[j-nsp] High failure rates for M7i/M10i hard disks?

[sthaug at nethelp.no]

We have around 25 M7i/M10i in production, and we have had 3 hard disks
fail during the last year. The last instance was rather ridiculous - M7i
with failed hard disk, we RMAed the RE, it was swapped - and after one
week, the new hard disk failed also.

When the hard disks have failed, they have failed in such a way that the
rest of the ruter ceases functioning. We *assume* this is because the
hard disk problem ties up the CPU so much (interrupts or otherwise) that
the RE cannot generate the necessary protocol keepalives - thus the
routing protocols go down. Pinging the router from a connected network
still works, but we're unable to login to the box. Powering the box off
and on again brings it up, running from from compact flash only (the
hard disk is not detected on boot).

Has anybody else seen similar problems?

Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug at nethelp.no