Hello StackExchange (what, this is LinuxQuestion.org...probably the wrong place then but maybe someone can help...). I have an old HP MSA 2040 that the management controller part (the MC software) no longer works and won't accept credentials at CLI to try to fix it (even after the built in restoreusers nd restoredefaults hidden credentials). I suspect it would work again if I could perform a full factory wipe or if there was a way to flash newer firmware via a USB thumb drive on the internal USB port, but cannot find any info on how (or if even possible but I suspect it is). There appear to be 5 ways to interface with this thing as well:
Ethernet
USB Serial
3.5mm Service-1
3.5mm Service-2
3.5mm CLI

I don't know how the 3.5mm interfaces work either as there is no documentation I could find but maybe I need to use one of those in conjunction with the thumb drive, I don't know.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to either bypass the login locally to run the CLI command "restore defaults factory" or even reload the firmware using the firmware update BIN file via an early boot process, please share.

Attached Thumbnails

 

After a quick shuftie round t'internet I find that the HP MSA 2040 is a storage array, (EOL 2015, but Hey! if you can get it to work...) you can check out the various options, etc in the Quickspecs document.

I also found that you probably need something called "Smart Component" to upgrade the various firmwares; controllers, disks, etc.

Best thing I can find is an advisory regarding the Smart Components but I don't want to follow this any further down the rabbit hole. Hopefully somewhere for you to start your research! Be lucky! When I gave up all this stuff HP had just been split in two and required you to have a service contract to get firmware/software upgrades. I'm talking five or six years ago so no idea what works now.

Play Bonny!

Yea, way back in the day when these where new (they were released 2013 with EOL of 2018, https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public...a00038415en_us), before the last one fell off support, I snagged all the firmware version file bins I could. It is possible to direct upload via the SMU web or FTP management to flash them if I ever needed to get a replacement off eBay or something, but with this one, both controllers management services fail to start. If there was a jumper I could do to factory reset them, they would probably load fine since the storage controller part appears to be working, or if I could directly access the under lying OS to issue a full reset from the 3.5mm Service or CLI ports, that would work as well.

From what I have gathered, these are running GL220P008, released 2016 May 20, and I have all releases between that and GL225P002-02, release 2019 May 31, so if there was a way to prep a thumb drive and have it reset/boot and reload from said drive, then they would probably be usable again. Trying to avoid the eWaste. The one that is semi working, I am seeing if I can downgrade it to GL220P008 to see if it can then issue commands to the other node to factory reset. The real joy I have found from reading forums is that when it faults and a simple removal and reinstall doesn't work, waiting 12-24 hours seems to get back to the previous working state, in one of those again.

The 3.5mm jack is going to be 2-4 core (my bet is on 3 - signal+, signal -, or just maybe clock, and oV), and there's bound to be something simple on it available via irc or what ever folks use now.

It appears to be a TRS and I tried Tx,Rx,GND and a few swaps of them to no avail but will open one of them up (found it is possible to remove from the housing without disturbing the screw that has the void if removed label, lol) and trace the connection to see if any cross with the built in USB to serial that doesn't work until fully booted to see if I can see any early startup sequence stuff. Will post what I find if it is any success.

Hi, sorry for resurrect this old topic, but i think is my last chance for solve a similar issues on my MSA 2040...

After LOT of investigation without any solution, your reverse engeeniring about the GPIO of the MSA and the possibility for update the firm by this way are exactly that i'm thinking .

can you tell me the result of your investigation?

you seem my last chance, I hope you receive an email notification for this post...

I think is the only post on all Internet talk about this...

Yea...been a year, and I haven't been able to spend any time on this recently. The MSA has been on my work bench collecting dust as I have had to use the power/network/etc to do other active projects. Half the time I tried something, I would soft brick the "working" controller and would need to unplug it for a day as I waited for the cache battery to die, or disassemble it and force remove it for several minutes.

The PCB has some odd screen printing in places that resemble tactile buttons but no button is present. I crossed the pads with some wire while outside the unit, but if it is anything like a reset used on a home router, you need to be pressing it down for 30 seconds or something while trying to boot the thing. It would not surprise me at all if HPE has a service center bench where those are accessible while applying power, but in the actual chassis, that doesn't seem possible. Maybe I can try soldering some wire to them and feed it to outside the unit with a momentary switch on it to press and hold...just thought of that now...