Dell R640 with 4TB SSD of two different brands goes faulty with perc 730P mini

Hi,

It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating issue! This kind of problem, where drives fail after a reboot but work fine after a cold start, isn't unheard of. Let's explore some possibilities and troubleshooting steps.

What Might Be Going Wrong?

• Firmware or Driver Mismatch: Your PERC H730P Mini (version 25.5.9.0001) might simply not be playing nicely with those specific 4TB SSDs from Silicon Power and Kingspec. This is especially likely since the problem pops up during a warm reboot but not a fresh power-on. Keep in mind that these brands might not be officially validated by Dell for the H730P controller, which can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior.

• Timing or Power Management: When you reboot, the controller might be having trouble re-initializing the SSDs. This could be due to subtle timing differences or how power is managed during the reboot sequence. A cold start, on the other hand, gives the SSDs more time to properly initialize, which could explain why they work then.

• RAID Controller Health: It's worth considering if there's an underlying issue with the RAID controller itself, perhaps with its cache or battery. A fault here could cause it to mishandle the SSDs during a reboot.

• SSD Firmware Glitches: The SSDs themselves could have firmware bugs that cause them to drop out or become undetectable specifically during a reboot cycle.

How to Troubleshoot:

1. Check SSD Compatibility: The first thing to do is see if your Silicon Power and Kingspec SSDs are officially supported by Dell for the H730P. You can usually find a compatibility matrix on Dell's support site. If they're not listed, it might be worth trying a Dell-certified SSD (like Dell-branded ones, or certain Samsung, Intel, or Micron models that are on their list) to see if the problem disappears.

2. Update Everything:

   • PERC H730P Firmware: Make sure your H730P controller is running the absolute latest firmware. Check Dell's support website for updates.
   • SSD Firmware: Don't forget the SSDs themselves! Check the manufacturers' websites for any available firmware updates for your specific Silicon Power and Kingspec drives.

3. Experiment with RAID Modes: Try configuring the SSDs in different RAID modes (e.g., RAID 0, RAID 1, or even non-RAID/pass-through mode) to see if that changes anything. Sometimes, certain SSDs behave differently depending on the RAID setup.

4. Tweak BIOS Settings: Dive into the PERC H730P BIOS settings and try disabling options like "Fast Boot" or "Quick Initialization." Giving the system a little more time to initialize during a reboot can sometimes resolve these kinds of issues.

5. Inspect Power and Cabling: It sounds basic, but double-check all your power cables and the connections to the backplane. A loose connection can cause intermittent problems, especially during a reboot. If you can, try different power supplies or even different slots on the backplane.

6. Try a Different RAID Controller (If Possible): If you have access to another RAID controller, perhaps an H740P or even a non-Dell controller, test your SSDs with it. This can help you figure out if the problem is specific to your H730P.

7. Review System Logs: Don't forget to check your iDRAC or system logs. They often contain valuable error messages that can pinpoint what's going wrong with the SSDs or the RAID controller during the reboot.

What's Next?

If you've gone through all these steps and the issue still persists, then it's probably time to:

• Contact Dell Support: Provide them with detailed logs and a clear explanation of all the troubleshooting steps you've already taken.
• Consider Dell-Certified SSDs: As a last resort, if compatibility is indeed the root cause, switching to Dell-certified SSDs might be the most straightforward solution.