.copeland@oracle.com
Action: currency and update



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