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VNX2 RAID Integrity Issues
VNX2 RAID-Integrity Issue Fixes
Dell EMC VNX5200, VNX5400, VNX5600, VNX5800, VNX7600 and VNX8000 arrays protect data with RAID 6 and RAID 5 stripes. When firmware faults or drive-handling bugs interrupt a rebuild, the array can enter a double-fault state or flag “Data Unavailable / Data Loss.” Dell documents every RAID-integrity defect—and its fix—in the VNX Operating-Environment release notes.
The table below lists those RAID-integrity fixes in date order. Check your current OE level before replacing drives, expanding a pool or enabling encryption; if your code is earlier than the “Fixed in” version shown, schedule an upgrade first to avoid rebuild stalls, proactive-spare failures or parity-stripe corruption.
Dell EMC firmware updates frequently address RAID-group rebuild stalls, double-fault scenarios and parity-stripe corruption on VNX2 arrays (VNX5200, 5400, 5600, 5800, 7600, 8000). The table lists every RAID-integrity bug documented in official release notes and the Operating-Environment version that resolves it.
Software Updates for RAID Integrity Issues (Newest to Oldest)
| Software Update | Date | Issue / Symptom (verbatim) | Fix / Work-around |
|---|---|---|---|
| VNX Block OE 05.33.021.5.322 | Aug 2022 | Platform: abrupt shutdown of one SP followed by the second after upgrade; DU / DL due to corrupted RAID parity (Tracking 141646730 / SD-3115). | Parity-stripe recovery logic corrected. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.238 | May 2019 | Increase in PSM Data-Area count prevented LUN migration and incremental SAN Copy, triggering RAID-pool offline. | PSM counter roll-over fixed. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.236 | Jan 2019 |
|
Rebuild/respare logic hardened; SSD error-mask updated. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.231 | Apr 2018 | A drive fault during slice evacuation caused FF_ASSERT_PANIC; potential data unavailability. | Error path fixed during slice relocation. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.218 | Jan 2018 | Encrypted systems: RAID-group keys corrupted when drive link failed over during SP reboot; pool offline on next restart. | Key-push sequence validated before link-failover. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.217 | Dec 2017 |
|
Mutex sequence fixed; RPA path validity check added. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.184 | Sep 2016 |
|
Drive-timeout tolerance raised; LCC upgrade sequencing fixed. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.009.5.155 | Mar 2016 |
|
Added “second-fault window” logic and media-error escrow. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.008.5.119 | Aug 2015 | During Proactive Copy read errors were copied into FAST-Cache, causing host read error on RAID stripe. | FAST-Cache now retries read from peer SP before cache promotion. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.006.5.102 | Apr 2015 | System-drive replacement failed when array reached maximum drives-to-be-installed; RAID rebuild never began. | Check added to allow rebuild after system-drive replace. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.000.5.081 | Dec 2014 | On encrypted systems, converting/destroying pools during system-verify could corrupt new pool metadata, causing DATA LOSS on next reboot. | Pool-create denied if system verify running. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.000.5.074 | Sep 2014 | When both SPs rebooted, storage pool could remain offline or degraded; RAID meta not re-synced. | Pool-sync forced during dual-SP boot. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.000.5.072 | Jul 2014 | Drives aged >2 years gave incorrect “Replace soon” alert; proactive replacements triggered unnecessarily. | Age-threshold logic corrected. |
| VNX Block OE 05.33.000.5.051 | Feb 2014 | RAID group broken when simultaneous internal health checks launched on same group. | Health-check scheduling de-duplicated. |
Field Best Practice
- Replace end-of-life system drives after you patch to the latest Block OE—older code mis-handles proactive spare events.
- On encrypted systems, verify that pool creation or destruction is idle during system-verify; Dell notes data loss if both run together.
- Monitor rebuild progress in Unisphere; if a RAID 6 group shows no progress for 15 minutes, open a support ticket—2016 code and earlier may need manual restart.
