Error Message

localhost - Write cache enabled information

Symantec recommends that write disk caches with no emergency backup power source be disabled to avoid any possible data loss. User Windows Device Manager to disable the write disk cache option for these caches.

Always perform this check when starting Storage Foundation.

This means that writes are being cached locally on the server system hardware. So, if the server lost access to the SAN or the server crashed, then those writes cached on the local system would be lost. Most 3rd Party Vendor Storage Arrays offer caching on the Array side which is protected by UPS Power Management, which make it the only caching that is safe to use when this Option is enabled.

When the VEA is started, it checks the SAN Disk and Server Internal Disk Properties to see if Write Caching is enabled at the sytem level, if so, the Warning appears. Most Vendor Storage Arrays will grey out the Cache Option in Device Manager, which avoids the popup, but not all do.

If the disks are protected by Internal Server RAID protection and UPS Power Management or the Disk are SAN based disks, the Warning can be safely ignored.

If the disk hardware configuration is uncertain, additional research should be done with the Server Vendor and/or or SAN Storage Array Vendor to determine the risks envolved.

If the disk hardware configuration is uncertain, additional research should be done with the Server Vendor and/or or SAN Storage Array Vendor to determine the risks envolved.

Applies To

Windows Server 2003, 2008

SFW 5.x

SFW-HA 5.x