DSM-G600, DNS-3xx and NSA-220 Hack Forum

bgoedel · 2007-12-22 10:00:18

Although my device was working properly for weeks (with 1.04b58) I experienced now that the disks are not spinning down anymore. They are entirely configured as RAID1. UPnP AV, iTunes and FTP servers are disabled.

I can hear a disk access around every 20 seconds. None of the PCs on the LAN is running. Even if I disconnect the network cable from the device it is accessing the disks. As both disk leds blink during this access I guess, it is a write access. But I didn't find the reason for it.

Code:

/mnt/HD_a2 # ps
PID   USER     COMMAND
    1 root     init
    2 root     [ksoftirqd/0]
    3 root     [events/0]
    4 root     [khelper]
    5 root     [kthread]
   11 root     [kblockd/0]
   14 root     [khubd]
   50 root     [pdflush]
   51 root     [pdflush]
   53 root     [aio/0]
   52 root     [kswapd0]
  190 root     [scsi_eh_0]
  191 root     [scsi_eh_1]
  192 root     [scsi_eh_2]
  193 root     [scsi_eh_3]
  204 root     [mtdblockd]
  219 root     [kcryptd/0]
  220 root     [kmirrord/0]
  231 root     [loop0]
 1048 root     atd
 1053 root     smbd -D
 1055 root     nmbd -D
 1063 root     smbd -D
 1272 root     [md0_raid1]
 1472 root     chkbutton
 1490 root     /web/webs
 1497 root     fancontrol
 1517 root     op_server 3 3 3
 1523 root     -sh
 1552 root     lpd Waiting
 1581 root     crond
 1636 root     /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/sbin/telnetd -l /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/bin/
 1673 root     /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/bin/dropbear -d /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/etc/
 1693 root     /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/sbin/uptimed
 1856 root     /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/bin/dropbear -d /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/etc/
 1871 root     -sh
 1993 root     ps

What is going on in my system?

Recently I tried to enable the built-in UPnP AV server, giving a certain subfolder as media directory (not the root directory). WinDVD 8 didn't find any UPnP server, thus I restarted the device. That didn't help. I gave up and disabled the UPnP feature again. Maybe there are some configuration left-overs from the UPnP trial?

I've already read the "known issues". There was never a printer attached to the device. There is nothing in the printer queue. I added the suggested line into fun_plug to clean up the directory just in case. I killed the lpd process. I killed the crond. No change - still frequent disk accesses.
I also searched the forum but didn't find any posting describing this problem. The disks are not spinning down and up again, they keep running and there is obviously something frequently written to.

Please help!

Bernhard

Last edited by bgoedel (2007-12-22 10:05:16)

KyleK · 2007-12-22 15:56:47

I had similar problems with my machine in the last days.
One culprit on your configuration could be uptimed. I think it stores the uptime in a textfile every minute or so.

I had disabled uptimed though, and still the drives spun down after 5 minutes, only to spin up again 10 minutes later.
I disabled the fun_plug logfile (LOGFILE=/dev/null), and now the issue seems to be gone.

The curious thing is: nothing really wrote to the log file after the system had booted up. Very weird...

bgoedel · 2007-12-23 03:05:01

Thanks for your advice! I wanted to try it out by applying the line "export LOGFILE=/dev/null" after the last line in fonz' /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug script. After reboot and telnet (or ssh) to the box I recognized that the variable LOGFILE is still set to /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/log/fun_plug.log

Even if I set the variable "by hand" to /dev/null this setting is valid for the current session only. If I close the telnet session and start it over again, I see that the variable has again its old value.

Where is the proper place to make the variable setting permanent?

Bernhard

KyleK · 2007-12-23 03:48:34

All variables are actually set twice: once when the NAS boots up (when fun_plug script is executed), and once again when you log in via telnet/ssh (when the /etc/profile is evaluated)

I just realized this now as well. So either remove them completely from the profile, or just match them.

bgoedel · 2007-12-23 12:36:46

During this night the disks were not spinning. I followed your recommendations setting LOGFILE to /dev/null and killed the uptimed process.

Thank you a lot for your help!

Bernhard

Last edited by bgoedel (2007-12-23 12:37:05)

KyleK · 2007-12-23 13:50:12

It's a bummer. I'd really like to run uptimed to see how stable the machine works, but the fact that it writes data to the drive is unfortunate.
You could stick a USB memory stick to the USB port (there are modules available here on the board to make usb storage possible) and point the logfile there. I suppose this'll stop the hard drives spinning up every minute or so.

Amateur · 2007-12-24 00:20:09

Hello, the USB disk works for me just perfect. I'm running mldonkey entirely from that disk as well. It's very nice to have a silent torrent client without moving parts

Piotr_Kw · 2008-01-03 21:52:19

KyleK wrote:
I had disabled uptimed though, and still the drives spun down after 5 minutes, only to spin up again 10 minutes later.
I disabled the fun_plug logfile (LOGFILE=/dev/null), and now the issue seems to be gone.

The curious thing is: nothing really wrote to the log file after the system had booted up. Very weird...

Another wierd issue - I haven't done any hack yet but my dns behaves exactly the same (5 minutes of silence/5 minutes of work).
However, it's used to be quite

Regards,
Piotr

fordem · 2008-01-03 23:34:34

Piotr_Kw wrote:
Another wierd issue - I haven't done any hack yet but my dns behaves exactly the same (5 minutes of silence/5 minutes of work).
However, it's used to be quite

Regards,
Piotr

Do you have a printer attached? Have you looked at the wiki - known issues?

Piotr_Kw · 2008-01-04 11:55:08

fordem wrote:
Do you have a printer attached? Have you looked at the wiki - known issues?

Yes, I've gone through wiki and whole forum before posting.
I've never attached a printer nor made any changes to my dns.
And I'm perfectly sure that for first 2-3 weeks everthing was OK.
Automatic spin-up has occured a week ago.

Best,
Piotr

fordem · 2008-01-04 15:26:18

OK - so that means there is another cause - other than log files and the print spooler.

Piotr_Kw · 2008-01-07 10:07:28

1. decided to use 'microsoft routine' for a not-working feature :
disable power management and restart dns, enable power management and
restart: didn't work.
2. restarted XP: nothing changed
3. changed LAN speed from 'auto' to '100' (my real LAN speed)
4. lost drive mapping
5. restarted XP: nothing changed (lost mapping)
6. followed wiki known issues:
1. created a user and a group (resulted in Volume 1_1)
2. changed IP do static
7. powered computer down and went to bed
8. Listened to dns in the morning – silence

Unfortunately, I did the above late at night, so cannot tell for sure which one helped to resolve spin-down problem.
Just hope it still works on my comming back home in the evening

With LAN speed changed back to auto power management works OK.
Seems it might have been the IP issue.

Best,
Piotr

Last edited by Piotr_Kw (2008-01-07 22:40:29)

DSM-G600, DNS-3xx and NSA-220 Hack Forum

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#1 2007-12-22 10:00:18

Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

Code:

#2 2007-12-22 15:56:47

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#3 2007-12-23 03:05:01

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#4 2007-12-23 03:48:34

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#5 2007-12-23 12:36:46

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#6 2007-12-23 13:50:12

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#7 2007-12-24 00:20:09

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#8 2008-01-03 21:52:19

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

KyleK wrote:

#9 2008-01-03 23:34:34

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

Piotr_Kw wrote:

#10 2008-01-04 11:55:08

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

fordem wrote:

#11 2008-01-04 15:26:18

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

#12 2008-01-07 10:07:28

Re: Disk not spinning down (periodic access?)

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