This article contains information about mounting the /flash drive on a NetScaler appliance by using an appropriate device reference with respect to the NetScaler hardware platform.

Requirements

To complete this task, you need a serial connection to the NetScaler appliance with the following specifications:

• 9600 bits per second

• 8 data bits

• No parity

• 1 stop bit

Background

When you make a probe from the operating system, the command output might not display the flash drive. As a result, the NetScaler appliance experiences some booting issues and displays some error messages during the boot process.

For example, when you run the df –k command from the shell prompt, the output might indicate that the /flash directory is not mounted, as shown in the following sample output of the df –k command:
root#df –k

Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Avail Capacity Mounted on
/dev/md0c 165294 156238 5752 96% /
/dev/ad2s1e 69490770 6906620 57024890 11% /var
procfs 4 4 0 100% /proc

Device Names for Flash Drive

The following are the lists of various Citrix NetScaler appliance models that use the respective flash drive names in the appliance.

The following models use the /dev/ad0s1a device name for the flash disk:

• 7000

• 9010

• 9950

• 10010

• 12000

• MPX-15000

• MPX-17000

The following models use the /dev/ ad4s1a device name for the flash drive:

• MPX-5500

• MPX-7500

• MPX-9500

• MPX-9700

• MPX-10500

• MPX-12500

Note: The device name assigned to the flash drive on the NetScaler MPX appliances depend on the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) version installed on the appliance. To know about the BIOS version and respective device name assigned to the flash drive on various NetScaler MPX appliances, refer to article CTX124609 - Device Names Assigned to the /var and /flash Partitions According to the BIOS Version Installed on a NetScaler MPX Appliance.

Instructions

To mount the missing flash drive, complete the following procedure:

1. Connect a console cable to the NetScaler appliance Serial Console.

2. Restart the NetScaler appliance.

3. Press the SPACEBAR key as soon as the following message is displayed:

   Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt
   Booting [kernel] in 10 seconds

   Note: On the NetScaler 7000 appliance, press the Ctrl and C keys simultaneously.

4. To start the kernel of the appliance in the single user mode, run the following command:
   boot -s

5. Press the Enter key as soon as the following message is displayed:

   Enter full pathname of shell or RETURN for /bin/sh:

   Note: The prompt of the appliance changes to \u@\h\$.

6. Run the following command to verify the disk consistency:
   \u@\h\$ /sbin/fsck <Device_Name>

   Notes:

   • Refer to the Device Names for Flash Drive section to know the appropriate device name of the appliance.

   • For NetScaler 10.5, use -t ufs command with fsck and mount command.

7. Run the following command to verify if the flash drive is mounted:
   \u@\h\$ df –k

8. If the output of the preceding command does not display the flash drive, then run the following command to mount the flash drive:
   \u@\h\$ /sbin/mount <Device_Name> /flash

   Note: For NetScaler 10.5, use -t ufs command with fsck and mount command.

9. Restart the NetScaler appliance.

10. From the shell prompt, run the following command to verify if the flash drive is mounted:
    root # df –k

    Filesystem 1024-blocks Used Avail Capacity Mounted on

    /dev/md0c 157486 144426 9912 94% /
    devfs 1 1 0 100% /dev
    procfs 4 4 0 100% /proc
    /dev/ad0s1a 231774 197032 16202 92% /flash
    /dev/ad2s1e 69490770 58897468 5034042 92% /var