System Status indicator is flashing Amber

You could either install Server Administrator or get a DSET report. Links are below:

DSET:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/en/dell_system_tool?c=us&l=en&s=gen

OMSA:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=RC956904&l=en&s=hea&releaseid=R198997&SystemID=PWE_FOS_XEO_6650&servicetag=693NB51&os=WLHS1&osl=en&deviceid=2331&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=2&libid=36&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&fileid=277950

Hi and Thanks,

I DO have OMSA installed which is how I generated the screens attached. I don't understand what OM is reporting except that it seems to be saying the RAID volume in question is a Foreign configuration - bear in mind all of this was installed CLEAN and has been running for many months without a single error, error message or problem. That's my question.

Effu,

Is the server up to date on BIOS, iDrac, as well as the raid controller. If those aren't maintained it can cause issues. Which is why you may not see any issue and then one occurs. A foreign configuration is when the Virtual Disk configuration data on the drive isn't matching that of the controller. If the Virtual Disk is booting normally then you would want to access the controller and clear the foreign. 

Let me know.

Hi Chris,

Much appreciate the time and thought you exercised. Yes, all software is as recent as possible - that machine only updates the IDRAC to  6. In looking at the Full View of the Storage screen off the Perc H700 tab, it IS identifying the 4 RAID 5 drives with 1 hot spare that I configured months ago as  "Foreign Drives/Foreign configuration" even though I used the RAID setup off the boot screen (as opposed to OMSA) and has been running flawlessly with 0 indicated or operating problems of any kind. Thing is, I cant understand why? It was all setup and configured clean with all NEW (all 5 ) drives and as I said, has been running absolutely flawlessly until now. Whats more is I selected these drives off the list of recommended or acceptable drives given in the R510 documentation? What I was afraid to do was take any action that could render the Volume unreadable/unrecoverable. I saw the option to Clear the Foreign Configuration for each Drive but feared messing with it?  I've spent the last several months consolidating data off of all my systems to the tune of about 4TB and it's irreplaceable. I hope I can get a definitive answer that at the very LEAST, executing the CLEAR FOREIGN CONFIGURATION for each drive will NOT render the Volume unrecoverable.  And I'm STILL hung up on why this happened at this particular moment? 

Hi,

Is the OS accessible and data is visible? If yes, I strongly recommend to do full data back up before any RAID configuration action is done, ie Clearing Foreign config. You did mentioned about screenshot attached, but it's not appearing here. Just to confirm, are all of the 5 drive reported as foreign config? Or just 1 or 2 drives? Are the drives Dell branded drives? 

Like Chris mentioned, if the VD is booting normally, you can clear foreign and let the RAID rebuild itself. If VD is not booting, you should not clear foreign. You will need to access to the RAID controller BIOS to check the status of RAID container and each physical disk status. 

To address why the drives can become foreign, there are possible few reasons. 1 would be non certified Dell drive. Another would be the drives may go into fault or predictive fail drive soon. 

Hi Joey,

Thank you very much for chiming in, I really have wanted the Dell techs to assist. Yes,  if by VD you mean the 2.5" Win Server 2012 R2 RAID 1 boot drives they are fine and I'll follow your advice and backup. But the crucial RAID 5 6TB Volume is not mounted so I can't back that up (right?). They are Seagate ST000NM0001 2 TB except the hot spare is 3TB. Those drives were listed in the R510 docs as compatible and were installed new in new drive carriers, again all of this almost a year ago. I don't understand, if it's a compatibility issue, how the whole volume could suddenly go south with just the warning I mentioned (better screenshots attached). Such issues shouldn't have taken the better part of a year to show up - remember I use this Server ONLY for file storage. But thanks for your input, very much appreciated. DisksPERC H700 FIrmware detailsHealthDisk options

Hello effu,

I'm looking at the screen shot that you have Storage Dashboard (PERH700-disk-options-1_.png)

Select Foreign Configuration Operations and do an Import.  (do not clear foreign at this time).

On that same dropdown I'd recommend Export Log so you can get a look at what has gone on with the array.

Hi Charles,

First, I GREATLY appreciate the Dell guys trying to assist. Here's a brief testimonial to Dell: I'm a lifelong Dell customer, have several Precision workstations and 2 Dell servers, 2 Mobile workstations, have never owned any other PC brand. I picked up a used HP server and have considered the HP workstations because they've always gotten such good reviews for CAD, which is my primary use, but I found out the huge difference between their whole support system vs Dell, i.e., not nearly as good. I DID contact Enterprise support to ask what a per-incident charge would be to get help on this and they quoted me $1000 for 2 hours. For your typical business users that's not unreasonable but for little SMB guys like me, yes, I have $1000 but I can not allocate it to something like this, just can't do it. What I was waiting for, and I think you've stated, is a way to work through this without potentially destroying or rendering unrecoverable the data on that Volume. Just to be clear, are you saying that performing the IMPORT as you've recommended, will not wreck or place at risk the data? That's what I'm freaked out about tbh.

And thanks to all of you!

Thank you so much Charles! Yes, that was the answer to my questions very definitively and I greatly appreciate it. Hopefully all will be well!

Take Care,

Will

Hello effu,

I understand your apprehension. You are correct; If the Import is successful your array will be back online. There is no risk in trying the import. It most likely should import successfully.

If Import fails then there is more troubleshooting to do. If it fails we can continue troubleshooting or you can choose a data recovery company to send all member drives to to see if data can be retrieved.  No one can guarantee that there is no data loss at this time. It doesn't look like it but I don't want you to take it that I'm saying there is no data loss.

IT WORKED!

Thank you Charles for the help! I can see all of the folders on files on that Volume and I'm assuming I can back them up now, which I'll do, 2 separate backups for safety. I note the system still doesn't like something. I was thinking of then rebooting, running the RAID config off the startup menu, wiping and reconfiguring the drives because of the remaining error flags but I'm interested in suggestions.

Thanks again, very very much appreciated.

W