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10000 RPM SCSI Drive Longevity?

JeepinEd

JeepinEd

Senior member
I have an old Compaq Proliant PII server running SCO Unix.
After the 4gig SCSCI drive failed a few years ago, I decided to replace it with an IBM Ultrastar 10K RPM Drive (18.2GB). This drive lasted about 1.5 years then I started to get read/write errors. I then replaced that drive with a Seagate Cheetach Ultra320 10KRPM drive (18.5 Gigs). I've had it for just over a year, and now it's starting to give me read/write errors. Is this normal for these types of drives?

Thanks,

Ed
 
I have had 0 problems.. but earlier drives (older) has less mtbf..

it might be some controller problems.. if possible, i would low level format & test off the card and see whats going on..
 
PSU problems?

Have you checked to see if they get good ventilation? What's their temps?

Unless you got unlucky (two bad drives, it's possible), it might be something killing the drives, instead of the drives dying on their own.
 
You also need to take into account the fact that your running some old SCSI drives. Where are you getting these drives from and how many hours of use did they have before you got them?
 
What type of Proliant is it?
Some old 1600/1800 series box or something along those lines?

In either case, unless some fan has stopped working, or it's gathered up a shitload of dust, they have ample ventilation(as you'd expect from a proper server).
We actually have an old 1600(the older type with the plastic drive trays with ISA like connectors) with two 4.3 GB 10K drives, both still working fine, as well as a whole bunch of "new" 1600's with a wide variety of 7/10K drives, and while a bunch of drives has failed, as can be expected out of a decent number of them over a period of 6 or so years, nothing like what you describe.
I'd say you're either very unlucky, or something is wrong, either with the box, the environment in which it's operating, or the way you're handling it.
 
My step dad has a pair of 18Gb 10,000rpm SCSI's that he's had longer than I've known him (about 4 years). I'd say they REALLY shouldn't be failing after a year.
 
I have a some scsi drivers that are about 6 years old and they have been running 24/7 for at least 4 of those years.
 
Just got back into the office.

I have a temperature gauge on the drives and it's usually somehwere between 89 - 95F. It's quite possible that it runs hotter during the weekends, when they shut down the A/C for maintenance.

The server is an old Proliant 800, which does tend to suck up quite a bit of dust. All the fans are functioning properly. I did add one of those dual fan hard drive coolers to the drive, and recently one of the fans stopped. I din't see much of a rise in HD temperature, though.

The first two drives, I purchased from CDW (yeah, I know -ultra expensive). I just ordered a replacement drive from New Egg.

If there was a problem with the PSU, or the controller, I would think the problems would arise much sooner would they not?

Thanks for the help,

Ed

 
I'd say either cooling or PSU problems as is pretty much the consensus above. All SCSI drives have 3 to 5 yr. warranties - usually no problem at all RMAing them. My drives have almost always been used in servers for whatever their in-house life cycle was before I get them (as I'm cheap) and the all have "loved me long time"... 😉 All they need is clean power and a bit of air flowing over them.

.bh.
 
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