Solved! AMD x470-based server, RAIDXpert2 email notifications

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Using an Asrock X470 board for my new server. First time using RAIDXpert2, Normally use Intel chipset-based RAID or hardware RAID controllers.

I don't see any way to send email notifications if a RAID failure occurs. Since this is a server I won't be in front of it on a daily basis, so I need some way to get notified of a RAID issue. Is there something I'm missing? I've simulated a drive failure and there is no audible alarm from the motherboard. A message pops up on-screen, but there is no Windows Event Viewer entry created that I can create a task from. Any suggestions?
 
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Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
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81
I was able to find a solution using the command line utility RCADM. Although the PDF documentation doesn't state it will send email notifications, looking at the command line help I found it will along with creating Windows Event Log entries. This is the command I use:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\RAIDXpert2\rcadm" -F --delay 30 --mail-address recipient@emailaddress.com --from-user sending@emailaddress.com --mail-server your.mailserver.com --syslog


The program stays running. I have this running all the time using a Scheduled Task (run at startup) and it seems to work well.
 
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Marius87

Junior Member
Oct 5, 2020
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Hi Kremlar, I've also studied RCADM a bit in the hope of getting notifications via eMail about some newly created RAID Arrays.

Code:
C:\Program Files (x86)\RAIDXpert2> rcadm --follow --help

rcadm -F

       FOLLOW
       ------

       Long form:
              rcadm --follow [--test-mail --mail-address <to_email_address>
                 --mail-server <email_server>
                 --from-user <from_email_address>] [--syslog]

       Short form:
              rcadm -F [-tm -ma <to_email_address> -ms <email_server>
                    -fu <from_email_address>] [-sl]


       Long form:
              rcadm --follow --delay <seconds>
                      [--mail-address <to_mail_address> --mail-server <email_server>
                   --from-user <from_email_address>]
                      [--program <program>]
                      [--scan] [--syslog]

       Short form:
              rcadm -F -d <seconds>
                    [-ma <email_address> -ms <email_server> -fu <from_email-address>]
                    [-p <program>] [-s] [-sl]



       OPTIONS
       -------

       -tm,   --test-mail
              Sends a test email message. Used with the --mail-address, --mail-server, and
              --from-user flags.


       -ma,   --mail-address
              Specifies the email address to notify when an event occurs, such
              as a disk failure or an array going offline. Also specifies an
              email address to which to send an email test message.

       -ms,   --mail-server
              Specifies the email server to send mail through.


       -fu,   --from-user
              Specifies the sender's email address for email notifica-
              tion. Used with the --mail-address option when sending email
              alerts.


       -p,    --program
              Specifies the program to execute when an event occurs.


       -sl,   --syslog
              Logs events with critical and error serverity levels.


       -d,    --delay
              Specifies the number of seconds to wait between polling the
              disks and arrays.


       -s,    --scan
              Uses variables found in rcadm.cfg instead of command line arguments.
              If the file exists, the values specified in the file are used unless
              explicitly set otherwise on the command line. The file rcadm.cfg must
              be in the same directory as rcadm.exe.

         Example:  MAILADDR        <user@system.com>
                   MAILSERVER      <email_server.com or IP address>
                   FROMUSER        <user@system.com>
                   PROGRAM         <program to run>


       -l,    --language
              Specifies the language locale digit to print the messages.

         Example:  -l  0     /* English                */
         Example:  -l  1     /* Chinese (Simplified)   */
         Example:  -l  2     /* Chinese (Traditional)  */
         Example:  -l  3     /* Dutch                  */
         Example:  -l  4     /* French                 */
         Example:  -l  5     /* German                 */
         Example:  -l  6     /* Brazilian              */
         Example:  -l  7     /* Italian                */
         Example:  -l  8     /* Japanese               */
         Example:  -l  9     /* Korean                 */
         Example:  -l 10     /* Russian                */
         Example:  -l 11     /* Spanish (Modern)       */
         Example:  -l 12     /* Swedish                */
         Example:  -l 13     /* Arabic                 */
         Example:  -l 14     /* Bulgarian              */
         Example:  -l 15     /* Croatian               */
         Example:  -l 16     /* Czech                  */
         Example:  -l 17     /* Danish                 */
         Example:  -l 18     /* Estonian               */
         Example:  -l 19     /* Finnish                */
         Example:  -l 20     /* Greek                  */
         Example:  -l 21     /* Hebrew                 */
         Example:  -l 22     /* Chinese HK             */
         Example:  -l 23     /* Hungarian              */
         Example:  -l 24     /* Latvian                */
         Example:  -l 25     /* Lithuanian             */
         Example:  -l 26     /* Norwegian              */
         Example:  -l 27     /* Polish                 */
         Example:  -l 28     /* Portuguese             */
         Example:  -l 29     /* Romanian               */
         Example:  -l 30     /* Serbian                */
         Example:  -l 31     /* Slovak                 */
         Example:  -l 32     /* Slovenian              */
         Example:  -l 33     /* Thai                   */
         Example:  -l 34     /* Turkish                */
         Example:  -l 35     /* Ukranian               */



       EXAMPLES
       --------

       Example: Poll for status every 30 seconds and logs event to system log
       and send email when an event occurs.

               rcadm -F --delay 30 --mail-address me@somesys.com
                        --from-user someone@somesys.com
                        --mail-server my-mail-server.com --syslog

       Example: Poll for status every 60 seconds and run a program when an
       event occurs.

       rcadm -F --delay 60 --program myprog.exe

       Example: Send a test message.

               rcadm -F --test-mail --mail-address me@somesys.com
                        --from-user someone@somesys.com
                        --mail-server 192.168.0.1


So, how to add username and password for the mailserver? And what's about SSL/TLS?

Funny thing beside, in Raidexpert2 Ver. 6.1.5-00025 you have the Option to set eMail-notifications via "Options > Notification" (which by the way doesn't work for me as I always get the Error "Mail Server Connection Issue"):

Raidexpert2 Mail Notification GUI


All Data filled there will be saved as plain text (incl. Password!) in rc_cgi_config.txt... o_O:laughing:
 

Marius87

Junior Member
Oct 5, 2020
2
0
6
So, how to add username and password for the mailserver? And what's about SSL/TLS?
The solution, for all landing here searching for help, was pretty simple:
  1. Download E-MailRelay, extract and start emailrelay-setup.exe as Administrator

  2. Follow the easy-peasy assistant to Set-Up the Relay
    1. Installation type: SMTP server
    2. Mail forwarding: Synchronously
    3. Local Server Port 25
    4. No Authentication / No TSL/SSL encryption
    5. Remote server: smtp.yourprovider.com Port: (for example SSL: 465 or TLS/STARTTLS: 587)
    6. Check Supply authentication - provide Account Name and Password, check Use TLS/SSL
    7. No Server / Client Filter
    8. Logging: as is
    9. Connections: Listen on, hit One: Interface 127.0.0.1 (<= that will be your SMTP Server for AMD Raid notifications)
    10. Server startup > Automatic > At system startup > Finish
  3. Now, for Raidexpert2 Ver. 6.1.5-00025 go to "Options > Notification" and fill "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)" with 127.0.0.1, "To Email Adress" with the adress you want to send your notifications to and "From eMailadress" with the adress you've set-up in the E-MailRelay on point 6.
    Leave "Server requires Log-in" unchecked - as this function does not work and as that's why we're making this work-around via e-MailRelay.

  4. If your Raidexpert2 Version doesn't have Notification Option, use the run at startup Scheduled Task as descriped above by Kremlar or use/add C:\Program Files (x86)\RAIDXpert2\rc_cgi_config.txt

    OUTGOINGSERVER 127.0.0.1
    EMAILADDRESS to-email-adress@provider.com
    FROMUSER from-email-adress@provider.com
    REQUIRESLOGIN f
    USERNAME
    PASSWORD
    ENABLEMESSAGING t
    LOW ft
    INFORMATIONAL ft
    WARNING tt
    CRITICAL tt
    FATAL tt


  5. Finish - but shameful for a big company like AMD not being able to solve easy things like that while otherwise promoting RAID features by selection and selling of the chipset.
 
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