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Author Topic: Question regarding hotswapping CRU drives and Windows Leslie Hartmier Expert Film Handler Posts: 100 From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Registered: Jul 2012 posted 08-14-2014 08:03 PM                     We've had an interesting situation occurring with our TMS/LMS where after about two years, we're finding that some (and only some) of our CRU drives are no longer being hotswappable. If we plug the trail mix in, it is necessary to reboot to get the TMS to see the drive, and if we swap out the drive, it is necessary to reboot to change the drive to do the ingestions. So, I was wondering if any of you fine folks have experienced the same problem with any of your Windows TMSes, and if so, other than reinstalling Windows (which works to solve the problem, but is obviously a fairly extreme response), if you have any tips on fixing this issue. I did discuss this with CRU DataPort themselves, and they report that they have had people commenting that Windows can and has done this to a number of their customers, but they had no insights on how to resolve, then prevent the issue. We're also considering switching the TMSes to linux, as there is a linux version of the software, but as the managers/projectionists are all familiar with Windows, we'd kinda want to keep things...familiar. Any insights would be good insights, I suspect.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-15-2014 12:39 AM                     GDC-TMS uses Win 2008 server software at our location, and we have no problems with our CRU four drive bay. Sounds like you got a software issue with the CRU setup itself, not the software that operating your TMS, plus it could be a memory issue.  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 08-15-2014 12:59 AM                     First of all, are you using an internal CRU port connected via SAS/SATA or an external one, connected via USB? For this, you need to dive into your Windows installation. A good place to start would be the "Event Viewer" and look for any obvious errors. Also, does it show up in Disk Management after you plug it in?  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-15-2014 05:30 AM                     If you don't know what caused this, I wouldn't resort to a windows reinstallation, as you may end up with the same problem pretty soon again. Hotswapping SATA devices is not naturally possible. If you have the time, next time you run into this problem, mark the specific drive and mount it to a Boot-CD-Linux system and check it's format. You may find that those drives without the hotswap option use a different format/partition scheme. That may not solve your problem, but at least then you know what causes it. A way to solve it would be to use an alternative way of connecting those CRU drives to the TMS machine - get a MoveDock and connect it as an alternative ingest source. MoveDocks are available in USB 2.0+ESATA and USB3.0 only devices (latest revision). Depending on your TMS machines' port capability (you may be able to retrofit a USB3.0 card and drivers), choose the USB2.0 or USB3.0 version. USB3.0 will of course be faster. Per definition, only ESATA is hotplug-capable, and only with dedicated drivers - but even then people occasionally run into trouble with it. ESATA is not just an internal SATA port brought out to a slot bracket. Internal SATA ports have never been meant to be hot swappable. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-27-2015 12:08 PM                        So. I dug up this old post that deals with my exact dilemma. I have four theatres running a TMS program with no storage. I have been given the green light to add storage. I got the whole thing working except the "hot swappable" part. After reading this post, I realize the error of my ways - in that I cannot directly connect the CRU drive to a SATA port of the motherboard. So here's my question: What device would you recommend? A PCI card with an ESATA port? I would then have to run the cable on the internal CRU drive back out of the computer to the outside to plug into the card? Do they sell internal eSATA cards? Just wondering...  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-27-2015 02:21 PM                        The Cinedigm LMS runs on a Windows Server platform (2008?). I'm not sure how the CRU drives are configured, but they are intended to be hot swappable. Unfortunately, it is not intended for users to be able to get out of the TCC shell and poke around in Windows. Unless you have a tech password, theatre level users will not be able to check any kind of configuration or event logs, update drivers, or anything else.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 01-27-2015 03:16 PM                     'Standard' internal SATA ports are not hotswappable. You would indeed need to build in an eSATA card. Yes, some of them do have 'internal eSATA' ports. Yes, sound weird... ;-) Another option is using a USB3->SATA bridge. The speed is nearly on par with a real SATA connection, but the hotplugging is no trouble anymore. I guess that server has USB3.0 anyway? Would be handy for all those USB3.0 discs turning up. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-27-2015 08:54 PM                     It wouldn't surprise me if it isn't some Windows update thing that is causing machines to suddenly stop recognizing the drives. The mechanism for Cinedigm to recognize the CRU drive, assign a drive letter to it and mount is a highly customized version of EXT2ifs. Another key thing to Cinedigm TMS systems...Windows is NEVER allowed to update. There is no reason for it. The only thing that is ever installed are Cinedigm updates. The only thing that can connect to it are via strict firewall and managed switches. It should never be used to surf the web...unless you are a tech user, it only ever opens up into its shell. On our GDC TMS systems, we have essentially followed the same rules, as much as possible...Same firewalls, same managed switches/rules and same no-update from Microsoft rules. As such, all of ours (both Win7Pro based as well as Server 2008) have never experienced a CRU mounting issue. It would be nicer if there was an automated version like Cinedigm has.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-28-2015 12:01 PM                        I tested my build today (using a eSATA PCI card borrowed from a local shop) and was successfully able to change out drives on the CRU Drive Bay without a bunch of drive management/rebooting/b.s... So see, this site is good for something.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-28-2015 01:52 PM                     Dennis, Some cards will recognize when a new drive is installed and some do not. It's hit and miss with them. I found a card that does and bought enough of them to build many many TMS systems. Most cards I tested do not recognize a new drive without a reboot. On the EXT program and GDC... I have had a few sites where the EXT program completely stops working a couple of months after updating to TMS 4.0. None of our TMS's get Windows updates. I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it and this doesn't fix it. However there is another better EXT program available for free that does work. It's a little more comprehensive but I think in the future I am going to use this one exclusively. http://www.ext2fsd.com/ Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-29-2015 06:47 AM                     You'd think GDC would come up with their own means to recognize a CRU drive by now. It remains a primary form of ingest for many users.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-29-2015 05:36 PM                     They probably would were it not for the simple fact that their App can run under many types of OS's and on many types of computers. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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