Comment 2 for bug 645211

Very odd indeed! I found a method to get the current kernel build to see the USB HDD box! The command line program lsusb seems to wake the kernel up to the fact that a USB HDD box is attached to the server. See the following:

userid@hostname:~$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
userid@hostname:~$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 067b:3507 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL3507 ATAPI6 Bridge
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
userid@hostname:~$

The extra device in the second run is indeed the USB HDD box which the first lsusb some how managed to get something to wake up and actually see it.

Again these results are with the current build of the kernel: linux-image-2.6.32-24-generic-pae_2.6.32-24.43_i386.deb

The syslog entries found the found USB HDD box are as follows:

Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.536034] usb 1-1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.800427] usb 1-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.860147] Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.860447] scsi5 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.860925] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.860936] USB Mass Storage support registered.
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.862617] usb-storage: device found at 2
Sep 25 14:01:32 hostname kernel: [ 133.862625] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.860314] usb-storage: device scan complete
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.861189] scsi 5:0:0:0: Direct-Access Hitachi HDT725040VLAT80 V5CO PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.868478] sd 5:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.869259] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Adjusting the sector count from its reported value: 781422768
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.869276] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] 781422767 512-byte logical blocks: (400 GB/372 GiB)
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.871773] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.871786] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.871794] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.873888] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Adjusting the sector count from its reported value: 781422768
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.874884] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.875050] sdb: sdb1
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.893762] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Adjusting the sector count from its reported value: 781422768
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.894768] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 25 14:01:37 hostname kernel: [ 138.894936] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk

Please let me know if there are more details which it would be helpful to have in order to find a resolution to this problem.