SRX

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  • 1.  SRX340 SSD installation

    Posted 10-02-2017 06:56

    I have been unable to find ANY documentation of the installation of an SSD device for logging in the SRX300 series.

    I HAVE found references that indicate the following:

    1) it is supported in our SRX340

    2) minimum size for SRX340 is 100GB

     

    BUT, after installing a 240GB Samsung 840 SSD, the SRX340 is stuck with the status light in alarm.

    The device doesn't appear to have finished starting up, only the managment port is active.

    ports 0/0 and up are dead/ inactive.  Even the power button is nonresponsive.

    After pulling the power cord and removing the drive, the device starts up normally when re-energized.

     

    Please advise, what is the procedure for installing an SSD drive, and which drives are supported?

    None of our resellers have the "official" Juniper SKU 100GB SSD drive for sale.


    #logging
    #srx340
    #SSD


  • 2.  RE: SRX340 SSD installation
    Best Answer

    Posted 10-03-2017 10:53
    Juniper support has been unable to assist, so I'm sharing my findings with the community. Hope this helps other avoid the troubles I've encountered...
     
    HOW TO boot SRX340 with SSD installed:
    From factory backup image on internal, snapshot to USB media w/partitioning.
    Reboot from USB.
    Install software upgrade w/ reboot.
    Set Rescue.
    (test snapshot to USB- failure to snapshot to boot device confirms we are running off USB )
    Snapshot to _internal_ w/partitioning.
    Reboot from _internal_
    Set AutoRecovery
    Power down.
    remove USB device.
    external: copy USB device image to SSD. (BSD image options: keep structure, no expand, change disk signature on target SSD)
    install SSD in SRX device.
    Power up SRX.
    Device is running and responsive in less than 5 minutes.
     
    Uncertain how it shook out, if the SSD is being labelled "internal" or what...
     But at least it's able to boot up with SSD installed.
    Ta-Da.
     
    Now need to verify we can log to SSD, etc.  Not quite out of the woods, but can at least see the clearing.
    -clm


  • 3.  RE: SRX340 SSD installation

    Posted 10-12-2017 15:43

    I don't get it "external: copy USB device image to SSD. (BSD image options: keep structure, no expand, change disk signature on target SSD)".

    Could you please explain in details.



  • 4.  RE: SRX340 SSD installation

    Posted 11-14-2017 10:12

    So, I've found the error in this setup, and the reason why my device wasn't accepting the SSD originally:

     

    The SSD must NOT be initialized.

    There is NO need to copy ANYTHING to the SSD, just make certain it has nothing marked active/bootable/etc.

    As a Windows users, this would require an administrative command prompt:

    "diskpart", "list disk",

    -then # based on which is the target drive: "select disk #", "clean", (optional "create partition primary"), "exit"  

    Do NOT allow system to initialize disk.

    Install this blank, uninitialized disk into the powered-down SRX.

    Keep in mind: the first boot with the new SSD drive will be an extra 15+ minutes for the SRX to format your drive, more time for larger drive.

    This has been working flawlessly for us the past eight days.  Really nice to have log streams handy.

    Added this to our configuration: (in the beginning of the "security { " section)

    log {
    mode stream;
    report;
    }

     

    Ignore my earlier section about "copy USB device image to SSD."  instead, simply wipe the SSD drive clean as described above.

    a disk utility which could "secure erase" the drive may also work. 

    End result must have a blank drive, so the SRX can format it for logging.

    -You won't have to set the USB as your boot device, either. 

    Just make certain you have an appropriate JUNOS version installed (110), then shut down to install the SSD.

    After it comes back up, add stream mode and report to security log configuration.