15s delay responding to play, pause, stop etc

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ejstubbs

Member
First noticed this misbehaviour this evening; when playing recordings the box hangs for ~15s before responding to play, pause, stop, FFWS and RWD commands (oddly, skip forward and skip back work fine). The box does not respond to any other remote key presses - e.g. the Mute button - while it is dallying around.

The WebIF reports the following:

1608938494495.png

and:

1608938556044.png

So, obviously there is a problem with the HDD. Question is: can it be fixed, and how?

Off just now to see if there's anything about this specific fault in the wiki...
 
ejstubbs said:
First noticed this misbehaviour this evening; when playing recordings the box hangs for ~15s before responding to play, pause, stop, FFWS and RWD commands (oddly, skip forward and skip back work fine). The box does not respond to any other remote key presses - e.g. the Mute button - while it is dallying around.
Click to expand...
Indeed, and if you overload the IR command buffer it will crash. The "slow down" is thought to be the extra system overhead caused by a struggling HDD.

ejstubbs said:
Off just now to see if there's anything about this specific fault in the wiki...
Click to expand...
The standard thing is to use fixdisk in maintenance mode. Depending on the outcome you might consider replacing the HDD.
 
Yup, just finished running fixdisk, output below. It seems to think there is a problem with the redring.log file but I've no idea how to address that. Otherwise I think it looks as if it's fixed the problem.

Code: 
Please select option: fixdisk
Any additional options (-h for list or press return for none):
Are you sure you wish to run the hard disk checker? [Y/N] y
Running /bin/fix-disk

Checking disk sdb (512 byte sectors)

Unmounted /dev/sdb1
Unmounted /dev/sdb2
Unmounted /dev/sdb3


Running short disk self test
Error at LBA 585051469
Do you wish to attempt repair of the bad block? [Y/N]: y

/dev/sdb:
re-writing sector 585051469: succeeded

Running short disk self test
                  
No pending sectors found - skipping sector repair

Checking partition tables...

MBR Status: MBR only
GPT Status: not present

Using superblock 0 on sdb1
Using superblock 0 on sdb2
Using superblock 0 on sdb3
Dev: /dev/sdb LBA: 585051469
LBA: 585051469 is on partition /dev/sdb2, start: 2104515, bad sector offset: 582946954
dumpe2fs 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Using superblock 0
Block size: 4096
LBA 585051469 maps to file system block 72868369 on /dev/sdb2

Checking to see if this block is in use...
debugfs 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Block 72868369 is marked as in use

Searching for inode...
debugfs 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Inode: 960416

The following file contains a corrupt block and can not be fully recovered.
You may wish to delete it or recover from backup.

debugfs 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Inode   Pathname
960416  /mnt/hd2/mod/tmp/redring.log


Fri Dec 25 23:40:20 GMT 2020: Checking partition /dev/sdb3...
e2fsck 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 1: Memory used: 240k/0k (157k/84k), time:  8.23/ 2.96/ 2.57               
Pass 1: I/O read: 164MB, write: 0MB, rate: 19.93MB/s
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 2: Memory used: 340k/0k (260k/81k), time:  0.02/ 0.00/ 0.01
Pass 2: I/O read: 1MB, write: 0MB, rate: 46.26MB/s
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Peak memory: Memory used: 340k/0k (260k/81k), time:  8.78/ 3.22/ 2.63
Pass 3A: Memory used: 340k/0k (260k/81k), time:  0.00/ 0.00/ 0.00
Pass 3A: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 3: Memory used: 340k/0k (259k/82k), time:  0.00/ 0.00/ 0.00
Pass 3: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 4: Memory used: 340k/0k (54k/287k), time:  1.20/ 1.19/ 0.00               
Pass 4: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
Pass 5: Memory used: 340k/0k (53k/288k), time:  3.02/ 2.37/ 0.04               
Pass 5: I/O read: 1MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.33MB/s

          20 inodes used (0.00%, out of 655776)
           2 non-contiguous files (10.0%)
           0 non-contiguous directories (0.0%)
             # of inodes with ind/dind/tind blocks: 3/2/0
      247181 blocks used (9.42%, out of 2622611)
           0 bad blocks
           1 large file

           9 regular files
           2 directories
           0 character device files
           0 block device files
           0 fifos
           0 links
           0 symbolic links (0 fast symbolic links)
           0 sockets
------------
          11 files
Memory used: 340k/0k (53k/288k), time: 13.02/ 6.79/ 2.67
I/O read: 165MB, write: 1MB, rate: 12.67MB/s
Fri Dec 25 23:40:33 GMT 2020

Fri Dec 25 23:40:33 GMT 2020: Checking partition /dev/sdb1...
e2fsck 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 1: Memory used: 140k/0k (62k/79k), time:  0.79/ 0.25/ 0.41               
Pass 1: I/O read: 17MB, write: 0MB, rate: 21.58MB/s
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 2: Memory used: 140k/0k (72k/69k), time:  0.01/ 0.00/ 0.00
Pass 2: I/O read: 1MB, write: 0MB, rate: 77.80MB/s
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Peak memory: Memory used: 140k/0k (72k/69k), time:  0.91/ 0.27/ 0.43
Pass 3A: Memory used: 140k/0k (72k/69k), time:  0.00/ 0.00/ 0.00
Pass 3A: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 3: Memory used: 140k/0k (71k/70k), time:  0.00/ 0.00/ 0.00
Pass 3: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 4: Memory used: 140k/0k (50k/91k), time:  0.13/ 0.13/ 0.00               
Pass 4: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
Pass 5: Memory used: 140k/0k (50k/91k), time:  0.32/ 0.26/ 0.00               
Pass 5: I/O read: 1MB, write: 0MB, rate: 3.11MB/s

          14 inodes used (0.02%, out of 65808)
           0 non-contiguous files (0.0%)
           0 non-contiguous directories (0.0%)
             # of inodes with ind/dind/tind blocks: 2/2/0
       15913 blocks used (6.05%, out of 263064)
           0 bad blocks
           1 large file

           2 regular files
           3 directories
           0 character device files
           0 block device files
           0 fifos
           0 links
           0 symbolic links (0 fast symbolic links)
           0 sockets
------------
           5 files
Memory used: 140k/0k (50k/91k), time:  1.36/ 0.65/ 0.43
I/O read: 17MB, write: 1MB, rate: 12.50MB/s
Fri Dec 25 23:40:35 GMT 2020

Creating swap file...
Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 1073737728 bytes
UUID=ec2414de-676d-437c-b1be-e99868a4511a

Fri Dec 25 23:40:59 GMT 2020: Checking partition /dev/sdb2...
e2fsck 1.42.13 (17-May-2015)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 1: Memory used: 816k/4672k (633k/184k), time: 1403.69/786.93/84.19       
Pass 1: I/O read: 7563MB, write: 0MB, rate: 5.39MB/s
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 2: Memory used: 816k/9344k (617k/200k), time:  2.89/ 0.71/ 0.15           
Pass 2: I/O read: 6MB, write: 0MB, rate: 2.07MB/s
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Peak memory: Memory used: 816k/9344k (617k/200k), time: 1425.21/805.52/84.40
Pass 3A: Memory used: 816k/9344k (631k/186k), time:  0.00/ 0.00/ 0.00         
Pass 3A: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 3: Memory used: 816k/9344k (612k/205k), time:  0.06/ 0.04/ 0.00
Pass 3: I/O read: 1MB, write: 0MB, rate: 16.03MB/s
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 4: Memory used: 816k/0k (554k/263k), time: 46.63/46.21/ 0.04             
Pass 4: I/O read: 0MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.00MB/s
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
Pass 5: Memory used: 928k/0k (540k/389k), time: 123.48/92.34/ 1.20             
Pass 5: I/O read: 29MB, write: 0MB, rate: 0.23MB/s

        9167 inodes used (0.03%, out of 29860704)
         563 non-contiguous files (6.1%)
          15 non-contiguous directories (0.2%)
             # of inodes with ind/dind/tind blocks: 715/257/4
    71639704 blocks used (60.10%, out of 119209984)
           0 bad blocks
          20 large files

        7384 regular files
         429 directories
           0 character device files
           0 block device files
           0 fifos
           0 links
        1345 symbolic links (1343 fast symbolic links)
           0 sockets
------------
        9158 files
Memory used: 928k/0k (540k/389k), time: 1595.53/944.10/85.64
I/O read: 7598MB, write: 1MB, rate: 4.76MB/s
Sat Dec 26 00:07:35 GMT 2020
Removing extra swap space.

Finished
fix-disk: session terminated with exit status 0

Press return to continue:

For some reason the nasty red warning panel is still present in the WebIF, but at least the red lines in the HDD attributes are gone:

1608942094942.png

I'm not sure whether either the fixdisk log or HDD attributes indicate anything that might be of further concern.
 
It should be OK now, just acknowledge the status on the disk diagnostics page

Although it was only a single sector with problems it was in a frequently accessed file, others can have dozens of faulty sectors without affecting performance
 
Please somebody explain why previously the pending sector and offline uncorrectable counts were 1, but now the reallocated sector count is zero.

There seems to be no indication the HDD will need replacing any time soon.

Ironic, this is a case where somebody (no names, no pack drill... but forum regulars will know who I mean) could have been misled into thinking the CF was the cause of the problem: removing CF would have stopped the accesses to that sector and the system would have appeared to recover (but still have a latent problem on the HDD).
 
Last edited:
Black Hole said:
Please somebody explain why previously the pending sector and offline uncorrectable counts were 1, but now the reallocated sector count is zero.
Click to expand...
I've noticed that happens with mine. It detects a bad sector, adds it to the pending list, but on retest/rewrite decides it is OK and restores it to use. I'd rather it didn't and kept it out of use. But I guess that's a decision the hard drive manufacturer made.
 
Black Hole said:
Please somebody explain why previously the pending sector and offline uncorrectable counts were 1, but now the reallocated sector count is zero.
Click to expand...
It was a marginal sector that has been declared good on re-write rather than bad, so has not been reallocated.
Black Hole said:
Ironic, this is a case where somebody (no names, no pack drill... but forum regulars will know who I mean)...
Click to expand...
I don't.
Black Hole said:
...could have been misled into thinking the CF was the cause of the problem: removing CF would have stopped the accesses to that sector and the system would have appeared to recover (but still have a latent problem on the HDD).
Click to expand...
Well it kinda (yuk!) was, because redring.log is only used if you have the CF with the redring package installed. Removing either masks the problem.
Of course, a bad sector can affect any file at any time and if it was one the standard only firmware used then it would have affected that too.
Some people are just stupid and have no logical thought. You just have to put up with them, or ignore them and let them carry on in their own merry little world.
 
Thanks all for your explanations and advice.

The HDD has thrown a couple of recoverable errors recently. I'm thinking that, although the checks indicate that it's OK, it might be worth at least having a replacement on standby just in case. My understanding is that it's advisable to use an HDD with certain design characteristics in PVRs. I'd be grateful for advice on what specific characteristics to look for when shopping around, or even recommended manufacturers & models.

(I did scan the wiki for this info but it didn't jump out at me. Apologies if I've managed to overlook it. If the info is there then a link to the wiki page would be more than sufficient.)
 
ABMorley said:
I've noticed that happens with mine. It detects a bad sector, adds it to the pending list, but on retest/rewrite decides it is OK and restores it to use. I'd rather it didn't and kept it out of use. But I guess that's a decision the hard drive manufacturer made.
Click to expand...
On the couple of times it has happened to me (also in .log files)I have just renamed the affected file so that it is longer used.
Wastes a bit of space but log files are small compared to recordings and not vital
 
ejstubbs said:
Thanks all for your explanations and advice.

The HDD has thrown a couple of recoverable errors recently. I'm thinking that, although the checks indicate that it's OK, it might be worth at least having a replacement on standby just in case. My understanding is that it's advisable to use an HDD with certain design characteristics in PVRs. I'd be grateful for advice on what specific characteristics to look for when shopping around, or even recommended manufacturers & models.

(I did scan the wiki for this info but it didn't jump out at me. Apologies if I've managed to overlook it. If the info is there then a link to the wiki page would be more than sufficient.)
Click to expand...
In the "Pinned Threads" section: HDR-FOX HDD Replacement
 
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