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Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

December 5th, 2022, 9:00

I've got a broken EQL drive to replace with a newer one. As dell does not sell eql drives without a support contract, i'm looking on how to convert an enterprise drive with same part number to an EQL one.

I've downloaded DS04 firmware LOD file and got DE05 firmware LOD from the drive kit update.

Is there anything i can do? Looking at firmware code sections, it is looking to VENDOR ID to proceed with the upgrade.

Can anyone help?
Attachments
DS04.lod.zip
FIRMWARE DS04
(1.1 MiB) Downloaded 235 times

Re: Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

December 7th, 2022, 11:06

I've managed to flash a DE05 firmware over DE07 drive (from compellent) using seaflash for linux.

DE05.lod can be obtained downloading from EQL website the Drive Firmware KIT
Code:
kit_V13.0_DriveFw_731036618.zip


Looking for the drive device using
Code:
./sealflashlin_048_064 -i


My disk was at /dev/sg5
Code:
./sealflashlin_048_064 -s 512 -m ST4000NM0025 -f DE05.lod /dev/sg5


I've captured a kind of partition on a working EQL drive in EQL.BIN and copied it.

I've used dmesg to get that /dev/sg5 is mapped to my /dev/sdd

Next i've copied the image i made to the disk with
Code:
dd if=./EQL.BIN of=/dev/sdd


Putting the disk into the storage was successfully with a correctly recognized drive.

Next step is to convert a drive with the Enterprise firmware or a NON OEM segate drive.
Attachments
seaflashlin.zip
(113.17 KiB) Downloaded 259 times
EQL.BIN.zip
(100.35 KiB) Downloaded 266 times

Re: Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

December 8th, 2022, 15:57

Usually people do backward procedure. There are many dell drives with specific fw on eBay, cheaper than OEM .

Re: Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

December 9th, 2022, 11:33

DR-Kiev wrote:Usually people do backward procedure. There are many dell drives with specific fw on eBay, cheaper than OEM .


I can't find a working EQL drive on eBay anyway, that's why i asked for help here!

Re: Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

December 28th, 2022, 15:58

Hi.

freddyk, I am trying to make my disks compatible with Compellent arrays.
Seems that they contain an EqualLogic firmware preventing them to work.

Do you have any hint?

Re: Converting Dell ST4000NM0025 to EQL DRIVE

March 26th, 2023, 8:53

freddyk wrote:I've managed to flash a DE05 firmware over DE07 drive (from compellent) using seaflash for linux.

DE05.lod can be obtained downloading from EQL website the Drive Firmware KIT
Code:
kit_V13.0_DriveFw_731036618.zip


Looking for the drive device using
Code:
./sealflashlin_048_064 -i


My disk was at /dev/sg5
Code:
./sealflashlin_048_064 -s 512 -m ST4000NM0025 -f DE05.lod /dev/sg5


I've captured a kind of partition on a working EQL drive in EQL.BIN and copied it.

I've used dmesg to get that /dev/sg5 is mapped to my /dev/sdd

Next i've copied the image i made to the disk with
Code:
dd if=./EQL.BIN of=/dev/sdd


Putting the disk into the storage was successfully with a correctly recognized drive.

Next step is to convert a drive with the Enterprise firmware or a NON OEM segate drive.



Were you ever able to convert the Non OEM Disk with the EqualLogic firmware?
I am kind of in the same boat. Truing to convert an IBM DS8800 Storage disk into IBM V3700 Disk.
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