SMART causes SSD to die with unhandled error code

[Richard Eames]

I have an OCZ Petrol 128GB SSD, if I run S.M.A.R.T via gnome-disk-utility my system freezes because it remounts the drive read only. Checking my syslog I see a lot of "unhandled error code" messages. If I then do a soft reboot, the SSD is not detected in POST; I have to hard reset to see it again.

This is my second OCZ Petrol, because the first one completely died in more-or-less the same manner: it stopped showing in POST. So, I fear it may be gnome-disk-utility causing this, and not two random failing drives.

Here's an except from my syslog:

Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816119] ata4.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6 frozen
Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816127] ata4.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE
Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816138] ata4.00: cmd e7/00:00:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/a0 tag 0
Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816141] res 40/00:00:01:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/00 Emask 0x4 (timeout)
Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816157] ata4.00: status: { DRDY }
Mar 17 15:36:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1006.816164] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 17 15:36:32 jupiter kernel: [ 1016.828031] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 17 15:36:32 jupiter kernel: [ 1016.828041] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 17 15:36:42 jupiter kernel: [ 1026.840101] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 17 15:36:42 jupiter kernel: [ 1026.840110] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 17 15:36:52 jupiter kernel: [ 1037.412109] ata4: link is slow to respond, please be patient (ready=0)
Mar 17 15:37:17 jupiter kernel: [ 1061.884031] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 17 15:37:17 jupiter kernel: [ 1061.884041] ata4: limiting SATA link speed to 3.0 Gbps
Mar 17 15:37:17 jupiter kernel: [ 1061.884046] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072117] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072125] ata4: reset failed, giving up
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072130] ata4.00: disabled
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072146] ata4: EH complete
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072218] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072224] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072232] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Write(10): 2a 00 0b ab c0 c0 00 00 08 00
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072252] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 195805376
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072260] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 195805376
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072279] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072284] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072291] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 08 a7 e0 08 00 00 08 00
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072308] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 145219592
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072335] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072340] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072346] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 00 2a f1 d8 00 01 00 00
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072363] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 2814424
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072390] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072396] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072403] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 03 48 d2 20 00 00 20 00
Mar 17 15:37:22 jupiter kernel: [ 1067.072420] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 55104032

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: gnome-disk-utility 3.0.2-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Mar 17 15:56:02 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-disk-utility
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

I try to aggregate "exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6 frozen"

under

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/965213

Could you check if your report fit in there and mark yours as duplicate if so?

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

Let us keep the communication here as long this is not figgured out as duplicate.

You could test your system with the latest kernel and say if your problem is still there(kernel.log entries).

But beware such is not tested, so your system may became unbootable.

If you want to try, see #4 in:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/965213
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTW: I am have no experience with SSD´s, but I thing that this here should be filed against linux-generic and not
gnome-disk-utility

[Richard Eames (naddiseo)]

Ok, I tried running a SMART test via gnome-disk-utility with the mainline kernel, and still get these errors. It took about 4 hard resets to get my SSD to show in BIOS this morning.

Excerpt:

Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832057] ata4.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6 frozen
Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832067] ata4.00: failed command: SMART
Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832079] ata4.00: cmd b0/d0:01:00:4f:c2/00:00:00:00:00/00 tag 0 pio 512 in
Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832082] res 40/00:00:01:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/00 Emask 0x4 (timeout)
Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832089] ata4.00: status: { DRDY }
Mar 27 21:15:36 jupiter kernel: [ 68.832096] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 27 21:15:46 jupiter kernel: [ 78.844142] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 27 21:15:46 jupiter kernel: [ 78.844150] ata4: hard resetting link
Mar 27 21:16:31 jupiter kernel: [ 123.900139] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 27 21:16:31 jupiter kernel: [ 123.900148] ata4: limiting SATA link speed to 3.0 Gbps
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088127] ata4: softreset failed (device not ready)
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088136] ata4: reset failed, giving up
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088142] ata4.00: disabled
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088188] ata4: EH complete
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088233] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088238] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088246] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 06 44 1c 40 00 00 20 00
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088262] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 105126976
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088282] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088287] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088293] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 00 95 27 00 00 00 20 00
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088308] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 9774848
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088324] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088331] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088336] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088344] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Read(10): 28 00 04 84 c5 b0 00 00 20
Mar 27 21:16:36 jupiter kernel: [ 129.088370] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled error code

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

Sorry, for the delay.

I have forgotten to subscibe here, so I have not received your last comment via e-mail.

I have found a solution for magnetic harddrives in:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/965213

The entries in your kenel.logs are the same, so you should look if you could connect your SSD with other/new cables.

[Richard Eames (naddiseo)]

Unfortunately, the cables were not the issue. I tried with different cables and different machines. I returned my drive and got a replacement of a different brand, which has lasted longer than the other two combined. I still think the issue may have been caused by issuing a S.M.A.R.T, but I'm unable to do any further testing. I'll change this bug to invalid until someone else has a similar issue with OCZ Petrols.

[Christian Mertes (cmertes)]

I'm getting the exact same errors with a Crucial SSD (M4-CT064M4SSD2). It happens spontaneously as far as I can see and I can't even shut down the machine anymore. After a hard shutoff and rebooting, everything works fine again. Until the next event. SMART doesn't show any problems but I haven't tried if it causes them yet. I didn't see that connection so far.