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7879
May 15th, 2018 10:00
PERC H700 import foreign configuration
We have a Poweredge R710 with a 2 drive Raid 1 plus 4 drive Raid 5 setup on a PERC H700. Someone has pulled two drives from Raid 5 because one was marked as failed. Obviously the Server doesn`t start anymore. Now I have reinserted the two disk and the controller offers me to import a foreign configuration. I reviewed the possible changes and discovered, the foreign configuration would exchange Disk Groups:
Existing Configuration:
Disk Group 0, Raid 1
-- Virtual Disk 0, 136,12 GB
-----Physical Disk in Slot 0 and 1 with 136,12 GB each
Disk Group 1, Raid 5
-- Virtual Disk 1, 5587,5 GB
-----Physical Disk in Slot 2 and 3 with 1862,5 GB each, Drives in Slot 4 and 5 missing
Foreign View configuration:
Disk Group 0, Raid 5
-- Virtual Disk 1, 5587,5 GB
-----Physical Disk in Slot 2 and 3 with 1862,5 GB each,
-----Physical Disk in Slot 4 with 1862,5 GB (Foreign),
----- Missing in Slot 5
Disk Group 1, Raid 1
-- Virtual Disk 0, 136,12 GB
-----Physical Disk in Slot 0 and 1 with 136,12 GB each
Now I have a couple of questions:
1) Is it somehow possible to do a backup of the whole Raid 1 data before importing?
2) If I import the foreign configuration, will there be a data loss on the Raid 1?
3) Is it possible to save the configuration (and revert later) before importing the foreign configuration?
4) The controller firmware is old, is there a firmware upgrade possible although the OS doesn`t start?
Many thx in advance!
Daniel My
12 Elder
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6.2K Posts
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May 15th, 2018 12:00
Hello
The data is not currently accessible through the controller. You would need to use different hardware to do disk backups. There are probably options that exist that would allow you to clone the drives.
The import operation should not change any data on the disks. It just imports the virtual disk configuration from the disks to the controller. If the virtual disk information is in a state that allows it the controller will bring the virtual disk back online. There is no way I'm aware of to export or import virtual disk information. You can perform a retag, it is a risky process that can cause data loss if not done properly.
There are several methods you can use to update the controller firmware. It is best practice to have the firmware up to date before performing any foreign configuration operations. The available firmware installation methods should be listed in the installation instructions at the bottom of the firmware download page.
http://www.dell.com/support/
http://www.dell.com/storagecontrollermanuals/
Thanks
Chris_1999
2 Posts
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May 16th, 2018 03:00
Hi Daniel, thank you for your fast reaction!
Regarding the Firmware Update:
Although I have read throughout the manual I don^t know how to do.
The system doesn`t boot and doesn`t enter setup (F2,F10,F11; but the pressed key is recognized) as the PERC H700 shows the following messages:
Foreign configurations found ...
There are offline or missing virtual drives with preserved cache...
Press ans key to enter the configuration utility.
It seems the PERC Bios is blocking the access to Setup, Bios Boot Menu etc.
How to bypass this and enter setup / boot from another device (F2, F10, F11 doesn`t work, it reconizes my keypress)
Many thx in advance!
Daniel My
12 Elder
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6.2K Posts
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May 17th, 2018 09:00
If it is not providing an option to bypass then I would skip the firmware update. You would have to disconnect either the drives or controller from the system if there is not an option to continue without entering the PERC BIOS. The steps to bypass the warning message could further complicate the problem.